The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (6581) Private William Willis, 1st Australian Infantry Battalion, AIF, First World War.

Places
Accession Number AWM2019.1.1.104
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 14 April 2019
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 Craig Berelle, the story for this day was on (6581) Private William Willis, 1st Australian Infantry Battalion, AIF, First World War.

Film order form
Speech transcript

6581 Private William Willis, 1st Australian Infantry Battalion, AIF
KIA 21 September 1917

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private William Willis.

William Willis was born on 30 November 1897 in the Sydney suburb of Alexandria, to George and Louisa Willis.

William went to Capalaba state school in the outer suburbs of Brisbane. After the Willis family returned to Sydney, William worked as a carter – driving a horse-drawn two-wheeled carriage to transport goods – and assisted his older brother, George, who had a barber shop.

In May 1916, at the age of 18, William enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force. Because of his young age, his parents signed a consent form. His brother, George, had signed up a fortnight earlier. In November, the brothers joined a group of reinforcements for the 1st Battalion on the troopship Ceramic, bound for England.

While training in England, Willis was hospitalised with the mumps. After recovering, he joined his battalion as it proceeded to France in February 1917.

William Willis hadn’t been in France long before he was detached for duty with the Assistant Provost Marshal, assisting the military police of the 1st Division with their duties.

A few months later, William’s brother, George, was wounded in action and was evacuated – George eventually returned to Australia and was later discharged.

William re-joined the 1st Battalion in late May, after it was involved in costly fighting at the Second Battle of Bullecourt.


On 21 September, Willis was at Half-Way House near Ypres when a German aeroplane passed overhead and dropped bombs. One of the bombs hit him, killing him instantly. He was buried nearby, at Perth Cemetery.

William Willis was 19 years old.

On the second anniversary of his death, his family still felt his loss keenly, inserting the following lines of verse in their local newspaper:

Could I, his mother, have clasped his hand,
The son I loved so well,
Or kissed his brow when death was near,
And whispered, my son, farewell,
I seem to see his dear sweet face
Through a mist of anxious tears,
But a mother’s part is a broken heart
And a burden of lonely years.

William Willis’s 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 William Willis, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Duncan Beard
Editor, Military History Section


  • Video of The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (6581) Private William Willis, 1st Australian Infantry Battalion, AIF, First World War. (video)