The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (3774) Private Patrick Joseph Bugden, 31st Battalion, First World War

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial every 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 (3774) Private Patrick Joseph Bugden, 31st Battalion, First World War.

Last Post closing ceremony

Private Patrick Joseph Bugden VC
accession number of image: H12601
Roll of Honour panel number: FWW 118

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Patrick Joseph Bugden of the Australian Army.

Patrick was born into a farming family in South Gundurimba, on the North Coast of New South Wales on the 17th of March 1897. Patrick’s outgoing personality meant that he was popular at school as well as being a talented sportsman, excelling at football, cricket and shot-putt. When he left school Patrick served twelve months’ military training under the Compulsory Military Training Scheme before enlisting with the 31st Infantry Battalion of the Australian Army in May 1916.

In January 1917, Patrick travelled to France with his battalion on board the Princess Victoria and arrived to one of the coldest winters Europe had seen in 30 years. By April he was a seasoned veteran of war, enduring freezing conditions and constant enemy attack. He went on to fight in the Battle of Bullecourt in May, a costly battle in which the Australian Army suffered over 7,000 casualties.

At the Battle of Polygon Wood later in 1917 Patrick demonstrated ‘conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty’. When the Allied advance was held up by strongly-defended pill-boxes, Patrick, on two occasions in the face of enemy fire, led his comrades to attack these strong points, where they successfully silenced the machine guns and captured the garrison. Also, on five occasions during the battle Bugden rescued wounded men under intense shell and machine-gun fire, once single-handedly rescuing a corporal who was being attacked from behind by the enemy. It was whilst rescuing one of these men, on the 28th of September that Patrick was killed.

Alex Thompson, one of the men that Patrick saved at Polygon Wood wrote a letter to Patrick’s mother after his death. In it he described the scene:
...Just then three ‘Fritzes’ jumped into the shell hole on top of me, giving me no chance to put up a scrap...I looked up...and saw...Paddy Bugden charging up with a few men to my rescue...The whole of the above episode took place under heavy shell, rifle and machine gun fire, so you can understand the debt I owe to Paddy Bugden for his bravery in rescuing me...

Patrick was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross in November 1917. He is buried in Hooges Crater Cemetery in Belgium.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, along with approximately 60,000 others from the First World War, and his photograph is displayed today beside the Pool of Reflection.

This is one of the many stories of courage and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Private Patrick Joseph Bugden VC, and all of those Australians who have given their lives in service of our nation.