The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (1906) Private William Thomas O'Shea, 35th Battalion (Infantry), 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 Richard Cruise, the story for this day was on (1906) Private William Thomas O'Shea, 35th Battalion (Infantry), First World War.

1906 Private William Thomas O'Shea, 35th Battalion
KIA 3 October 1917
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 16 December 2013

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private William Thomas O'Shea.

William Thomas O'Shea was born at Warialda, New South Wales, in 1892 and was working as a farm hand at the outbreak of the First World War.

He enlisted for service in the AIF on 20 December 1915 and after initially being assigned to the 33rd Battalion was posted to the second reinforcements for the 35th in May 1916. It was here that he met and became friends with Private Alexander Bradey. He embarked from Sydney in September and arrived in England at the end of October.

O'Shea spent the next six weeks in training before being sent to France in mid- December. Another month of training at the infamous "Bull Ring" at Étaples followed before being sent to join the 35th Battalion at Armentières in January 1917.

The battalion took part in its first major attack at Messines in June that year, and this was a resounding success. Following the battle, the battalion was sent back to France for a period of rest and reinforcement before moving back to the Ypres Salient at the end of September. The battalion was in support lines near Zonnebeke at the start of October and was under German shell-fire for much of that time.

On the morning of 3 October a German bombardment hit the trenches held by the 35th, and O'Shea was killed. Once the bombardment had lifted, O'Shea's friend Bradey and another man recovered O'Shea's body and had just finished digging a grave for him when a shell exploded nearby. Bradey was killed instantly and the other man was wounded. O'Shea and Bradey were buried together, but in the subsequent fighting the grave was lost. O'Shea is now commemorated on the Menin Gate at Ypres.

His name 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 Memorial's 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 Private William Thomas O'Shea, and all of those Australians who have given their lives in service of our nation.