The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of Lieutenant Penistan James Patterson, 23rd Battalion (Infantry), 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 Nicholas Schmidt, the story for this day was on Lieutenant Penistan James Patterson, 12th Battalion (Infantry), First World War.

Lieutenant Penistan James Patterson, 12th Battalion
KIA 25 April 1915
Photograph: H15819

Story delivered 22 August 2013

Today, we remember and pay tribute to Lieutenant Penistan James Patterson.

Pen Patterson was the only son of the late Reverend James Patterson and Annie Patterson. He was born at Swan Hill in north-west Victoria, but spent most of his childhood in Bendigo, where his father was the minister at the local Presbyterian church. The church sent the Patterson family to Port Pirie, where Pen went to high school. He also was a member of the Port Pirie Public School Cadets, where he excelled.

His aptitude for military work saw Patterson go to study at the Royal Military College, Duntroon. He was just completing his final year there when war broke out. Receiving his commission, he sailed with the first contingent to the Dardanelles and was appointed commander of No. 1 Platoon of the 12th Battalion.

Patterson was with the 12th Battalion at the dawn landing at Gallipoli. His boat landed at a point north of ANZAC Cove, and Patterson and his platoon quickly moved to the top of Walker's Ridge.

While the Australians were digging in on the ridge Turkish counter-attacks endangered the position. The Australians advanced against the Turkish troops. It was during this advance that Lieutenant Patterson was killed while leading his platoon. In the turmoil of the following days and months, his grave was lost and he is now commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial.

Pen Patterson was mourned not only by his widowed mother and three sisters but also by a wide circle of friends and the church where his late father had worked for 11 years. Learning of his death, a friend of the family remarked, "Little did we think that when Pen Patterson was running about in Swan Hill as a happy boy that in a few years he would lose his life fighting for his country in a foreign land". He was the first Duntroon graduate to die in the war.

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

This is but one of the many stories of courage and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Lieutenant Penistan James Patterson, and all of those Australians who have given their lives in service of our nation.