The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (304) Lance Corporal Arthur Norman Tetley, 8th Light Horse Regiment, 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 Jana Johnson, the story for this day was on (304) Lance Corporal Arthur Norman Tetley, 8th Light Horse Regiment, AIF, First World War.

304 Lance Corporal Arthur Norman Tetley, 8th Light Horse Regiment, AIF
DOW 8 August 1915
Photograph: H05639

Story delivered 7 August 2016

Today we remember and pay tribute to Lance Corporal Arthur Norman Tetley, who died while fighting on Gallipoli during the First World War.

Arthur Tetley was born in 1889, one of six children of William and Kate Tetley of Stratford in the Gippsland region of Victoria. Known as “Norman” by his family and friends, he moved with his family to the small agricultural town of Berwick and attended the Church of England Grammar School on St Kilda Road in nearby Melbourne. Later he joined his father in farming the family holding “Weetwood” at Berwick. According to those who knew the family, Norman was “a true bushman, bred and born … his father’s special chum and right hand for many years”.

Tetley enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in September 1914, and after a period of training sailed for Egypt as an original member of the 8th Light Horse Regiment in February 1915. As the infantry embarked for the fighting in the Dardanelles in early April, men of the light horse regiments remained in camp and trained for future offensive action. During this time Tetley was recognised for his leadership and promoted to lance corporal.

As casualties on Gallipoli continued to rise at an alarming rate, the men of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade were sent in as dismounted infantry reinforcements to help defend the Anzac positions. They did this in the area north of Anzac Cove and along Walker’s Ridge, where they were frequently subjected to enemy artillery fire.

Towards the end of July Tetley was admitted to a hospital at Anzac Cove with a serious bout of diarrhoea. According to his mates, however, Tetley knew the regiment would soon be in action and subsequently “dodged sick parades so that he could play his part in our advance”.

The attack for which Tetley was so keen to return to his regiment was the assault on the Ottoman positions at The Nek. This formed part of a wider allied effort to break out of the Anzac beachhead and gain the high ground. The plan was for the light horse to make its assault immediately after naval gunfire had suppressed the Ottoman positions.

Tetley formed part of the first wave assault on The Nek in the early morning of 7 August. Despite the allied bombardment’s failure to destroy the enemy machine-guns, the light horsemen charged the Ottoman positions into a fusillade of rifle and machine-gun fire. Tetley had barely covered ten metres before he was badly hit in the legs. Successive waves of light horsemen attacked with similar results, although Tetley was one of the few close enough to the Australian trenches to be brought in for medical treatment. One man described Tetley’s wounds:

his leg was in a fearful state … but he stood it wonderfully. The stretcher bearers were fearfully busy … and he had to lie there for over two hours before it was possible to get him away. The loss of blood must have been very great.

Tetley was eventually carried down to Anzac Cove and onto the hospital ship Delta, bound for further medical treatment on the Greek island of Lemnos. However, despite the best efforts of the medical staff, Tetley succumbed to his wounds on 8 August. Aged 26, he was buried at sea. The 8th Light Horse Regiment suffered 234 casualties at The Nek, more than 150 of which were fatal.

Tetley’s family was devastated by his death, as was the small farming town of Berwick. An article in the local newspaper declared that “No young man who has lived in this district was more highly respected … his loss will be deeply regretted by very many friends”. A year later, the Tetley family unveiled a pulpit in the local Anglican Church, dedicated in his memory. The attached epitaph described Tetley as “a true soldier of Christ and a devoted son and brother”.

Tetley’s name is listed on the Lone Pine Memorial to the Missing on Gallipoli, together with the names of almost 5,000 Australian and New Zealand soldiers with no known grave.

He is also listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, among more than 60,000 Australians who died while serving in 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 Lance Corporal Arthur Norman Tetley, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Aaron Pegram
Historian, Military History Section