The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (1677) Private William Hubert Long, 8th 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 Charis May, the story for this day was on (1677) Private William Hubert Long, 8th Battalion, AIF, First World War.

1677 Private William Hubert Long, 8th Battalion, AIF
DOD 28 August 1915

Story delivered 22 September 2017

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private William Hubert Long.

William Long was born in 1894 in Creighton Creek, near Longwood in Victoria, to Edwin and Mary Long. William’s father died in 1900, when William was six years old. William attended the South Wandin State School and went on to work as a junior timekeeper and chainman on railway construction. He served for two years in the citizens’ forces before moving away from the district.
William Long enlisted in the Australian Imperial force in January 1915. He trained with the 3rd reinforcements to the 8th Battalion, and left Melbourne on 19 February 1915 on board the troopship Runic. After short period of training in Egypt, Private Long was sent to join the 8th Battalion on the battlefield.

On 6 May 1915 the 8th Battalion had been sent to Cape Helles to reinforce the British units fighting at the southern end of the Gallipoli peninsula. This was where Private Long joined his battalion two days later, as part of a group of 185 reinforcements sent to the 8th Battalion. Within 40 minutes of his arrival, Private Long advanced into the front line. Shortly afterwards he participated in his first operation. After several days of heavy fighting, the battalion transferred to join the rest of the AIF at Anzac.

In August the 2nd Brigade participated in the attack on Lone Pine, although the 8th Battalion remained in reserve for the first few days of the battle. The day after the operation began, the 8th Battalion’s position came under extremely heavy shell-fire. Their trenches were levelled in parts, and the battalion suffered more than 70 casualties.
One of those wounded was Private Long, who was evacuated to Malta with a shattered jaw. While in hospital he contracted typhoid fever, and
on 27 August an urgent cable was sent to Australia to notify Mary Long that her son was dangerously ill. The following day, 28 August 1915, William Hubert Long died of typhoid in hospital in Malta. He was buried in the nearby Pieta cemetery, where he lies today under the words “till the day dawns”. He was 21 years old.

His name is 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 William Hubert Long, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Meleah Hampton
Historian, Military History Section