The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (1412) Private Ralph McGibbon, 4th 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 Richard Cruise, the story for this day was on (1412) Private Ralph McGibbon, 4th Battalion, AIF, First World War.

1412 Private Ralph McGibbon, 4th Battalion, AIF
DOW: 7 May 1915

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Ralph McGibbon.

Ralph McGibbon was born in Nathlalia, Victoria in 1886 to James and Isabelle McGibbon.

Little is known of his early life, but by the early 1900s McGibbon had moved to Millburn Creek near Cowra, New South Wales where he was working as a shearer.

It was here that he met and began a relationship with Elsie Edith Russell. They were married at Canowindra in 1908 and in the ensuing years, they had two daughters, Nellie and Gladys. By 1914 the family had moved to Woodstock, New South Wales where McGibbon continued to work as a shearer.

Following the outbreak of the First World War, McGibbon travelled to Liverpool Camp where he enlisted for service in the Australian Imperial Force on the 18th of November 1914.

McGibbon was allotted to the 2nd Reinforcements to the 4th Battalion after his initial training. He embarked along with other reinforcements from Sydney on 11 February 1915 aboard the transport ship Seang Bee.

At the time of embarkation, Elsie had become pregnant with their third child.

The reinforcements disembarked in Egypt just in time to join the 4th Battalion at Mena Camp before it sailed to Lemnos in early April in preparation for the Gallipoli campaign. In Egypt McGibbon was allocated to C Company of the 4th Battalion. After arriving at Lemnos the men trained continuously for the seaborne invasion of the Gallipoli peninsula.

The initial landings took place in the early hours of 25 April when the Australian 3rd Brigade began their landings. The 4th Battalion went ashore with the second and third waves. The fighting was fierce and no quarter was asked or given. At some point in the days after the landing, McGibbon was badly wounded. He was evacuated to the hospital ship Gloucester Castle where, on 7 May he died of wounds and was buried at sea the same day. He was 29 years old.

In October 1915 Elsie gave birth to a son and named him Ralph in honour of a father he would never meet.

After the First World War, McGibbon’s name, along with so many others with no known grave, was added to the Lone Pine Memorial at Gallipoli.

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

Michael Kelly
Historian, Military History Section
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