The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (3035) Corporal Edwin Rawlings Fittock, 42nd Australian Infantry Battalion, 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 , the story for this day was on (3035) Corporal Edwin Rawlings Fittock, 42nd Australian Infantry Battalion, First World War.

3035 Corporal Edwin Rawlings Fittock, 42nd Australian Infantry Battalion
KIA 12 August 1918

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Edwin Rawlings Fittock.

Edwin Fittock was born on 24 August 1896 in Ipswich, Queensland. He was one of four children born to local clerk and secretary Edwin Fittock Senior and his wife Lucy. Edwin received his education at Ipswich Boys Grammar School where he was a member of the cadets program. He went on to find employment working as a book-keeper, while volunteering in the Citizen’s Forces.

Edwin Fittock enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 1 February 1915. He was assigned to the 5th Reinforcements of the 15th Battalion and began a short period of training. He embarked for active service from Brisbane on 16 April, sailing on the troopship Kyarra.

Private Fittock joined his unit on the Gallipoli peninsula in mid-June after several weeks at sea. He took part in his first major battle of the war two months later when his unit took part in the attack on Hill-971 in August 1915.

Advancing on 6 August, the 15th Battalion formed part of the left attacking force. Its advance was consistently hampered by clashes with small groups of enemy forces which led to confusion amongst allied troops. At daylight, the men continued to push the enemy back in the face of heavy resistance from Turkish lines. During the fighting, Private Fittock was shot through the leg and badly wounded. He was evacuated to Egypt and was admitted to hospital for treatment. There, the severity of his wounds became clear, and he was returned to Australia the following month.

Having sustained significant damage to the tissue in his left leg, he was discharged as medically unfit in February 1916. This did not deter him, however, and by December that year Fittock had again enlisted. He was assigned to the 7th Reinforcements of the 42nd Battalion and by February of 1917 was again en route to the front.

Private Fittock arrived in England on 11 April 1917 and proceeded to camp for further training. He joined his comrades on the Western Front in October, following huge losses during the battle of Passchendaele a few days earlier. Within a week of his arrival, Fittock was promoted to lance corporal. His unit spent the months that followed alternating between duty in the trenches and training behind the lines.

In March 1918, the German Army launched its spring offensive in a final attempt to break through allied lines. Fittock’s unit was rushed south from Belgium to blunt the enemy’s advance on the vital railway hub of Amiens. The 42nd Battalion was involved in major defensive actions, particularly around the village of Morlancourt where it helped to stem the German advance on the ridge overlooking the village. Following this attack, Fittock was made acting corporal before the battle of Hamel.

The attack took place on 4 July 1918. The recapture of Hamel and its strategic surroundings was achieved in just over 90 minutes, using a combination of infantry, tanks, artillery and aircraft. These tactics were applied again when the allies launched their own major offensive during the battle of Amiens in August.

On 12 August 1918, Fittock’s unit was involved in heavy fighting around the village of Chipilly. Attempting to raid enemy lines in broad daylight, the 42nd Battalion came under heavy machine-gun fire, causing multiple casualties. Among the dead was Corporal Edwin Fittock.

His comrade, Private Hudson, recounted his final moments in a letter written to Fittock’s mother which read:

“I was with Corporal Fittock on the 12th of August in a daylight raid on the enemy’s positions in front of a small village named Chipilly. That is where he now rests as he was buried the day following the raid. His death was caused by a heavy burst of machine gun fire. He started our advance on the 8th of August and I was with him under his command until he met his fate. I was only about five yards away from him when, from an enemy position, machine guns opened up fire point blank at us and there was no time for anything, just to rush the post. Just before we reached the Huns, I saw Corporal Fittock fall. After we had gained our objective the stretcher bearers brought him in. He suffered no pain as he died instantly. Please accept my deepest sympathy as I can truthfully say he was the finest lad and soldier that I have met during my connection with the 42nd Battalion.”

Corporal Fittock was buried near where he fell. Today, he lies at Heath Cemetery in France, beneath the inscription, “Greater love hath no man than this.”

Edwin Fittock 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 Private Edwin Rawlings Fittock, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Meghan Adams
Researcher, Military History Section