The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of Private Owen Stanley Tolman, 26th Battalion, AIF, 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 Charis May, the story for this day was on Private Owen Stanley Tolman, 26th Battalion, AIF, First World War.

Private Owen Stanley Tolman, 26th Battalion, AIF
DOW 10 August 1916
Photograph: H06512

Story delivered 8 November 2014

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Owen Stanley Tolman.

Owen Stanley Tolman was born on 28 February 1892 in Hobart to Edward and Janet Tolman. He was the 11th of 13 children.

Owen’s parents separated when he was quite young and he went to live with his mother. He attended school at Flowerpot, south of Hobart, and after leaving school he was employed as a waterside worker.

After the outbreak of the First World War, Owen approached his mother about enlisting in the AIF. She encouraged him to serve, so on 21 July 1915 he enlisted at Claremont and joined the 26th Infantry Battalion. He was sent to the battalion’s depot in Brisbane, where after some initial training he was allotted to the 5th reinforcements to the 26th Battalion.

Owen’s brothers George and Mostyn enlisted the following month. George, who joined the 15th Machine Gun Company, made it to Egypt before ill-health forced his return to Australia. Mostyn followed Owen into the 26th Battalion and joined him in Egypt.

Owen Tolman embarked with his unit from Brisbane aboard the transport ship Warilda, arriving in Egypt in December. He was taken on strength of the 26th Battalion in February 1916 and the following month left with his battalion for France.

By May the 26th Battalion had experienced the front-line trenches near Armentières in what was known as the Nursery Sector. In July the battalion moved south in preparation for the Australian Second Division’s attack on Pozières.

On 28 July the 26th Battalion moved up towards their starting lines. It wasn’t until after midnight that the battalion, as part of the wider divisional attack, was able to start. Its progress was halted by uncut German wire and many casualties were suffered, including Tolman, who had been wounded in the stomach.

He was evacuated to the 3rd Casualty Clearing Station, where he underwent an operation. Over the next week he spoke often with the nurse who was caring for him about his home, his family, and his mother, and the nurse wrote to his mother on his behalf. Tolman’s wound was mortal and he died on 10 August. He was buried in the Puchevillers Military Cemetery. He was 24 years old.

Mostyn Tolman was wounded during the battle of Pozières, receiving a gunshot wound to his hand. He was evacuated to England for further treatment and convalescence. He returned to France at the end of 1916, but his health broke down before he could return to his unit. He spent much of 1917 in hospitals and returned to Australia that October.

Another brother, Hobart, joined the AIF after Owen died. Transferring to the 1st Machine Gun Company when he got to England, he arrived in France in October 1917 and saw some front-line service until he was evacuated sick in February 1918. He returned to Australia in mid-1919.

The name of Private Owen Stanley Tolman is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, along with more than 60,000 others from the First World War, and his photograph is displayed today 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 Owen Tolman and all of those Australians who have given their lives in service of our nation.