The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (1625) Private James Casey, 38th Australian Infantry 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 (1625) Private James Casey, 38th Australian Infantry Battalion, First World War.

1625 Private James Casey, 38th Australian Infantry Battalion
KIA 4 October 1917
Photograph P06859.001

Story delivered 21 June 2017

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private James Casey.

Popularly known as “Jim”, James Casey was born in Rushworth, Victoria, to Patrick and Susanna Casey. He grew up with 11 siblings and attended the Moora State School before becoming a farmer at Barham, on the banks of the Murray River in the western Riverina district of New South Wales.

Casey was 27 years old when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in March 1916. He was assigned to the newly-formed 38th Battalion, which undertook training before sailing for England in June.

After further training in Britain, the 38th Battalion crossed to France in late November 1916, moving into the trenches of the Western Front for the first time on the 1st of December. Casey became ill a week later, and was admitted to hospital with mumps. He rejoined his unit on the 29th of December, enduring the harsh winter of 1916 and 1917 while mainly engaged in raiding German trenches.

In early June, the 38th fought in its first major battle at Messines in Belgium.

On 4 October, Casey and the 38th Battalion were part of the battle of Broodseinde in Belgium. While the battle was well planned and ultimately a success, it rendered almost a third of battalion casualties.

The Australian troops were heavily shelled on their start line, and hundreds became casualties even before the attack began.

Private James Casey was killed during the battle. Soldiers who witnessed what happened that day said that James and a few others were buried when a high explosive German shell landed where they were sheltering.

Private William Gibson, who was in the same platoon as Casey, told an interviewer, “I helped to dig them out but they were all dead on recovery.”

A friend in his battalion, Private William Beilby, said Casey was “one of the bravest chaps I ever met and one of the best”.

Private Casey was buried nearby, but the cross marking his grave was later destroyed, and his remains were never recovered. He was 29 years old.

His name is listed on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres in Belgium. It 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 James Casey, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Emma Campbell
Researcher, Military History Section