The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (174) Corporal Clifton Shephard, 33rd 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 Jana Johnson, the story for this day was on (174) Corporal Clifton Shephard, 33rd Battalion, First World War.

174 Corporal Clifton Shephard, 33rd Battalion
KIA 9 June 1917
Photograph: P07316.004

Story delivered 7 June 2015

Today we remember and pay tribute to Corporal Clifton Shepard, who was killed during the First World War.

Clifton Shephard was born near Coffs Harbour in New South Wales and was working as a farm labourer when the First World War began. He enlisted in December 1915, at the age of 19 with his parents’ consent. After a period of training in Australia, he was sent overseas with the 33rd Battalion, arriving in England in July 1916.

On arrival in the United Kingdom Shephard was promoted to lance corporal and, on demonstrating his ability as a soldier, was promoted to corporal in February 1917.

In early May 1917 the 33rd Battalion were in the trenches in the Le Touquet sector in northern France. The night after they took over the line, they experienced a raid by a party of Germans who silently slipped into their trenches and were driven off with machine-gun and rifle fire. The next few days were filled with trench maintenance and repair. Although fairly mundane work, any labour in the trenches could be extremely dangerous, and during this period Shephard was wounded by a gunshot to the abdomen. Although reported to be in a grave condition, he recovered remarkably well, and re-joined his unit from hospital within weeks.

On 9 July 1917, just a month after his first wound received in the trenches, Shephard was again hit when the 33rd Battalion was involved
in the attack on Messines Ridge. After a heavy artillery barrage lasting three days, the Allies blew up 19 mines under the German positions on the ridge. Following the explosion of the mine in their sector, the men of the 33rd Battalion “moved forward without the slightest hesitation”. Corporal Clifton Shephard was one of 79 Other Ranks of the 33rd Battalion killed in action on that day. While specific details of Shephard’s death are not recorded, the war diary of the battalion notes that “nearly all of the casualties were caused by shells”.

Clifton Shephard is buried in Toronto Avenue Cemetery in Belgium, with 78 other Australians who died in the battle of Messines. He was 21 years old.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, along with more than 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 service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Corporal Clifton Shephard, and all those Australians who have given their lives in the service of our nation.

Dr Meleah Hampton
Historian, Military History Section