The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (NX77799) Private Sydney Herbert Thomas Busine, 2/30th Australian Infantry Battalion, Second 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 (NX77799) Private Sydney Herbert Thomas Busine, 2/30th Australian Infantry Battalion, Second World War.

NX77799 Private Sydney Herbert Thomas Busine, 2/30th Australian Infantry Battalion
DOD 20 September 1943
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 25 October 2014

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Sydney Herbert Thomas Busine.

Born in Byron Bay on 4 April 1918, Sydney Herbert Thomas Busine was the son of Francis and Charlotte Busine.

Busine worked as a glass worker at Brown Crystal Glass in Waterloo. In 1939 he married Rheita Ann Madden, and on 6 March 1940 Rheita gave birth to their first son, Herbert. A second son, James, arrived on 6 December 1941, just before the outbreak of war with Japan.

Following Japan’s entry to the war, Busine enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force. Despite having a young wife and two sons, Busine enlisted in December 1941, choosing to serve his nation at a time of crisis. Following a short stint of training he was soon posted as a reinforcement for the 2/30th Battalion, then fighting a fierce campaign against Japanese forces in Malaya.

In January 1942 Busine embarked for overseas service, but rather than join his battalion and the rest of the 8th Division in Singapore he and the other reinforcements disembarked on Java, where they joined “Black Force”. When forces on Java were overwhelmed by the Japanese and forced to surrender in March, Busine was one of 2,700 Australian troops to become prisoners of war.

At first Busine was imprisoned at the large Bicycle Camp at Jarkata. In 1943 he was part of large work force sent by the Japanese to Burma to work on the Burma–Thailand Railway. Many of the prisoners were malnourished and disease was rife, and Busine suffered from malnutrition, pellagra, ulcers, and diarrhoea. It was on 20 September 1943 at the 55 Kilo hospital camp in Burma that Busine died of illness following the amputation of his leg.

He was 25 years old.

Sydney Busine is buried in the British Commonwealth War Cemetery at Thanbyuzayat, Myanmar. The epitaph on his grave, as chosen by his family, reads: “ever remembered by all for doing his duty”.

Busine’s name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my left, along with the names of some 40,000 Australians killed in the Second World War.

This is but one of the many stories of honour, courage and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Private Sydney Herbert Thomas Busine, and all of those Australians who have given their lives in the service of our nation.