The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (3084A) Private Clarence George Mathieson, 60th 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 (3084A) Private Clarence George Mathieson, 60th Battalion, First World War.

3084A Private Clarence George Mathieson, 60th Battalion
KIA 19 July 1916
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 22 May 2014

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Clarence George Mathieson.

Clarence Mathieson, known as Charlie, enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force when he was just 15 years old. He grew up in the South Richmond area of Melbourne and attended the Cremorne Street School. He was a large lad, and it was reported that "a physique above the ordinary got him past the doctors" on his enlistment. Charlie was so keen to go to war that his parents signed their consent, asserting that he was 18, and so he enlisted in July 1915 at about the same time as his brother Frederick.

Both brothers arrived in Egypt in January 1916. At this time the AIF was undergoing a period of rapid expansion and reorganisation, and as a result of this both Charlie and Frederick ended up in the 60th Battalion. In April 1916 Charlie came down with mild pleurisy and spent some time in hospital. He was well enough to rejoin his battalion when they went to France, arriving in late June 1916.

On the 19th of July 1916 the 60th Battalion participated in its first major operation on the Western Front - Fromelles. It was a disaster. The infantry left its trenches in waves, scaling the parapet and going forward under heavy artillery, machine-gun, and rifle fire. Nevertheless, the infantry of the 60th Battalion continued to advance to within 90 yards of the enemy, and it was thought that some even entered the enemy trenches. Nevertheless, the battalion suffered massive casualties and was withdrawn the following morning. At roll call after leaving the front line, just four officers and 61 other ranks were present, with 757 men of the battalion made casualties.

Two of those men were Frederick and Charlie Mathieson. Frederick had a gunshot wound to his scalp that resulted in some time in hospital, but he was repatriated to Australia in 1918.

Charlie Mathieson never returned. After a year of investigations by the International Red Cross Society and Charlie's brother Frederick, a court of inquiry ruled that, like so many other missing men, he had been killed in action at Fromelles on the 19th of July 1916. He was 16 years old.

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 Clarence George Mathieson, and all of those Australians who have given their lives in the service of our nation.