The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (6596) Private John Sidney Wells, 2nd 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 Craig Berelle, the story for this day was on (6596) Private John Sidney Wells, 2nd Battalion, AIF, First World War.

6596 Private John Sidney Wells, 2nd Battalion, AIF
KIA 21 April 1917
Story delivered 2 December 2018

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private John Wells.

John Wells, known as “Sidney”, was born on 24 April 1895 to John and Johanna Wells at the family property of Waterloo, in Bectric, New South Wales. He had two older brothers , Harold and Charles, two older sisters, Dora and Ada, and a younger sister, Lila.

His father had selected land in the area in the early 1880s and farmed with some success. The elder John Wells was highly respected in the region, acting for several years as Councillor of the Narraburra Shire, and becoming Vice-President of the Farmers and Settlers Association, before retiring to nearby Temora.

Sidney Wells attended Bectric Public School and was a farmer when war was declared. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force at Cootamundra in May 1916, just a few weeks after turning 21 years old.

After a period of training in Australia, Wells left Sydney on board the troopship Ceramic in October, with reinforcements to the 2nd Battalion. He underwent a further period of training in England before being sent to join the rest of his battalion on the Western Front in April 1917.

The 2nd Battalion had been part of a force that followed up the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line earlier in 1917. The day before Private Wells joined it in the field the battalion had been withdrawn from the front line after fierce fighting near the French village of Bullecourt. Wells went to work with the rest of the battalion improving billets and roads in the back lines.

On 15 April the 2nd Battalion was called back to the front lines, entering near the village of Hermies. Their spell in the front line was quiet, although the battalion suffered a few casualties, probably from artillery fire. On 21 April 1917, Private Sidney Wells was one of three men killed in action. Little is known of the exact manner of his death.

Back home, a local newspaper reported that “the sad news was broken to the family by Rev Arther Phillips … The Defence Department wired him to transmit the news to the bereaved family for whom much sympathy is felt.”

Wells was buried at the Hermies British Cemetery, under the epitaph requested by his parents:

In memory of the beloved son
of Mr and Mrs Wells of Temora
Duty done

Sidney Wells was 22 years old.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, among more than 60,000 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 John Sidney Wells, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Duncan Beard
Editor, Military History Section