The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (WX10332) Private Edward John Woodroffe, 2/48th Australian Infantry Battalion, Second 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 Joanne Smedley, the story for this day was on (WX10332) Private Edward John Woodroffe, 2/48th Australian Infantry Battalion, Second World War.

WX10332 Private Edward John Woodroffe, 2/48th Australian Infantry Battalion
KIA 17 November 1943
Story delivered 17 November 2018

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Edward John Woodroffe.

Commonly known as “Ted”, and referred to affectionately by his family as “Teddy”, Edward Woodroffe was born on 15 December 1910 in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, the son of Edward and Florence Woodroffe.

Young Ted grew up in Kalgoorlie as the First World War was taking place, and once attended a to a birthday party at which “smokes for soldiers” were brought by each child, instead of the usual birthday presents.

After attending the local school, he went on to work as a tram conductor for Kalgoorlie Tramways.

By the time the Second World War was underway, Woodruffe had spent three years with the Citizen’s Forces. After enlisting in the Second Australian Imperial Force in December 1940, Woodruffe had about four months of initial training before he was granted pre-embarkation leave. Shortly after returning, he was found absent without leave. As the infraction was relatively minor, he avoided an overly severe punishment, being admonished and forfeiting a day’s pay.

In July 1941 Woodruffe embarked for overseas service. Landing in the Middle East he joined the 2/48th Battalion about a month before it evacuated from Tobruk. The 9th Division, of which the 2/48th Battalion was part, was sent to Palestine and Syria to train and rest, as well as undertaking garrison duties with the occupation force established after the Syria–Lebanon campaign

In late June 1942, General Erwin Rommel’s Afrika Korps pushed across the Egyptian frontier towards Alexandria. The 9th Division was transported south from Syria, and hurriedly committed to First Battle of El Alamein. Rommel's forces launched a determined assault on the Alamein line, and on 7 July the 9th Division launched a counter-attack. The 2/48th was ordered to navigate the coastline and capture a ridge north of the Tel el Eisa station. With the attack beginning before dawn on the 10th of July, the battalion captured the main objective, along with 400 Italians. It then advanced south, taking Tel el Eisa station, and defending its position against counter-attacks. Woodruffe was wounded during the fighting, taking a small gunshot wound to the cheek, and was evacuated for treatment, but return to his unit a few days later.

The wound continued to trouble Woodruffe, and in mid-September he was evacuated to hospital with an eye injury caused by an abscess on the right side of his face. Again, he recovered quickly and rejoined his unit soon after treatment.

The Second Battle of El Alamein started on 23 October, ending with Axis forces withdrawing westwards to avoid encirclement. The 2/48th Battalion was again engaged around Tel el Eisa. By the end of the month, the battalion had been heavily depleted.

In early December, the 2/48th Battalion moved to Gaza in Palestine, and after a divisional parade, embarked for Australia in January 1943.

The convoy carrying the battalion put into Fremantle in mid-February, and Woodruffe and the other Western Australian personnel disembarked for home leave.

The battalion continued on to Queensland and established a camp on the Barron River. In April 1943, it began training for jungle operations, preparing for the conditions in New Guinea.

In June, Woodruffe was taken to hospital with tonsillitis. He was back with his battalion the following month as it moved to Cairns, undertaking amphibious training with an American regiment as part of preparations to join the fighting in New Guinea.

Arriving in New Guinea in August, the 2/48th Battalion established a camp at Milne Bay before landing around Lae in early September. With the Japanese counter-offensive defeated in late October 1943, attention turned to Sattelberg, the site of an abandoned Lutheran mission station on top of a hill. The Japanese force at Sattelberg threatened Australian lines of communication as they advanced south towards Finschhafen.

The Australian 26th Brigade, of which the 2/48th Battalion was part, was tasked with capturing the mission.

After a preliminary attack on Green Ridge to secure the start line, the advance began on 17 November. Pushing north-west from Jivevaneng with Matilda tanks from the 1st Tank Battalion, the 2/48th began the drive towards Sattelberg. In difficult terrain and against stubborn Japanese defence, the advance made slow progress.

The advance continued for 10 days, before the Japanese finally abandoned Sattelberg and withdrew north, having suffered heavy casualties and running low on supplies.

Edward Woodruffe did not live to celebrate the victory. He had been killed in action on the first day of the advance. He was buried the following day in the field, and his remains were later reburied in Lae War Cemetery under the epitaph chosen by his grieving family:
Our Ted is in a soldier’s grave
honoured with Australian brave
Edwards fiancée, Rita Beaton, who was with the Australian Women’s Army Service, placed memoriam notices in the newspapers for years following his death.
Edward Woodruffe was 32 years old.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my left, among almost 40,000 Australians who died while serving in the Second 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 Edward John Woodroffe, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Duncan Beard
Editor, Military History Section