The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (4788) Private Thomas Albert Dures, 18th 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 Joanne Smedley, the story for this day was on (4788) Private Thomas Albert Dures, 18th Battalion, First World War.

4788 Private Thomas Albert Dures, 18th Battalion
KIA 8 August 1918
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 10 August 2014

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Thomas Dures, who died fighting in France in the First World War.

Thomas Albert Dures was born in 1896, one of six children of William and Phillis Dures of Carlton, New South Wales. He attended Hurstville Superior Public School, and afterwards trained as a cabinet maker that specialising in building mantels. When Australian troops were fighting on Gallipoli in 1915, Thomas resided in Liverpool Street in Paddington. He enlisted at Casula on 14 February 1916 and spent two months training at Liverpool camp before leaving Australia with a reinforcement group for the 18th Battalion, destined for the training camps in Britain. In September 1916 he left England bound for the fighting on the Western Front.

Thomas’ reinforcement group joined the 18th Battalion in France at a time when it was recovering from the fighting on the Somme at Pozières and Mouquet Farm. The battalion remained on the Somme throughout the following winter, where it held the bleak Flers-Gueudecourt sector until February 1917, when it took part in the British advance that pursued the German army to the Hindenburg Line. Thomas would have been involved in the battalion’s action near Warlencourt in late February, taken part in the attack at Second Bullecourt in May, and fought in Belgium at Menin Road and Poelcapelle in September. The following year, the 18th Battalion helped defend the Strazeele sector during the German Spring Offensive, and played a leading role at Amiens on 8 August – the start of the allied offensive that ultimately led to victory on the Western Front.

Victorious the battle for Amiens was for the allies, but it was costly in Australian casualties. Among them was Private Thomas Dures, who was killed as the 18th Battalion advanced from Villers-Bretonneux towards the village of Warfusee. As the Australians advanced behind a rolling curtain of shell-fire towards the German lines one of the shells landed short and exploded in the ranks of the 18th Battalion – a shell splinter striking Thomas Dures, killing him instantly. Thomas’ body was recovered from the battlefield and buried in the cemetery at Villers-Bretonneux where the Australian National Memorial now stands. He was 22 years old.

Thomas Dures’ 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 Thomas Dures, and all of those Australians who have given their lives in service of our nation.