The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (2928) Private Gilbert William Jeffrey, 52nd 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 (2928) Private Gilbert William Jeffrey, 52nd Battalion, First World War.

2928 Private Gilbert William Jeffrey, 52nd Battalion
KIA 24 April 1918
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 26 March 2014

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Gilbert William Jeffrey.

Gilbert Jeffrey was the son of William and Elizabeth Jeffrey of Tasmania. Born in Melrose on 1 June 1895, he grew up in the Yolla district where he attended the local state school. Little is known of his early life until his enlistment on 16 July 1915, when he left his work as a bush labourer to join the Australian Imperial Force.

Private Jeffrey was sent to Egypt with the 12th Battalion, arriving at a time when the AIF was undergoing a period of reorganisation and expansion after the evacuation from Gallipoli. As a result of this process, Jeffrey was transferred to the newly-formed 52nd Battalion. He arrived in France to fight on the Western Front in June 1916.

Within months of its arrival in France the 52nd Battalion was drawn into the fighting around Mouquet Farm. On 31 August Jeffrey was in a front-line trench when he picked up an unexploded rifle grenade. As he did so it exploded and wounded him in the hand, groin, and both legs. He was sent to England to recover.

Jeffrey's recovery took a number of months, and his behaviour in England was not exemplary, further delaying his return to his battalion in the field. He finally returned to France in May 1917 and rejoined his unit the following month.

On 24 April 1918 the 52nd Battalion was near the village of Pont Noyelles when it came under an artillery barrage. This was the same day that Private Jeffrey was reported killed in action.

The exact manner of Jeffrey's death has never been recorded, and is unknown to this day. His father, struggling to come to terms with his son's death, was extremely frustrated by the lack of specific information surrounding his son's last moments. Years later he was asked to fill in a circular about his son for the Roll of Honour. When asked the place Gilbert was killed or wounded he wrote "you know that fifty times better than I do", adding, "If I had 20 boys not one of them should go one foot to fight for you." His son had been killed at the age of 22.

His 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 Gilbert William Jeffrey, and all of those Australians who have given their lives in the service of our nation.