The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (2388) Private Albert John Gould, 28th 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 Sharon Bown, the story for this day was on (2388) Private Albert John Gould, 28th Battalion, AIF, First World War.

2388 Private Albert John Gould, 28th Battalion, AIF
KIA 7 June 1916
Photograph: P07926.001

Story delivered 9 November 2017

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Albert Gould.

Albert John Gould was born around 1895 in Geraldton, Western Australia. He was one of 13 children born to Robert and Mary Gould. Albert grew up on the family property near Rudd’s Gully in the Geraldton district and attended the local government school. In 1910 the family moved to Nabawa to take up farming on a property left to Robert Gould by Mary’s father. Like his brothers, Albert continued working on the land after leaving school.

Gould enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in July 1915. Aged 19 at the time, Gould obtained the permission of both of his parents before going to the enlistment office. He underwent a period of training in Australia before leaving Fremantle on 13 October 1915 with reinforcements to the 28th Battalion.

Private Gould joined the rest of the 28th Battalion in Egypt in January 1916. After continuing his training in Egypt, in March the battalion was sent to France to fight on the Western Front. Gould’s battalion was first sent to a quiet sector of the line to get valuable experience in the conditions of trench warfare.

By mid-1916 the 28th Battalion was in the front line near Bois Grenier. In the early days of June the battalion came under regular heavy German bombardments and were sending patrols forward of the front line. On 6 June Private Gould was selected to be a member of a raiding party attacking the enemy’s trenches. The attack was launched that night shortly before midnight, and was reportedly a success, with two prisoners captured and more Germans killed or seriously wounded. The
Australian party suffered 21 casualties, three of whom were killed in action. One of those killed was Private Albert Gould.

The commander of the raid, Captain Maitland Foss, wrote to Albert Gould’s father:
you have probably been informed of this through the official channel, but as he was with me at the time, I am writing to tell you that he died gallantly in a successful raid on the German trenches … he was a member of a picked body of volunteers specially selected for this raid, and was a man we could ill spare, but he died a soldier’s death after seeing what we had been training for weeks a brilliant success.

Private Albert Gould’s body was retrieved from the battlefield and buried in a cemetery at nearby Ration Farm, where it lies today under the words, “In memory of the loved son of Mr & Mrs R. Gould.” Albert Gould was 20 years old.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, among almost 62,000 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 Albert John Gould, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Meleah Hampton
Historian, Military History Unit