The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (5646) Private George Searle, 25th 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 Craig Berelle, the story for this day was on (5646) Private George Searle, 25th Battalion, First World War.

5646 Private George Searle, 25th Battalion
KIA 27 June 1918
No photograph in collection

Story developed 15 July 2014

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private George Searle, who was killed fighting in France in the First World War.

George Robert Searle was born in 1987 and was one of seven children of George and Marie Searle of Maryborough, Queensland. George attended Tinana State School and worked as a labourer in the Maryborough district. In January 1916, several months after his 18th birthday, he travelled to Brisbane and enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force. George trained at Bells Paddock camp in Enoggera until September 1916, when he left for the training camps in England with a reinforcement group for the 25th Battalion.

George spent several weeks training on the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire before joining his battalion in France. Fortunately, George was spared the bitter fighting on the Somme, particularly at Pozières and Mouquet Farm, but endured the relentless winter in the Flers–Gueudecourt sector, the coldest in over 40 years. George’s first major action on the Western Front was the second battle of Bullecourt, in which the 25th Battalion played a supporting role, followed by Menin Road, Belgium, in September 1917 and Broodseinde in October. Days after being relieved from the front line at Broodseinde, George was on a fatigue party in the Dickebusch area where he was wounded by a German shell. He was evacuated to England and spent the following months recovering in hospital.

George returned to his battalion in March 1918, just days before the Germans launched the Spring Offensive that punched through British lines on the Somme. The 25th Battalion was still in Belgium and was spared the main assault, but along with the rest of the Australian divisions was moved south to prevent the Germans from advancing on the city of Amiens. The 25th blunted German attempts to break through at Morlancourt in April and remained in that sector for the following months. Fierce German bombardments fell on the Australians as they manned a line of defensive positions overlooking the enemy positions. By June, operations had shifted south to Villers-Bretonneux, where the Germans were within striking distance of Amiens.

On 27 June 1918, George Searle was manning a Vickers-machine-gun post just outside of Villers-Bretonneux when a German shell landed directly on the position, killing both George and one other. George was buried at Adelaide Cemetery on the outskirts of Villers-Bretonneux, where he rests today. He was just 20 years old.

George Searle’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 just one of the many stories of courage and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Private George Searle and all of those Australians who have given their lives in service of our nation.