The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (3466) Private George Liscombe Spiller, 53rd Battalion, AIF, First World War.

Places
Accession Number AWM2018.1.1.233
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 21 August 2018
Access Open
Conflict First World War, 1914-1918
Copyright Item copyright: © Australian War Memorial
Creative Commons License 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.
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 Chris Widenbar, the story for this day was on (3466) Private George Liscombe Spiller, 53rd Battalion, AIF, First World War.

Film order form
Speech transcript

3466 Private George Liscombe Spiller, 53rd Battalion, AIF
KIA 24 September 1917
Story delivered 21 August 2018

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private George Liscombe Spiller.

George Spiller was born on 18 October 1875 in Adelaide, the son of Liscombe and Sarah Spiller.

He grew up in Adelaide and attended Prince Alfred College. After leaving school, following his father’s appointment to a senior civil service job in New South Wales, George moved with the family and settled in Manly. Here Spiller went to work with his brother as a farmer.

Spiller enlisted for service in the AIF on 8 January 1917 and was allocated to the 9th reinforcements to the 53rd Battalion. With his training barely underway, he embarked from Sydney with other reinforcements on 24 January, aboard the transport ship Anchises, bound for England. After arriving in England in March, he was sent to the 14th Training Battalion.

A few months later, Spiller left camp at Wilton using a false pass. He was apprehended two days later by the military police. Charged with using a false pass and for being absent without leave, he was awarded 28 days of Field Punishment Number 2 and fined 39 day’s pay.

He was sent to France on 10 September and was held 5th Australian Base Details Depot at Le Havre until the 19th, when he was sent to Belgium to join his battalion, which moved up to positions near the Halfway House in preparation for the attack on Polygon Wood.

On the night of 24–25 of September, the battalion moved into support positions in front of Glencourse Wood. It was heavily shelled throughout the move and during the night. The battalion war diary states that B Company was especially hard hit. One of those killed during the night was Spiller.

His body was not recovered, and today he is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial. He was 43 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 George Liscombe Spiller, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Michael Kelly
Historian, Military History Section


  • Video of The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (3466) Private George Liscombe Spiller, 53rd Battalion, AIF, First World War. (video)