The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (2637) Private Austin Septimus Hush, 4th Battalion, 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 (2637) Private Austin Septimus Hush, 4th Battalion, First World War.

2637 Private Austin Septimus Hush, 4th Battalion
KIA 23 July 1916
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 14 October 2016

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Austin Septimus Hush.

Austin Hush was born in 1893 to Joseph and Mary Hush of Braidwood, New South Wales. His family had lived for many years at Charleyong, but had moved down the road to Marlowe when he was born. His father went on to run the Railway Hotel in Tarago, and Austin attended the local school like his brothers. His mother ran a boarding house at various points during his childhood. He was a big man, standing just over six feet three inches. A man who knew him called him “one of the biggest men I ever saw”. He was well-known in Goulburn and Tarago, and went on to work as a railway porter.

Austin Hush enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in July 1915. His great size meant that he was immediately christened “Tiny” by the men in his company. Private Hush was originally posted to the 19th Battalion, and after a period of training in Australia left in November 1915 for service overseas. He first went to Egypt, arriving as the AIF was undergoing reorganisation following the Gallipoli evacuation, and was transferred to the 4th Battalion. Around this time his father died in Sydney.

Hush left Egypt for France in March 1916. The first major action of the 4th Battalion came on 23 July 1916 when it was part of the force charged with the capture of the French village of Pozières. Under some of the fiercest shell-fire of the war, the village was captured by the 1st Australian Division, with the 4th Battalion playing an important part in taking a German machine-gun post known as Gibraltar.

During that day, Private Austin Hush looked over the parapet of the front trench to observe German positions. As he turned to sit down on the fire step, a fragment of shell came over the parapet of the trench and struck him in the back of the head, piercing his steel helmet. He died immediately.

He was 23 years old.

Captain McDonald wrote to Austin Hush’s family to express the sympathy of the officers and men of B Company of the 4th Battalion:

his unfailing good temper, cheerful disposition and fine soldiering qualities won him to his officers and comrades alike. During the attack on the village of Pozières his fine qualities were displayed to the utmost, and his untimely death has been felt by all. I hope it will help you a little to know he was killed instantly, so fortunately was spared any pain. He … looked as if asleep with the old familiar smile still on his face.

Austin Hush was buried by three of his comrades near where he fell. His grave was later lost, and today he is commemorated on the Australian National Memorial to the missing at Villers-Bretonneux in France.

His name 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.

This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Private Austin Septimus Hush, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Dr Meleah Hampton
Historian, Military History Section