The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (635) Private Percival James Boland, 11th 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 Richard Cruise, the story for this day was on (635) Private Percival James Boland, 11th Battalion, AIF, First World War.

635 Private Percival James Boland, 11th Battalion, AIF
KIA 28 June 1915
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 26 August 2015

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Percival James Boland.

Percival Boland was born in 1895 to James and Hart Boland. He was born into a local Bendigo family, but they moved to Western Australia when he was a child, and he grew up in Kalgoorlie. There he attended the Kalgoorlie Central School, and went on to become a state school teacher. He was also a serving member of the 84th Infantry Regiment of the Citizens’ Militia.

Boland enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force shortly after the outbreak of war in August 1914 and was posted to the 11th Battalion. After a short period of training in Australia he boarded the troopship Ascanius at Fremantle and departed for service overseas. Although the first contingent from Australia expected to fight on the Western Front, it was diverted to Egypt for further training in order to attack the Ottoman Empire.

On 25 April 1915 the 11th Battalion formed part of the covering force for the landing at Anzac Cove, and was one of the first formations to land. They landed under heavy machine-gun and rifle fire at 4.30 am, roughly one mile south of Fisherman’s Hut, and quickly stormed the cliffs to get a toehold above the beach. The days that followed were confused, and the battalion remained scattered in small parties while the front line was being established.

Boland’s commanding officer later recorded that during this period he “proved himself a brave man”. He survived those hectic early days at Anzac and the reorganisation that followed. In late May he came down with the flu, and was evacuated to a hospital ship to recover. He rejoined his unit on 9 June.

Nearly three weeks later the 11th Battalion was detailed to support a small attack made by the 9th Battalion in order to stop the Turks sending reinforcements to the south. In order to provide covering fire the men of the 11th Battalion had to leave their trench and lie along the ridge top to fire into the Turkish trenches. In response the Turks opened up a heavy shrapnel fire from their artillery, causing more than 60 Australian casualties.

One of those killed was Private Percival Boland. As he lay out in the open on the ridge, he was struck by a bursting shell and killed instantly. His company commander wrote to Boland’s parents to say that “he was extremely popular with his comrades”, and that the men joined “in expressing to you our heartfelt sympathy at your great loss”. They buried their friend on Shrapnel Green, overlooking the sea. He was 19 years old.

Private Percival Boland’s name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, among the more than 60,000 Australians who died during the First World War.

This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Private Percival James Boland, and all those Australians who have given their lives in the service of our nation.

Dr Meleah Hampton
Historian, Military History Section