The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (6116) Private Bertram George Wooster, 15th 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 Craig Berelle, the story for this day was on (6116) Private Bertram George Wooster, 15th Battalion, AIF, First World War.

6116 Private Bertram George Wooster, 15th Battalion, AIF
DOW 23 June 1918
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 17 September 2015

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Bertram George Wooster, who died during the First World War.

Bertram Wooster was born on 24 December 1897 in Gympie, Queensland, to Frederick William Wooster and Alice Kate Snook. He was one of seven children, and the youngest of four boys.

Wooster attended Gympie State School, and for a time served in the cadets. He was 18 years old and working on the family dairy and fruit farm in Widgee when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 29 February 1916. He was appointed to the 19th reinforcements to the 15th Battalion, and after some training sailed to England on HMAT Itonus, arriving in England that October. His brother Frederick enlisted later that year and joined the Field Artillery Brigade.

Wooster joined his unit in France in December, having missed the brutal fighting at Pozières. He was with his battalion as it endured the harsh winter of 1916–17, one of the coldest on record, and during the operations around Bullecourt early in 1917. The snowy conditions and fierce fighting meant heavy losses were incurred by all allied battalions, and while Wooster survived unwounded he was hospitalised with dysentery and had to be evacuated to England for treatment.

Wooster re-joined the 15th Battalion in July 1917. With the allies’ focus now on the Ypres sector, the battalion was moved to Belgium. It was held in reserve during the battle at Messines, and took a primarily defensive role holding the gains made during the attack. It took part in the fighting at Polygon Wood that September before being taken offline and spending the winter resting.

In March 1918 the 15th Battalion took part in halting the massive Spring Offensive launched by the German Army, and later spent time constructing trenches, bridges, and dug-outs around Villers-Bretonneux. In June the battalion moved up to the front line, where along with the Americans it conducted a number of raids on enemy trenches.

On 22 June the 15th Battalion was in the French village of Heilly, not far from Amiens. At some point on this day Private Bertram Wooster sustained shell wounds to his back and buttocks. Records do not show the particulars of what happened; it is possible Wooster was taking part in a raid on enemy trenches. He was taken to the 5th Casualty Clearing Station, but succumbed to his wounds and died the following day. He was buried at Crouy British Cemetery, ten miles north-west of Amiens.

Bertram Wooster’s name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, along with more than 60,000 others from 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 Bertram George Wooster, and all of those Australians who have given their lives in service of our nation.

Christina Zissis
Editor, Military History Section