The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (6484) Private Oscar William Medcraft 12th 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 Troy Clayton, the story for this day was on (6484) Private Oscar William Medcraft 12th Battalion, AIF, First World War.

6484 Private Oscar William Medcraft 12th Battalion, AIF
KIA 6-10 April 1917
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 13 April 2016

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Oscar William Medcraft.

Oscar Medcraft was born in Lower Barrington, Tasmania, on 4 May 1897 to William and Moscella Medcraft. He was one of eight children, and was working as a labourer by the time the First World War began.

He attempted to enlist in the AIF on 18 September 1916 at Claremont in Tasmania, but was discovered to be underage and was returned to his parents. However, he convinced his parents to provide consent and was consequently allowed to enlist. He was allocated to the 21st reinforcements to the 12th Battalion.

Medcraft embarked from Melbourne aboard the transport ship Suffolk, bound for England. Here he underwent training for operations on the Western Front. It wasn’t until March 1917 that he was sent to France, where he joined the 12th Battalion.

In early April Medcraft’s battalion was involved in stopping a German counter-attack at Lagnicourt. At some point between 6 and 10 April Medcraft was killed. The manner of his death was not recorded. He was initially buried at Longueval, but in the following months of the war the location of his grave was lost. His name was added to the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial to the Missing. He was 20 years old.

Private Medcraft’s name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, along with more than 60,000 others from 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 Oscar William Medcraft, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Michael Kelly
Historian, Military History Section