The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (812) Corporal Frank Oswald Matt, 1st Division Trench Mortars, 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 (812) Corporal Frank Oswald Matt, 1st Division Trench Mortars, First World War.

812 Corporal Frank Oswald Matt, 1st Division Trench Mortars
Died of Wounds 23 July 1916

Today we remember and pay tribute to Corporal Frank Oswald Matt.

Frank Matt was born on 26 October 1893, the second son of Edward and May Matt of South Yarra in Melbourne. Frank’s mother died when he was seven years old, and his father remarried the following year. Frank was brought up in St Kilda, where he attended the Brighton Road State School. During his school years he served with the cadets, and, finding an interest in the military, enlisted for service as a professional soldier with the Royal Australian Field Artillery.

Frank Matt enlisted for active service in the Australian Imperial Force shortly after the outbreak of war in August 1914, a little over two months before his 21st birthday. He became a member of the 2nd Field Artillery Brigade’s Headquarters Staff, serving as a batman to a more senior officer. He left Australia for active service overseas on 20 October 1914 on board the troopship Shropshire.

The 2nd Field Artillery Brigade continued training in Egypt for several weeks after its arrival. Frank Matt may have been part of the first portion of brigade headquarters to land at Anzac Cove on the afternoon of 25 April 1915. Over the following days the brigade unloaded more and more guns, pulling them into position and registering on their targets. Aside from a short period in Mudros suffering from a fever, Batman Bombardier Frank Matt would remain on the peninsula for most of the campaign, transferring to the heavy artillery in mid-July.

After the evacuation from Gallipoli, the AIF underwent a period of expansion and reorganisation in Egypt. Matt served with different batteries of the field artillery during this period, but in April 1916 was transferred to the newly-formed trench mortar batteries, relinquishing his batman duties. He began training with his new unit around the French village of Sailly almost immediately. A little over a month later, after being sent to France to fight on the Western Front, he was promoted to corporal.

On 26 June, while near the front line at Sailly, Matt was in charge of a trench mortar firing in support of an Australian raiding party. One of the bombs his gun fired fell short, landing only a few feet away with the fuse burning. Matt grabbed the bomb, unscrewed the fuse and threw it away, and then upended the bomb and throw it into the mud to dampen the explosion. His officer later wrote that “by his gallant action in removing the live fuse from the bomb he undoubtedly averted loss of life and injuries of officers and men of the infantry who were in close proximity to the mortars when the incident occurred.” He was recommended for the Victoria Cross. Although the award was not granted, the recommendation demonstrated the high regard his actions had in the battery.

A few weeks after this incident, Corporal Frank Matt’s trench mortar battery was transported south to the Somme, where it entered the front line near the French village of Pozieres. On 23 July 1916 the Australian 1st Division launched an attack which captured the village despite strong German resistance. Matt was again in charge of a trench mortar and its crew during the attack.

On the night after the village was captured, the Australian left flank came under “terrific fire” from the Germans. Corporal Frank Matt took his gun and detachment into no man’s land to get a better shot at his allotted targets. It was later reported that he “showed the most heroic gallantry and courage by taking his gun and detachment out … and keeping it in action at the objective allotted to him until all his detachment were killed and himself severely wounded.”

Corporal Frank Matt was taken to the 3rd Casualty Clearing Station, but died not long after arriving. He was buried at the nearby Puchevillers British Cemetery, where he lies today under the simple epitaph, “Loved by all”.

Matt’s senior officer recommended him for the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his actions at Pozieres, writing, “on many occasions Corporal Matt has shown conspicuous bravery under heavy fire, both in the service of his gun and in assisting the wounded.” His conclusion was perhaps deemed too emotional for a medal citation: “I cannot too deeply deplore the loss of one of my bravest NCOs”.

Frank Matt’s family put a notice in the newspaper to their “much loved son.” In it they called him “our Anzac hero.” He was 22 years old.

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 Corporal Frank Oswald Matt, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Meleah Hampton
Historian, Military History Section