The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (1004) Corporal Arthur Grenville Curlewis, 12th 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 Richard Cruise, the story for this day was on (1004) Corporal Arthur Grenville Curlewis, 12th Battalion, First World War.

1004 Corporal Arthur Grenville Curlewis, 12th Battalion
DOW 15 August 1915
Photograph: H06121

Story delivered 21 December 2014

Today we remember and pay tribute to Corporal Arthur Grenville Curlewis.

Arthur Curlewis was born on 14 September 1892, the youngest son of George and Lilla Curlewis. He was born in Queenscliff, Victoria, but at the age of about three went with his family to Western Australia. Arthur attended Fremantle Boys’ School and went on to work on his father’s farm at Brookton. He had some experience of the military through his school’s cadets program, but did not go on to further service with the local militia as his brother Gordon did.

All four of the Curlewis brothers enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in 1914. With all of his sons away, George Curlewis stopped farming and moved to Cottesloe, Western Australia, to await their return. Arthur was the third son to enlist, following the example of his brothers Selwyn and Campbell. Gordon enlisted a few weeks later.

Arthur was the only brother not posted to the 16th Battalion. Instead he entered the 12th Battalion. All four left Australia with the second contingent, however, and were able to see each other regularly while in Egypt. They were also there for the landing on Gallipoli on 25 April 1915.

Within a very short period Arthur’s two eldest brothers were killed in action. Selwyn was killed in action on 2 May, one week after the landing. One week after that, Gordon was killed. No records survive to say how either met their death. Selwyn’s body was never recovered, and today he is commemorated on the Lone Pine memorial at Anzac. Gordon is buried in Beach Cemetery.

Fifteen weeks after his arrival, Arthur would also be dead. On 7 August 1915 the 12th Battalion went in to support the attack on Lone Pine.

Arthur was shot in the head and chest. He was successfully evacuated to hospital in Alexandria, Egypt, but three days after arrival, at 5.45 in the morning of 15 August, he died of his wounds. He was 23 years old.

Only one of the Curlewis brothers returned to Australia. Campbell received a head wound early in the campaign, but stayed on duty. Later in the year he fell ill, and was evacuated from the Gallipoli peninsula suffering from a chest infection. In December 1915 he was repatriated to Australia with tuberculosis. On his return he said “it was their duty to go, and they did not deserve so much praise, but they were glad to have it”. George Curlewis, having lost three of his sons to war, never returned to farming.

The names of Arthur, Gordon and Selwyn Curlewis are 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 service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Corporal Arthur Grenville Curlewis, his brothers Captain Gordon Levason Curlewis and Corporal Selwyn Lord Curlewis, and all of those Australians who have given their lives in the service of our nation.

Dr Meleah Hampton
Historian, Military History Section