The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (NX205938) Sapper Edward Charles Robson, 1st Training Battalion, Royal Australian Engineers, 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 Troy Clayton, the story for this day was on (NX205938) Sapper Edward Charles Robson, 1st Training Battalion, Royal Australian Engineers, Second World War.

NX205938 Sapper Edward Charles Robson, 1st Training Battalion, Royal Australian Engineers
Killed in training accident 21 May 1945

Today we pay tribute to Sapper Edward Charles Robson.
Born in Tumut, in southern New South Wales, on 24 July 1926, Edward Charles Robson was the son of Jack and Maude Robson.

Growing up he was known as “Teddy”. After leaving school, he worked as a dairy farm hand, but by early 1945, he was unemployed.

He was mobilised for service in the AIF in early February 1945 and enlisted at Liverpool, New South Wales on 7 February.

In late April, after his initial training, Robson was posted to the 1st Training Battalion, Royal Australian Engineers, at the large Australian Army training base at Kapooka. The next several weeks were filled with trade skills training and Robson and his new mates were put through their paces.
However, on the afternoon of 21 May 1945, tragedy struck. Crowded within a dugout during a routine demolition training exercise on the preparation of hand charges were two groups: one of 22 trainees and two instructors, and a smaller squad of three men and an instructor. Inside the dugout 110 pounds of explosives were stored for day’s training exercise. In circumstances that remain unknown to this day, the explosives ignited. In the explosion, 24 men were killed instantly, two died of injuries shortly afterwards, and two more were severely injured.

Robson was one of those killed instantly in the accident. He was only 18 years old.

A mass funeral was held for the men in Wagga Wagga on 24 May. Of Wagga Wagga’s population of 15,000, some seven thousand people were in the streets to watch the funeral procession pass. About 150 cars were in the procession, which was led by police on motorcycle. An Army truck piled high with wreaths came before four trucks bearing 26 flag-draped coffins. It was the biggest military funeral to take place in Australia.

Edward Robson’s 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 Sapper Edward Charles Robson, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Lachlan Grant
Historian, Military History Section