The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (NX55833) Lance Corporal William Edward Colenso, 2/18th 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 Jana Johnson, the story for this day was on (NX55833) Lance Corporal William Edward Colenso, 2/18th Battalion, Second World War.

NX55833 Lance Corporal William Edward Colenso, 2/18th Battalion
Presumed dead 11 February 1942
Story delivered 27 November 2018

Today we remember and pay tribute to Lance Corporal William Edward Colenso.

William Colenso, known as “Bill” to his family and friends, was born on 27 June 1911 in the Sydney suburb of Paddington, the eldest son born to William and Winifred Colenso. William worked on the Sydney trams, was married to Hilda, and at the time of his enlistment lived in the Sydney suburb of Kingsford.

Colenso enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force at Martin Place on 15 June 1940 with his brothers Ray, Frank, and Ted. The four brothers joined the 2/18 Battalion and served together on the Malay Peninsula and in Singapore. Their service was reminiscent of their father’s service in the First World War: where he served in the 18th Battalion of the First AIF, they served in the 18th Battalion of the 2nd AIF.

William Colenso spent six months training around Sydney and Bathurst, then on 1 February 1941 set sail from Sydney Harbour bound for Singapore. While on board his transport ship, he was put in charge of the ship’s canteen. This was run by the troops for the troops, and they had to take responsibility for the amount of rations issued each day. Part of his job was to ensure that the men did not exceed their ration of five bottles of beer per day.

Colenso disembarked at Singapore on 17 February. Less than a month later he was promoted to the rank of lance corporal. Colenso and the 2/18th Battalion did not stay in Singapore, but moved north to spend 1941 training in the steamy tropical conditions of the Malay Peninsula at Port Dickson, Seremban, and Jeraluang. At the end of 1941 when Japanese forces began their rapid advance throughout south-east Asia, the battalion was stationed at Mersing.

The tough tropical conditions took their toll on the Australian troops, and Colenso was briefly hospitalised in October with a fever. He was, however, serving with his battalion at Mersing when the Japanese declared war on the United States and Great Britain in early December.

William Colenso, his brothers, and the 2/18th Battalion did not come under immediate Japanese assault, but prepared for an attack due to their proximity to Singapore. On 17 January, the battalion withdrew from Mersing to Jemaluang further to the south.

On 27 January, the 2/18th Battalion conducted a successful ambush of advancing Japanese forces at a rubber estate called Nithsdale. The engagement, however, was not decisive, and the battalion was forced to withdraw further south to Singapore.

The battalion was defending a sector of Singapore’s east coast when, on 8 February, the outnumbered and overstretched Australians came under an intense mortar and artillery barrage from Japanese forces. This barrage lasted for 16 hours; one company from the battalion reported an average of 55 shells falling per minute on the section they were defending. Australian casualties were relatively light on account of the men sheltering in well-dug slit trenches, but all they could do was lie and endure it. The bombardment was followed by a major Japanese landing in which Australian forces were completely overrun.

The four Colenso brothers were all caught in this terrible attack. Ted and Frank were captured and became prisoners of war to the Japanese. After four long years of captivity, they were finally released in 1945. Ray, who was only 22 years old, was killed in action on 9 February.

In the confusion of the attack and subsequent loss of Singapore, William was originally reported missing. He was later confirmed to have been killed in action during the fighting on 11 February. He was 30 years old; his body was never found.

Due to the fact that William and his brothers were initially reported as missing, the family did not know of their fate for many years. When, in September 1943 his family received letters from the two surviving brothers, now prisoners of war, their mother said, “I’m just praying for the next mail about the other two boys. I never gave up hope”. She was, however, never to hear from two of her sons again. William was officially presumed dead in 1946.

His name is listed on the Singapore Memorial, which commemorates the names of over 24,000 Commonwealth servicemen of the Second World War who have no known grave.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my left, among some 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 Lance Corporal William Edward Colenso, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

David Sutton
Historian, Military History Section