The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (857) Trooper John Carter, 6th 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 Sharon Bown, the story for this day was on (857) Trooper John Carter, 6th Light Horse Regiment, AIF, First World War.

857 Trooper John Carter, 6th Light Horse Regiment , AIF
Died of wounds 4 October 1915

Story delivered 22 June 2017

Today we remember and pay tribute to Trooper John Carter.

Popularly known as “Jack”, John Oswald Carter was born in Albury in New South Wales, the youngest son of James Carter.

He was educated at Melbourne Grammar School. According to a local paper, he was in Scotland when the war broke out, and was offered a commission in Lord Lovat’s scouts. But John Carter preferred to enlist in Australia, which he did in December 1914.

The 23-year-old was assigned to the 6th Regiment of the Australian Light Horse, which – together with the 5th and 7th Light Horse Regiments – made up the 2nd Light Horse Brigade.

Carter embarked for service overseas in March 1915, and after a few months at Maadi Camp in Egypt, he joined his regiment on Anzac in mid-July.

The 2nd Light Horse Brigade was attached to the 1st Australian Division, and the 6th Light Horse became responsible for a sector on the far right of the Anzac line. It mostly played a defensive role while on the peninsula.

On 4 October, there was an enemy bombardment that lasted about 30 minutes in the 6th Light Horse Regiment’s sector. Carter was entering a communication trench when – according to a fellow soldier’s report – he was “hit with a shrapnel bullet on the right side of the head”. Another member of his squadron said he was with Carter after he was hit, when he was taken to the beach. Corporal Sanders reported that Carter was unconscious when he was taken to a hospital ship.

Carter died later that day of his wounds aboard the hospital ship Assaye, and was buried at sea between Anzac and Imbros Island.

Today his name appears on the Lone Pine Memorial on Gallipoli.

In February 1916, a memorial service was held for Trooper Carter at his family’s local parish church. According to a report in the Young Witness on 25 February:

The church was draped with flags, and a large congregation was present. Had it not been a wet night, the church would have been filled to overflowing, as it was many came long, distances to be present.

Trooper John Carter’s 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 Trooper John Oswald Carter, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Emma Campbell Researcher, Military History Section