| Places | |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | AWM2017.1.330 |
| Collection type | Film |
| Object type | Last Post film |
| Physical description | 16:9 |
| Maker |
Australian War Memorial |
| Place made | Australia: Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, Campbell |
| Date made | 26 November 2017 |
| Access | Open |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: © Australian War Memorial
This item is licensed under CC BY-NC
|
| Copying Provisions | Copyright restrictions apply. Only personal, non-commercial, research and study use permitted. Permission of copyright holder required for any commercial use and/or reproduction. |
The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (489) Private Michael Malloy, 1st Battalion, AIF, First World War.
Description
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 Dennis Stockman, the story for this day was on (489) Private Michael Malloy, 1st Battalion, AIF, First World War.
Film order form
Speech transcript
489 Private Michael Malloy, 1st Battalion, AIF
DOW 23 May 1915
Story delivered 26 November 2017
Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Michael Malloy.
Michael Malloy was born around 1893 to Edward and Matilda Malloy in Broxburn, a town in West Lothian just west of Edinburgh, Scotland.
By the time the First World War began, Malloy had immigrated to Australia and was working as a miner in New South Wales.
Malloy enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force at Randwick on 21 August 1914, just over a fortnight after the announcement of Australia’s involvement in the war. He joined the newly-raised 1st Battalion, and after an initial period of training left Sydney aboard the transport ship Afric on 18 October.
After disembarking in Egypt in December, Malloy and his comrades trained in the desert, helped hold the defences forward of the Suez Canal, and took in the sights of Cairo during their leave times.
In early April the 1st Battalion sailed to Lemnos to prepare for the Gallipoli campaign, and on the morning of 25 April, Malloy and the other men of the battalion came ashore near Anzac Cove.
The fighting inland was confused and companies were sent forward individually to threatened areas of the line. It was not until 29 April that the battalion was brought out of the line to take stock.
In early May, the battalion was back in the line working on improving and extending the defences. On 19 May the Ottoman army launched a counter–attack to drive the Australians back into the sea. The 1st
Battalion took part in the defence of the Australian line and repulsed the Ottoman attack, but suffered heavy casualties.
During the fighting, on 22 May, Private Malloy was wounded in the abdomen by a rifle round. He was evacuated to a ship for transfer to Egypt, but his wound proved mortal. He died the following day. He was 22 years old.
Michael Malloy was buried at sea. After the war, his name was added to the Lone Pine Memorial which commemorates more than 4,900 Australian and New Zealand servicemen who died in the Anzac area.
His name is also 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 Michael Malloy, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.
Michael Kelly
Historian, Military History Section
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Video of The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (489) Private Michael Malloy, 1st Battalion, AIF, First World War. (video)