The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of Lieutenant Victor Gillard Dridan, 50th 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 Lieutenant Victor Gillard Dridan, 50th Battalion, First World War.

Lieutenant Victor Gillard Dridan, 50th Battalion
KIA 16 August 1916
Photograph: H06021

Story delivered 15 April 2014

Today we remember and pay tribute to Lieutenant Victor Gillard Dridan.

Vic Dridan of Mitcham, South Australia, took a keen interest in military matters and was an active cadet as a young man. His experience and rank in the cadets led to his being granted an equivalent commission on enlisting in the first AIF. He was sent to Egypt with the 10th Battalion, arriving in early 1916.

At this time the AIF was undergoing a period of reorganisation due to the increasing number of volunteers. As a result, Dridan was transferred to the 50th Battalion and sent to France to fight on the Western Front. The battalion's first action was in the battles around Mouquet Farm on the Somme.

Dridan had been in the trenches only days when he was hit by an artillery shell and seriously wounded in the arm. A tourniquet was applied, but because his position was under such heavy fire he could not be taken back for help immediately. Someone sat with him all night to take care of his badly mangled arm. This man reported that he was "quite unconcerned and cheerful and complained of no pain".

Around lunch time the next day some stretcher-bearers were detailed to take Lieutenant Dridan out of the trenches, but as the group neared the dressing station they were hit by another shell blast. One stretcher-bearer was wounded and another two killed outright. Dridan was not hurt further and managed to walk the rest of the distance to the dressing station. However, having lost an enormous amount of blood and being deeply shocked by the experience, he never woke up from the operation to remove the remnants of his arm. He was 23 years old.

Dridan was the first officer of the 50th Battalion to be killed in action. Major Jacob wrote to Dridan's parents, saying:
We are extremely proud of the example he set to all who came in contact with him before and after he received his fatal wound. We, his brother officers, feel his loss as a comrade and a most valuable member of our battalion very much, but there must be some consolation in the knowledge that he died a true hero.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, along with more than 60,000 others from the First World War, and his photograph is displayed today 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 Lieutenant Victor Gillard Dridan, and
all of those Australians who have given their lives in service of our nation.