The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (617) Private Arthur William Spurr, 4th Battalion, AIF, First World War.

Place Middle East: Ottoman Empire, Turkey, Dardanelles, Gallipoli, Anzac Area (Gallipoli)
Accession Number PAFU2015/513.01
Collection type Film
Object type Last Post film
Physical description 16:9
Maker Australian War Memorial
Place made Australia: Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, Campbell
Date made 23 December 2015
Access Open
Conflict First World War, 1914-1918
Copyright Item copyright: © Australian War Memorial
Creative Commons License This item is licensed under CC BY-NC
Copying Provisions Copyright restrictions apply. Only personal, non-commercial, research and study use permitted. Permission of copyright holder required for any commercial use and/or reproduction.
Description

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 (617) Private Arthur William Spurr, 4th Battalion, AIF, First World War.

Film order form
Speech transcript

617 Private Arthur William Spurr, 4th Battalion, AIF
DOW 22 July 1915
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 23 December 2015

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Arthur William Spurr.

Arthur Spurr was born in Newcastle in 1891 to Hartley and Rachel Spurr. His father was a fish merchant who had worked near the sea all his life. Arthur was one of seven sons and five daughters in the family. He went to the Cooks Hill Public School and later served an apprenticeship, becoming a blacksmith and a farmer.

Arthur was considered a “great enthusiast in military matters”. He served in the local citizens’ forces, and was a keen marksman. In 1912 his team came fourth in a shooting competition called the Empire Cup, and a year later his team won the competition. He was serving in the 16th Newcastle Battalion as a sergeant when the First World War broke out, and enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force within weeks of the call for volunteers.

Spurr was posted to the 4th Battalion as a private, and soon left for overseas service. He was with his battalion as they landed at Anzac Cove, and apart from a few weeks in hospital with dysentery in May he remained there until his death.

On 22 July Spurr was sniping at Turkish positions. His position was covered by a metal plate with a loophole in it, through which he was shooting. Sniping was a dangerous business as it almost invariably drew enemy fire. As Spurr was getting up from his position to retire an “unlucky shot” came through the tiny loophole and struck him in the head, killing him instantly.

A friend of his, Sergeant John Mitchell of Newcastle, was with Spurr when he died. He wrote to Arthur’s father:
I thought you might like to know that a friend was near at hand when he died … Death was practically instantaneous, and must have been painless, as far as he was concerned. It was a great shock to his comrades round about.

Arthur’s body was buried in Shrapnel Valley Cemetery. In Newcastle the local newspaper reported Spurr as “a promising young man”, and that “much regret has been expressed by his late comrades and many other friends at his death”. Arthur Spurr was 24 years old.


His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, along with more than 60,000 other 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 Arthur William Spurr, and all of those Australians who have given their lives in the service of our nation.

Dr Meleah Hampton
Historian, Military History Section

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