The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (3366) Private Carrington Killalea, 1st 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 Joanne Smedley, the story for this day was on (3366) Private Carrington Killalea, 1st Battalion, AIF, First World War.

3366 Private Carrington Killalea, 1st Battalion, AIF
KIA 22–25 July 1916
No photograph in collection – supplied by family

Story delivered 15 November 2015

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Carrington Killalea, who died during the First World War.

Carrington Killalea was born on 1 September 1886 to Thomas and Emily Killalea in Tumut, New South Wales. He attended the local school and went on to work the Public Works Department building sewers. He later became a farm labourer, and was working as such when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 25 July 1915, age 28.

Posted to the 11th reinforcements to the 1st Battalion, Killalea sailed to Egypt. He was too late to see service on Gallipoli, and instead underwent a period of training before being sent to France. The 1st Battalion arrived there in late March 1916, and was sent to participate in operations in the Somme. Carrington wrote to his mother at every mail-out. His last letter home was received on 28 June.

On 23 July the 1st Division, of which the 1st Battalion was a part, participated in an operation to attack and capture the village of Pozières. The operation was successful, but costly. By the time the 1st Division was withdrawn from the front line on 27 July it had suffered 5,285 casualties. One of those was Carrington Killalea. He was 29 years old.

In the confusion of battle and heavy shell-fire the exact fate of Private Killalea was uncertain. He was reported wounded and missing sometime between 22 and 25 July, and this much was conveyed to his mother in Australia. Emily Killalea wrote several times to Base Records begging for news. A court of inquiry heard several reports, most of which indicated that Killalea had suffered a severe head wound and died in the field. It was not until December 1916 that it was determined that Private Killalea had been killed in action between 22 and 25 July 1916. His body was never identified.

Two of Killalea’s brothers served in the First World War: Private Myles Dolphin Killalea died of wounds received in France in 1918, while Lance Corporal Henry Thomas Killalea survived the war, receiving a Military Medal for his service in the 3rd Light Horse Regiment in Beersheba.

Private Carrington Killalea is commemorated on the memorial to the missing at Villers-Bretonneux 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 Carrington Killalea, and all of those Australians who have given their lives in service of our nation.

Christina Zissis
Editor, Military History Section