The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (612) Gunner Cedric Wyndham, 5th Division Trench Mortar Brigade Australian Field Artillery, First World War

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 Meredith Duncan, the story for this day was on (612) Gunner Cedric Wyndham, 5th Division Trench Mortar Brigade Australian Field Artillery, First World War.

612 Gunner Cedric Wyndham, 5th Division Trench Mortar Brigade, Australian Field Artillery
KIA 12 December 1917
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 12 December 2013

Today we remember and pay tribute to Gunner Cedric Wyndham.

Born in Inverell in northern New South Wales, Wyndham was the great grandson of George Wyndham, known as the father of Australian Shiraz for planting the country's first commercial Shiraz vineyard in the Hunter Valley in 1830. The Wyndham Estate wine label is named in his honour.

Cedric Wyndham was educated at the King's School, Parramatta, and afterwards returned to work on the family farm at Tamworth. He enlisted in July 1915 with the 12th Light Horse Regiment but was transferred to the 6th Regiment and served briefly on Gallipoli before becoming ill.

Wyndham spent several months in hospital in England. He returned to Egypt in February 1916 and shortly after was transferred to the 5th Divisional Field Artillery, where he served first as a driver. In time he was made a gunner with the 5th Division's Trench Mortar Brigade.

On 24 July, 1917, Wyndham's detachment within the Heavy Trench Mortar Battery was providing support to a party carrying out a raid on enemy trenches near Ypres when a German Howitzer made a direct hit on one of the gun pits. Under continuing heavy fire, Wyndham and two others quickly dismounted the mortar and moved it to another pit, and once again began firing. Wyndham received the Military Medal for his gallantry and devotion to duty. The recommendation for the award said that "the splendid example displayed by this man inspired the remainder of the detachment to maintain an effective fire".

Wyndham was wounded just a few days after his brave action, but was not out of the front lines for long. He was back in his role as a gunner, helping out the 13th Field Artillery Brigade, when he was killed in action on 12 December 1917 in the relatively quiet Hollebeke sector in Belgium. He was buried at Westhof Farm Cemetery, Belgium.

The name of Gunner Cedric Wyndham is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, along with around 60,000 others from the First World War. There is no photograph in the collection to display beside the Pool of Reflection.

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