The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (1633) Private James Henry Blight, 48th 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 (1633) Private James Henry Blight, 48th Battalion, AIF, First World War.

1633 Private James Henry Blight, 48th Battalion, AIF
KIA 27 February 1917
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 27 September 2015

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private James Henry Blight.

Henry Blight was born on 10 April 1884 to Joseph and Jane Blight of Monarto, South Australia. After completing school he went to Quorn, where he worked in the local locomotive workshops, and later spent eight years in Broken Hill. In 1913 his mother moved to Nairne, and Henry moved there to be with her. He was a member of the local Methodist Church, and worked as a labourer in and around Nairne until his enlistment in the Australian Imperial Force.

Henry Blight enlisted on 1 March 1916. He underwent a period of training in Australia before being sent for overseas service with the 48th Battalion. He was in Egypt for only three weeks before being sent on to England. There he underwent further training on Salisbury Plain before being sent on to fight on the Western Front in France.

Private Blight arrived in France in late September, missing the major attacks at Pozières and Mouquet Farm. The battalion spent several months rotating in and out of the front line. The winter of 1916–17 was one of the worst Europe had experienced in decades, and the men endured freezing conditions, often in rain or snow. Casualties from artillery fire or sniping were an irregular fact of life during this time.

Just before Christmas 1916 Blight met a cousin of his, Private Alf Carlson of the 50th Battalion. The two hardly recognised each other because of the mud each was covered in. They were able to spend Christmas Day together, sharing each other’s hampers.

In early 1917 Blight was serving as batman to Second Lieutenant Herbert Watson. In late February Blight became increasingly depressed. Although a number of soldiers asked him what was wrong, he gave no answer, and spent more and more time on his own. On the morning of 27 February 1917 Blight failed to answer roll call. His body was discovered lying face down behind a wagon near one of the sheds at the camp. He had Lieutenant Watson’s revolver in his hand, and a bullet wound to the head. He was taken to a nearby hospital but died without recovering consciousness.

A court of inquiry later ruled that Blight had died of a self-inflicted wound. He was 32 years old.

His cousin Alf Carlson was killed in action a month later, leaving a wife and two young sons.

Their names are listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, among 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 James Henry Blight, his cousin Private Alfred Victor Carlson, and all those Australians who have given their lives in the service of our nation.

Dr Meleah Hampton
Historian, Military History Section