The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (1805) Private Thomas Henry Reeves, 5th Battalion (Infantry), First World War

Accession Number PAFU2013/106.01
Collection type Film
Object type Last Post film
Physical description 16:9
Maker Australian War Memorial
Place made Australia: Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, Campbell
Date made 30 October 2013
Access Open
Conflict First World War, 1914-1918
Copyright Item copyright: © Australian War Memorial
Creative Commons License This item is licensed under CC BY-NC
Copying Provisions Copyright restrictions apply. Only personal, non-commercial, research and study use permitted. Permission of copyright holder required for any commercial use and/or reproduction.
Description

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each 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 Charis May, the story for this day was on (1805) Private Thomas Henry Reeves, 5th Battalion (Infantry), First World War.

Film order form
Speech transcript

1805 Private Thomas Henry Reeves, 5th Battalion
KIA 7 September 1915
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 30 October 2013

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Thomas Henry Reeves of the 5th Battalion.

Thomas Reeves was the third son of William and Julia Reeves, born in the Croydon area of Melbourne. His family moved when he was young to Castlemaine, where he attended St Mary's Roman Catholic School. After his schooling, Thomas gained employment at the Thompson's Foundry in Castlemaine with his elder brother John, and eventually became an assistant boilermaker. Thomas reportedly "spent the greater part of his life at California Gully" in Bendigo. Here he was an active sportsman and a noted local footballer who played as a rover for the California Gully football team.

Reeves enlisted in January 1915 and was posted to the 5th Battalion of the Australian Imperial Force. He embarked for the Dardanelles on 22 May 1915, the day before his 23rd birthday. Very little is known of Reeves' service on the Gallipoli peninsula, although he may have spent as long as five months there. On 6 September A and B companies of the 5th Battalion relieved troops garrisoning the Lone Pine position captured the month before. The following day, Private Thomas Henry Reeves was killed in action.

Again, very little is known of the manner of his death. He was buried by his comrades, but the grave was later lost and a memorial headstone for him in Johnston's Jolly Cemetery at ANZAC Cove reads: "believed to be buried in this cemetery, actual grave unknown". At the time of his death, Thomas's brother John was in a training camp. Also a member of the 5th Battalion, he died nearly a year after his brother at the Battle of Pozières in July 1916.

Although the details of Thomas Reeves' service have been obscured by time, his memory was greatly treasured by his mother, who was grateful to receive the memorial scrolls and plaques supplied in memory of her sons.

Thomas Reeves is remembered here, too: his name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, along with more than 60,000 others from the First World War.

This is but one of the many stories of courage and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Private Thomas Henry Reeves, his brother Private John Reeves, and all of those Australians who have given their lives in the service of our nation.

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