The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (2910) Private John Vaughan Tonkin, 5th 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 Nicholas Schmidt, the story for this day was on (2910) Private John Vaughan Tonkin, 5th Battalion, First World War.

Private John Vaughan Tonkin, 5th Battalion
KIA 20 September 1917
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 9 May 2014

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private John Vaughan Tonkin.

Private Jack Tonkin was born in rural Victoria and was working as a storeman on the outbreak of the First World War. He enlisted in June 1915 and after a period of training in Australia was sent to Egypt with reinforcements to the 5th Battalion.

Tonkin arrived in Egypt in early January 1916, just as the battalions evacuated from the Gallipoli peninsula were returning. There he met with his cousin, Private Allan Tonkin, who was serving with the 7th Battalion. After a period of reorganisation and training, the Australian troops were sent to France to fight on the Western Front.

Australian battalions were put into the line around the Belgian village of Ypres to experience the conditions in what was considered a less dangerous sector in 1916. It was often referred to as "the nursery sector". Things were still dangerous, however, and in late June and early July 1916 the 5th Battalion was involved in small-scale gas attacks and carrying parties in the sector. The whole battalion was moved forward to be in close support of the line, and on 8 July 1916 Private Tonkin was seriously wounded by shrapnel to his back and arm.

He was invalided to England and spent some time recovering from his wounds and taking advantage of the time to see many parts of Britain, including a visit to a friend in Scotland.

Tonkin was well enough to return to his battalion in February 1917, and would not leave it again. Seven months after his return the 5th Battalion participated in an operation against German positions near Glencorse Wood. They advanced before dawn and took their objectives with very little opposition, though in two or three incidents the advancing Australians were met with some machine-gun fire, and casualties were incurred.

One of these casualties was Private Jack Tonkin. He died instantly from a bullet to the head and is buried in Tyne Cot Cemetery in Belgium. Two days later, leaving the same battlefield where Jack Tonkin met his death, Jack's cousin Allan Tonkin was hit by fragments of an artillery shell and died from his wounds days later. Both families were notified of their losses in the same week, and mourned their sons for years.

Both men's names are 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 John Vaughan Tonkin, and all of those Australians who have given their lives in service of our nation.