The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (7692) Louis Hugh Brimblecombe 15th Infantry Battalion Australian 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 Joanne Smeadley, the story for this day was on (7692) Louis Hugh Brimblecombe 15th Infantry Battalion Australian AIF, First World War.

7692 Louis Hugh Brimblecombe 15th Infantry Battalion Australian AIF
Died of wounds 5th August 1918


Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Louis Hugh Brimblecombe.

Louis Brimblecombe was born in Forest Hill, Queensland, on 20 April 1896, one of eight children born to John and Sarah Brimblecombe. He received his education at Forest Hill State School and went on to study agriculture at Gatton College, where he graduated with distinction. Before the outbreak of war in 1914, he had served three years in the senior cadets and the 2nd Light Horse.

Brimblecombe was 21 when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 7 July 1917. He embarked from Sydney aboard the troopship Euripides at the end of October with the 15th Battalion. He reached England in December where he began training to become a signaller. During his training he contracted a lung infection and was hospitalised for several weeks before joining his unit in France in April 1918. Brimblecombe’s unit spent several months in the vicinity of Allonville when he arrived at the front.

In August, his unit was moved to Corbie to lay communication cables in preparation for the battle of Amiens. Emerging victorious from the German Spring Offensive, the Allies took the opportunity to deliver a crippling and decisive blow to the enemy.

It was decided that a large attack on the German lines would be undertaken on a scale not previously seen during the war. The Allies would make use of artillery, tanks, planes and infantry to overwhelm the enemy and break through their lines. In the early hours of the morning on 8 August 1918, allied planes dropped smoke bombs to disorientate the enemy. This was followed with a relentless barrage under which troops and tanks advanced across no man’s land. The enemy was taken by surprise and quickly devastated by the offensive.

The combination of planes, tanks, infantry and artillery was so effective that in just three hours the enemy’s front lines had been overrun. By the end of the offensive, the allies had taken more than 29,000 prisoners and liberated 116 towns, capturing their objectives and changing the course of the war.

During preparations for the battle, Brimblecombe’s unit encountered difficulty laying their cables. Tank and artillery activity in the vicinity destroyed hundreds of yards of cable and thwarted their objectives. It was a treacherous task, but one essential to the success of the offensive. While laying cables with his unit, Brimblecombe was shot in the back and badly wounded. He was taken by the 6th Field Ambulance to a casualty clearing station outside Amiens, but little could be done for him. Private Louis Brimblecombe died of his wounds at the casualty clearing station just a few hours later. He was 22 years old.

He was buried at the nearby Crouy British cemetery beneath the words of his bereft parents:

“In memory of our dear Lou. For his country’s honour.”

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, among almost 62,000 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 Louis Hugh Brimblecombe who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Meghan Adams
Researcher, Australian War Memorial