The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (1104) Trooper Alfred William Gilmore, 9th Light Horse Regiment, 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 (1104) Trooper Alfred William Gilmore, 9th Light Horse Regiment, AIF, First World War.

1104 Trooper Alfred William Gilmore, 9th Light Horse Regiment, AIF
Died of illness 12 November 1917

Today we remember and pay tribute to Trooper Alfred William Gilmore.

Alfred Gillmore, who went by the nickname “Bill”, was one of four children born to Martha Jane Gilmore in South Australia. He and his siblings never knew their father, and at five months old were separated from their mother and each other to be brought up in state institutions. Bill was known as a bit of a larrikin, and at the time of his enlistment was working as a dairyman at Goolwa, south of Adelaide.

He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in January 1915, and after spending months training in South Australia, embarked from Adelaide, bound for Gallipoli. Bill joined the 9th Light Horse Regiment on Gallipoli in October 1915 as the campaign was beginning to draw to a close. Due to the incredibly rough and difficult conditions encountered by Anzac forces on Gallipoli, Bill and the 9th Light Horse Regiment did not use their horses while on the campaign, but instead manned the front lines and endured the hardships of trench warfare.

When Bill arrived on Gallipoli his unit was serving in an area of the peninsula known as Rhododendron Spur. Bill did not take part in a major engagement, but occupied the trenches in increasingly cold and wintry conditions, occasionally withstanding Turkish high-explosive artillery and machine-gun fire. His unit formed part of the rear guard as Australian troops evacuated the costly campaign. They remained on Gallipoli until 20 December 1915, arriving in Egypt on Christmas Day of that year.

In Egypt, Bill and his unit formed part of the Anzac Mounted Division. In March 1916 Bill and his comrades marched out to join British forces defending the Suez Canal from Turkish advances across the Sinai Desert. During his first few months of combat they conducted patrols of the desert and occasional raids on Turkish positions. The nature of fighting could not have been more different to what Bill experienced on Gallipoli. Instead of static trench warfare in wintry conditions, this war involved constant movement among towering sand dunes, attacks by aircraft, and incredibly hot desert conditions.

Bill took part in his first major battle at Romani in August 1916. Australian, New Zealand and British forces had occupied Romani since April, using the town as a base to conduct patrols and disrupt Turkish access to the Suez Canal. In late July, allied reconnaissance aircraft noted a Turkish force of up to 14,000 soldiers gathering nearby. Australian forces moved into position to defend the town, but in doing so ran into some Turkish troops, unexpectedly beginning the battle.

As the fighting began, 500 Australian rifles were pitted against up to 8,000 Turkish soldiers. The Anzac and British troops were initially pushed back, but as more reinforcements arrived, were able to begin to mount a counterattack. Bill’s 3rd Light Horse Brigade joined the battle on the 5th of August and took part in the counterattack that broke the Turkish lines. British and Anzac losses amounted to just over 1,000, while Turkish casualties are estimated at 9,000. The battle of Romani marked the beginning of a series of victories for British and Anzac forces in the Sinai Desert as they pushed Turkish forces back towards Gaza.

After a brief period of leave in November 1916, Bill and his unit continued their role in pursuing Turkish forces across the desert. In December they assaulted the Turkish base at Magdhaba, successfully attacking across open ground in the face of heavy machine-gun and artillery fire.

In January, they pressed the advantage of the success at Magdhaba by assaulting the Turkish base at Rafa. It was mostly Anzac troops who attacked the well-fortified Turkish defences after an artillery bombardment. It was essential that they take the base due to their lack of water, and in the face of heavy opposition they took their objective in a crushing defeat for the Ottoman forces.

In late March, Bill and the 9th Light Horse Regiment suffered defeat at the First Battle of Gaza. Designed to capitalise on the recent victories, 22,000 British and Anzac troops faced stronger defences than were expected and were pushed back, suffering 4,000 casualties.

In April, British and Anzac forces once again attacked Gaza, this time supported by tanks and gas shells. On this occasion the Turkish forces were even better prepared than before, and in another unsuccessful attack, British and Anzac forces suffered 6,000 casualties.

During the battle, Bill received a gunshot wound that pierced his temple and exited through his neck, severely damaging his left eye. He spent time in hospital and underwent surgery. Doctors declared him out of danger in May, but his injury was so severe that he was sent home to Australia and discharged from military service. He arrived in Australia in September 1917 and remained in hospital for further treatment. Home in South Australia, he contracted meningitis, probably as a consequence of his injuries, and died on 12 November. His exact age is uncertain, but it is likely he was only 22 years old.

Alfred William Gilmore 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 Alfred William Gilmore, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

David Sutton
Historian, Military History Section