The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (413) Private Hider Stanley Filmer Broome, 15th Battalion (Infantry), 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 Richard Cruise, the story for this day was on (413) Private Hider Stanley Filmer Broome, 15th Battalion (Infantry), First World War.

413 Private Hider Stanley Filmer Broome, 15th Battalion
DOW 30 April 1915
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 19 October 2013

Today, we remember and pay tribute to Private Hider Stanley Filmer Broome.

Stan Broome was born in Cann River, Victoria, the second son of Mr and Mrs Charles Broome. His was a well-known farming family in the district. He attended school at Noorinbee and lived on the family farm until he was about 18 years old, when he moved to Queensland to take up farming on his own. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in Kingaroy not long after the outbreak of war in 1914.

Broome was posted to the newly-formed 15th Battalion. He trained for a time in Victoria and left Australia just before Christmas 1914. The 15th Battalion was sent to Egypt, where it continued to train in preparation for active operations.

The 15th Battalion made its way to ANZAC Cove on two different troop ships. It is not clear which of these Broome was on. Half of the battalion was able to witness the British landings at Cape Helles from on board their vessel, while the other half came under Turkish shrapnel fire at the disembarkation point. By the afternoon of 26 April the battalion was reunited and ordered to support the right of 3rd Brigade. It went on to be heavily involved in establishing and defending the front line of the ANZAC beachhead.

Some time in those hectic first days on the Gallipoli peninsula, Private Stan Broome was wounded. No record survives of the manner of his wounding, but he managed to get to the beach and be evacuated from ANZAC Cove. Unfortunately, it was too late. Whether he was left too long before he could be evacuated and his wounds festered, or he was too badly wounded in the first place, he died of his wounds on board HMS Mashobra on 30 April. He was likely to have been buried at sea, and is commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial, and here, where his name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, along with more than 60,000 others from the First World War. Stanley Broome was 22 years old.

This is but one of the many stories of courage and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Private Hider Stanley Filmer Broome, and all those Australians who have given their lives in the service of our nation.