The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (1670) Private Frederick Augustus Boden, 14th Battalion (Infantry), First World War

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial every day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Craig Blanch the story for this day was on (1670) Private Frederick Augustus Boden, 14th Battalion (Infantry), First World War.

1670, Private Frederick Augustus Boden, 14th Battalion
KIA 7 August 1915
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 13 August 2013

Today, we remember and pay tribute to Private Frederick Augustus Boden.

Frederick Augustus Boden was from Williamstown at the mouth of the Yarra River in Melbourne. He enlisted into the 14th Battalion in January 1915 and soon found himself on the Gallipoli peninsula.

In May he suffered serious scalp wounds, and took at least two months to get back to the front line. He arrived in time to participate in the 14th Battalion's assault on Hill 971, part of the series of known as the August offensive.

This series of assaults, which included the attacks on Lone Pine and the Nek, were designed as a feint to draw Turkish attention away from a landing of British troops to the north around Suvla Bay.

On 6 August 1915, the 14th Battalion successfully advanced against their objective. Men were set to constructing trenches and defensive positions. As they were doing so, about 50 Turkish soldiers came running towards their line of trenches. Some of these enemy soldiers were killed, but a number of were taken prisoner. Among the prisoners was a seriously wounded Turkish officer. As his condition worsened, it was decided to send him down from the heights to the beach, where he could get medical attention.

A party of men was hastily organised to carry the wounded Turkish officer to the beach, one of whom was Frederick Boden. As the party made its way down the steep hillside, Boden was hit by a bullet - whether deliberately shot by a sniper or a stray from another action is not known - and he died almost immediately.

The chaplain of the 14th Battalion, Captain Andrew Gillison, later wrote to Frederick's mother. When he discovered what had happened to Boden, he had his body retrieved to be buried with other men of the 14th Battalion who died on the same day, so that "he might be laid beside his old comrades". Gillison wrote: "Few things have touched me more during all my experiences than his death & I believe
that I am more proud to be attached to a battalion to which belonged the man who died for his enemy - than that one of our number had won the Victoria Cross."

This small battlefield cemetery was later lost, so the final resting place of Frederick Boden is now unknown. He is commemorated on the memorial at Lone Pine, and also on the Roll of Honour on my right, along with around 60,000 others from the First World War. He has no known photograph.

This is but one of the many stories of courage and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Private Frederick Augustus Boden, and all those Australians who have given their lives in the service of our nation.