The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (3208) Private Matthew James Ryan, 25th Australian Infantry Battalion, AIF, First World War.

Places
Accession Number AWM2021.1.1.210
Collection type Film
Object type Last Post film
Physical description 16:9
Maker Australian War Memorial
Place made Australia: Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, Campbell
Date made 29 July 2021
Access Open
Conflict First World War, 1914-1918
Copyright Item copyright: © Australian War Memorial
Creative Commons License This item is licensed under CC BY-NC
Copying Provisions Copyright restrictions apply. Only personal, non-commercial, research and study use permitted. Permission of copyright holder required for any commercial use and/or reproduction.
Description

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 Sharon Bown, the story for this day was on (3208) Private Matthew James Ryan, 25th Australian Infantry Battalion, AIF, First World War.

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Speech transcript

3208 Private Matthew James Ryan, 25th Australian Infantry Battalion, AIF
KIA: 29 July 1916

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Matthew James Ryan.

Matthew Ryan was born in Brisbane in 1893 to William and Jane Ryan. In his youth, he worked as a farmer near the town of Gatton, west of Brisbane. He also spent four years as a volunteer in the local Australian Light Horse regiment.

In September 1915, Ryan enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force. After several months training at Enoggera barracks in Brisbane, at the end of December 1915 he sailed on the transport ship Itonus, arriving in Egypt in early 1916. By this time, the British and Australian forces had withdrawn from Gallipoli, and the AIF was training and being reorganised. In mid-March, the units began sailing to France, before travelling by train to the north of the country.

Ryan arrived at Armentieres in northern France in mid-April and joined the 25th Australian Infantry Battalion. He and the men of the battalion spent the spring months training in the region near the Belgian border. Due to the comparative peacefulness of the area, it was known as the “nursery sector”. The British commanders thought that it was a good place for the Australians to learn the methods of trench warfare without suffering too many casualties.

In June, Ryan was admitted to hospital suffering from muscular pains known as myalgia. He spent a week recovering behind the lines before returning to duty. His unit had been stationed near the Belgian border, but after his return it was ordered south. With the British planning a major summer offensive, the units of the AIF moved to the much more active sector of the front along the Somme River.

In mid-July 1916, the 1st Australian Division successfully captured the high ground behind the French town of Pozieres. This capture was the most successful of the assault, so it attracted the heaviest German artillery barrages and counter-attacks. Ryan’s unit was part of the 2nd Division, which relieved the 1st Division on 28 July. The men of the 25th Battalion came under constant artillery fire. That night, they launched an attack against the German position in order to consolidate the captured ground.

The shelling was so intense that many men were killed and buried under the churning earth. Ryan was listed as missing in action on 29 July 1916. It is not clear how he died. His remains were never found. The AIF did not officially declare him dead until August 1917. He was 23 years old.

Ryan’s name is inscribed on the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux. The memorial lists the names of over ten thousand Australians who were killed in France and who have no known grave.

In Australia, Ryan was survived by his father, his sisters Violet and Catherine, and his brother Robert. His mother had passed away before the family was informed of Matthew’s death. The family was told by returned soldiers that Matthew had been killed at Pozieres, only later receiving official confirmation more than a year later.

Private Matthew James Ryan 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 Matthew James Ryan, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Thomas Rogers
Historian, Military History Section
589 words

  • Video of The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (3208) Private Matthew James Ryan, 25th Australian Infantry Battalion, AIF, First World War. (video)