The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (2393a) Private Llewellyn Morgan Jones, 9th 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 , the story for this day was on (2393a) Private Llewellyn Morgan Jones, 9th Battalion, AIF, First World War.

2393a Private Llewellyn Morgan Jones, 9th Battalion, AIF
KIA 21 August 1916
Story delivered 13 July 2018


Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Llewellyn Morgan Jones.

Llewellyn Jones was the son of William and Rachel Jones. While the two were both born in South Wales, they met and married in Queensland after migrating to Australia in their twenties. Llewellyn was the fourth of their five children. When Llewellyn was seven years old his father moved to America to look for work, with the family to follow. However, this never happened, and although the family remained in contact, Llewellyn did not see his father again. His elder brother William became head of the family, and he attended the Petrie Terrace Boys’ School and later Milton State School. He became a carter for the Automatic Bakeries company in Brisbane. In 1914 Llewellyn’s mother was admitted to an institution after several months of illness.

Llewellyn Jones enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in June 1915. He underwent a period of training in Australia before being sent to Egypt with the 25th Battalion. He continued training there, and was transferred to the 9th Battalion in February 1916.

Private Jones arrived in France to fight on the Western Front in April 1916. He spent a few days in hospital with the flu, but otherwise continued training in preparation for the 9th Battalion’s first operation on the Western Front. This came on 23 July 1916, when the 9th Battalion participated in an operation that successfully captured the French village of Pozieres.

Less than a month later the 9th Battalion was back in the front line to the north of Pozieres. There it came under regular heavy artillery bombardment. On 21 August the 10th, 11th and 12th Battalions attacked towards Mouquet Farm, with the 9th Battalion holding the left flank of the line. As the attack went ahead, platoons of the 9th Battalion were called forward in support of the main operation. In the confusion of battle, the 9th Battalion suffered more than 150 casualties in the small force that participated in the operation, and the men in the lines under the artillery bombardment.

Private Llewellyn Jones did not return on 21 August, and was reported to have been killed in action. The family heard very little about the manner of his death. Even in 1920, Llewellyn’s older brother William wrote to Base Records saying, “up to the present I have not had any further information from as to how or where he was killed … I might add that his disc and personal belongings have been returned to me, and in consequence I think some record of his death should be with you.”

However, there is no evidence that the exact manner of Llewellyn Jones’s death was ever determined. His body was lost in the confusion and heavy artillery fire at Mouquet Farm and never recovered.

He was 21 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. His photograph is displayed beside the Pool of Reflection.

This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Private Llewellyn Morgan Jones, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Meleah Hampton
Historian, Military History Unit