The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (1082) Corporal Thomas Johnson, 22nd 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 (1082) Corporal Thomas Johnson, 22nd Battalion, AIF, First World War.

1082 Corporal Thomas Johnson, 22nd Battalion, AIF
KIA 5 August 1916

Story delivered 9 February 2018

Today we remember and pay tribute to Corporal Thomas Johnson.

Thomas Johnson was born on 14 November 1881 in Woomargama, New South Wales, to William and Jane Johnson. The family moved to Port Melbourne soon after Thomas was born.

When Thomas was just eight, his father died. Little is known of Johnson’s life in the ensuing years, but by the time the First World War began, he was married and had four children. The family lived in North Melbourne, where Johnson worked as a labourer.

Johnson enlisted in Melbourne on 3 April 1915, joining the newly-raised 22nd Battalion. On arrival at the battalion’s training camp at Broadmeadows, he was allotted to C Company. After his initial training, on the 10th of May Johnson embarked from Melbourne on the transport ship Ulysses for service abroad.

After a period of training in Egypt, the 22nd Battalion embarked for Gallipoli at the end of August, arriving at Anzac Cove in early September. During his time on Gallipoli, he was befriended by war artist Frank Crozier, who painted a portrait of Johnson on the lid of a cigar box.

The 22nd Battalion served on Gallipoli until the evacuation in December, after which it returned to Egypt. In March 1916, the battalion sailed for France and by the first week of April, had entered the front line near Fleurbaix.

The battalion moved south in July to take part in the battle of Pozieres. The 2nd Division, to which the 22nd Battalion belonged, took part in a costly attack on 29 July which ended in failure. Johnson was promoted to lance corporal the same day and to temporary corporal the following day. The 22nd Battalion took part in the next advance on the 2nd of August, capturing German positions beyond the remains of Pozieres village.

For the next three days the battalion was subjected to severe German artillery bombardments, which caused heavy casualties. One of them was Thomas Johnson, who was killed on 5 August. The manner of his death was not recorded, and his body was not identified following the fighting. He was 34 years old.

Johnson has no known grave, and today his name is commemorated on the Australian National Memorial at Villers –Bretonneux.

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 Corporal Thomas “Tom” Johnson, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Michael Kelly
Historian, Military History Section