The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (2749) Private Andrew Quirk, 24th 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 (2749) Private Andrew Quirk, 24th Battalion, AIF, First World War.

2749 Private Andrew Quirk, 24th Battalion, AIF
DOW 12 August 1916
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 19 February 2016

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Andrew Quirk.

Andrew Quirk was born in Burrumbeet, Victoria, to Michael and Katherine Quirk. He attended the Burrumbeet State School. His father was a foreman in the construction branch of the railway department, and like many of his relatives Andrew worked on the railways. He worked for some time as a conductor on the trams in Ballarat, and later became a porter at Ballarat and Wallan.

Quirk enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in August 1915 and was posted to the 24th Battalion. After a period of training in Australia he was sent to Egypt. From there he was sent to France, where he arrived in late March 1916.

The first major action of the 24th Battalion on the Western Front came in July 1916 near the French village of Pozières. The village had been captured by the 1st Division on 23 July, and three days later the 24th Battalion entered the village. They were to be reinforcements to an attack made by the 7th Brigade. The men were called forward within hours of the attack being launched to plug a gap in the line that was leaving the Australians’ flank dangerously exposed. The attack was a disaster, and the Australian infantry was withdrawn the following morning.

It was later said that Pozières Ridge was more densely sown with Australian sacrifice than any other place on earth. In just 12 days in the line the 2nd Australian Division, of which the 24th Battalion was a part, suffered 6,848 casualties, a rate that would not be matched by another Australian division in one spell in the front line for the rest of the war.

One of those casualties was Private Andrew Quirk, who was shot in the left thigh and carried out of the front line by stretcher-bearer. He was taken to hospital in Boulogne, but died of his wounds on 12 August 1916. He was 28 years old.

Andrew Quirk was one of three brothers to die in an 18-month period. One died in Burrumbeet in 1916, and his brother Frank died of meningitis in military camp in December 1916.

Andrew Quirk’s name is 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 Andrew Quirk, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Dr Meleah Hampton
Historian, Military History Section