The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (6094) Private Montague Soilleux, 9th Australian Infantry 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 Troy Clayton, the story for this day was on (6094) Private Montague Soilleux, 9th Australian Infantry Battalion, AIF, First World War.

6094 Private Montague Soilleux, 9th Australian Infantry Battalion, AIF
KIA 23 August 1918

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Montague Soilleux.

Montague Soilleux was born in Townsville, Queensland, on 4 July 1892, the son of Walter and Marianne Soilleux.

Affectionately known as “Monty”, he attended the local boys’ state school, and then Christian Brothers College. He went on to work as a teller for the ABC Bank in Charters Towers, 130 kilometres inland from Townsville.

On 23 July 1915, Soilleux married Grace Mary Galton, and a child was born to the couple in August.

Soilleux had been a lieutenant in Senior Cadets, the universal training scheme in place at the time, and had gone on to serve in the Citizen Forces. When Australia became involved in the First World War, Soilleux was determined to play his part, and would not be deterred. Described as having a slight build, Soilleux had been rejected from enlisting a number of times, due to his small chest size. In February 1916, he was finally successful, meeting the minimum chest measurement for enlistment of 34 inches.

According to local newspaper reports, he had undergone a “course of development” in order to meet the standards for enlistment. There were also reports that he had been “recommended for the Flying Corps, but the call of comradeship was strong and he gave up … his chance for the air service to remain with his mates, and fight by their side.”

In April 1916, Soilleux was allotted to the 19th reinforcements to the 9th Battalion. After undertaking some training in Australia, on the 8th of August 1916 he left Brisbane on board the troopship Itonus. Arriving in England in early December, he joined the 3rd Training Battalion on Salisbury Plain. In early June he left for France, joining his unit towards the end of the month in the area known as the Somme.

Soilleux experienced his first major action at Pozieres towards the end of July. While the fighting ended with the British in possession of the plateau north and east of the village of Pozieres, the cost was immense. Australian official historian Charles Bean later wrote that Pozieres ridge “is more densely sown with Australian sacrifice than any other place on earth”.

Following this, the 9th Battalion moved to the Ypres sector in Belgium, before returning to the Somme and manning the trenches for the winter. Throughout 1917, the 9th Battalion was engaged in operations against the Hindenburg Line

Soilleux had been taken to hospital suffering from fever in October, and returned to duty in December. After some leave in France at the beginning of February 1918, he rejoined his unit as the German Army concentrated its strength on the Western Front and prepared for a major offensive. Soilleux, however, was spared the German Spring Offensive that was launched on 21 March. On 7 March he had been the victim of a gas attack, and was evacuated to England for treatment.

In early April Soilleux was recuperating well and was given a fortnight of furlough. Returning late, he was admonished for being absent without leave, but not before admitting to having contracted a venereal disease during his time in London. After treatment for this new ailment, he joined a training brigade before rejoining his unit in France in mid-August 1918.

On 22 August, the 9th Battalion received orders for an operation involving the capture of Bray-sur-Somme and exploiting the western bank of the Somme. But with the western outskirts of Bray holding many enemy machine-guns, any movement at all provoked fire. It would be impossible to rush the town without an artillery barrage, but it would be impossible to provide this barrage without also bombarding the Australian front lines. The decision was made to postpone the operation, and it was cancelled when the German forces opposite counter-attacked the following day.

During the attack, Private Soilleux was hit by a high-explosive shell and was killed instantantly. He was 26 years old.

Today, his remains lie buried in Heath Cemetery, Harbonnieres, underneath the epitaph chosen by his grieving family: “Deeply mourned”.

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 Montague Soilleux, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Duncan Beard
Editor, Military History Section