The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (3334) Private Myles Dolphin Killalea, 34th Australian Infantry 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 (3334) Private Myles Dolphin Killalea, 34th Australian Infantry Battalion, AIF, First World War.

3334 Private Myles Dolphin Killalea, 34th Australian Infantry Battalion, AIF
DOW 6 April 1918
No photograph in collection – supplied by family

Story delivered 14 November 2015

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Myles Dolphin Killalea.

Myles Killalea was born in Tumut, New South Wales, on 27 June 1899, one of ten children born to Thomas and Emily Killalea.

Myles was a labourer at the time the First World War broke out, and on 28 June 1917 he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force. His older brother Carrington had been killed in service the previous year. At the time of his enlistment Myles had just turned 18, but lied on his enlistment papers to put his age as 19 and four months. As it was AIF practice to keep those men under the age of 19 away from the front line, it is possible that he lied on his attestation papers in order to prevent this. Since he was under age he needed his parents’ consent to enlist, and they gave it.

Myles was posted to the 8th reinforcements to the 34th Battalion, and embarked from Sydney aboard HMAT Port Melbourne less than three weeks after enlisting, arriving in England that September. He would not join his battalion until the following January.

On 12 October 1917 the 34th Battalion had joined the battle of Passchendaele. By then torrential rain had turned the ground to mud and hindered the allied advance. The Australians suffered a disastrous defeat, and the 34th Battalion was especially affected, with some 50 per cent of its strength lost to casualties.

Whether or not she was influenced by tales of these losses, Emily Killalea wrote to the Army Base Records in November, revealing that her son was still 18 years old and asking that he be kept out of the firing line. The AIF asked for proof, as Emily had already given her consent, but before anything could be done it was too late.

By the time Myles joined his battalion in January 1918 Europe had seen the collapse of Tsarist Russia, and the Germans were now free to focus their forces on the Western Front. The first of these was “Operation Michael”, a major offensive launched at the end of March to break through the line and flank the British army. As part of the 9th Brigade, the 34th Battalion was put into the front line near Villers-Bretonneux to prevent the German army’s attack on the strategically important town of Amiens. On 4 April the 34th Battalion captured 21 enemy machine-guns and 23 German prisoners. Ultimately, the allies held their strongholds and were successful in stopping the German advance.

At some point between 3 and 5 April Private Killalea was wounded in action near Villers-Bretonneux, perhaps during enemy shelling. A member of his battalion reported that he was hit by shell-fire, adding, “He was a great cobber of mine.” With wounds to his left buttock and
hip, and a fractured pelvis, Myles was admitted to a casualty clearing station on 5 April. The next day he was sent to the 2nd General Hospital at Havre, where he died at 6.45 pm, less than three months shy of his 19th birthday.

Myles was buried at Ste Marie Cemetery at Le Havre in France. His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, along with more than 60,000 others from the First World War. 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 Private Myles Dolphin Killalea, and all of those Australians who have given their lives in service of our nation.

Christina Zissis
Editor, Military History Section