The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (1651) Private Charles Wesley Adamson, 23rd 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 Melanie Cassar, the story for this day was on (1651) Private Charles Wesley Adamson, 23rd Battalion, AIF, First World War.

1651 Private Charles Wesley Adamson, 23rd Battalion, AIF
KIA: 6 December 1915


Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Charles Wesley Adamson.

Charles Adamson was born in 1889 to Thomas and Fanny Adamson in South Condah-Heywood, in the Barwon South West region of Victoria.

His father, Thomas, was born in New York City, but as a baby had migrated with his family to Victoria. There he married Mary Malseed with whom he had two daughters before Mary died in 1882. Thomas was remarried in 1885 to Fannie Malseed, presumably a relative of his late wife. They produced another ten children of whom Charles was the third eldest.

Known by his middle name, “Wes”, Charles grew up on the family farm at Myamyn on the outskirts of Hamilton and attended Myamyn State School. On leaving school he went to work on the family property as a farmer.

After the outbreak of the First World War, Charles Wesley Adamson enlisted for service in the Australian Imperial Force on 24 May 1915. He was sent to Broadmeadows Camp, where, after some initial training he was allotted to the 2nd Reinforcements to the 23rd Battalion.

Adamson embarked from Melbourne with other reinforcements on 16 July aboard the transport ship Demosthenes bound for Egypt. On arrival in Egypt he continued training and, when time allowed, likely took in the sights of Cairo.

In September Adamson reported sick with a hip injury. He had injured his hip in an accident on his parents’ farm when he was 18 and suffered a flare up due to his training. The medical board, however, found him fit for duty and he sailed for Gallipoli in early November.

Adamson arrived on Gallipoli and was taken on strength of the 23rd Battalion on 11 November. The 23rd had been raised in March 1915 as part of the 6th Brigade, 2nd Australian Division. It did not arrive on Gallipoli until early September. Soon afterward the battalion was tasked with occupying the trenches at Lone Pine. Stalemate followed, with the opposing sides manning positions that in some places were only a few metres apart. Sniping, bombing and mining continued.

Two days after Adamson’s arrival, Field Marshal Lord Kitchener inspected the Anzac position on Gallipoli. His visit, combined with the downturn in weather as winter approached and the difficulty in keeping the positions at Anzac fully supplied led to the announcement of the evacuation from Gallipoli and an end to the campaign.

Adamson found himself in the thick of the action very early on as the 23rd Battalion was occupying positions at Lone Pine. Due to constant enemy shelling the front line positions were alternated on a daily basis with the 24th Battalion. On 6 December the 23rd Battalion returned to the front line following a break out of the line. During the day Adamson was killed, the exact circumstances being unknown. He was initially laid to rest at Brown’s Dip Cemetery but after the war his remains were reinterred in the Lone Pine Cemetery. The epitaph on his grave reads:

In memory of the loved son
of T. and F. Adamson
of Myamyn, Victoria

He was 26 years old. Within a fortnight the Australians had withdrawn from the Anzac position on Gallipoli. The campaign ended in vain.

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 Charles Wesley Adamson, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Michael Kelly
Historian, Military History Section