The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (3702) Private William Albert Buder, 10th Battalion, 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 (3702) Private William Albert Buder, 10th Battalion, First World War.

3702 Private William Albert Buder, 10th Battalion
KIA 20 August 1916
No photograph in collection.

Story delivered 15 March 2014

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private William Albert Buder of the 10th Battalion.

William Buder was born in Adelaide and educated at the Tea Tree Gully Public School. On the outbreak of war in Europe he was living in the suburb of Campbelltown, working as a barman. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in August 1915 and was sent to Egypt with the 12th reinforcements to the 10th Battalion.

After a period of training, Buder joined the 10th Battalion in the field in France, where the men were training for their first major offensive at Pozières. He was with his battalion when it captured that village on 23 July 1916. Advancing under heavy gas and artillery attacks, the battalion took over important German positions in the OG lines, and some of its number were highly decorated as a result.

Just two weeks later the battalion was back in the front line. While defending the line, the men were also involved in preparing it to launch an attack. On the night of 20 August all the men of the 10th Battalion in the front line were employed in digging and improving new trenches ready for this operation when they came under heavy shell-fire. Somewhere in this fire William Buder was killed.

His body was lost in the confusion of war, and he has no known final resting place. He never saw his 26th birthday.

Private William Buder's name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, along with more than 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 Albert Buder, and all of those Australians who have given their lives in the service of our nation.