The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (660) Private Wesley Hamilton Graham, 30th Battalion, AIF, 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 Joanne Smedley, the story for this day was on (660) Private Wesley Hamilton Graham, 30th Battalion, AIF, First World War.

660 Private Wesley Hamilton Graham, 30th Battalion, AIF
KIA 12 May 1917
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 8 January 2016

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Wesley Hamilton Graham.

Wes Graham was born in 1897 to William and Tamar Graham of Inglewood, Victoria. He grew up in nearby Arnold, where he attended the local state school. He was known to be a “clever, intellectual boy”, who excelled at his studies and had a “bright and winning disposition”. He was also a keen athlete, with a particular aptitude for Australian Rules football. Graham went on to work for the Land Tax branch of the Commonwealth Public Service in Sydney.

Wes Graham enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in July 1915 and was posted to the 30th Battalion. A farewell gathering was held at Arnold in his honour. He was presented with a wristwatch, and, in thanking those present for the gift, said that “he would try to do his little bit”. He went to Liverpool Camp to begin his training, and later to camp at the Royal Show Grounds in Sydney before being sent for overseas service. He reached Egypt in December 1915 and left for the Western Front in June the following year.

Graham arrived in France during one of the coldest winters on record. By December 1916 he had fallen ill with bronchitis and spent a considerable amount of time in hospital in England. He re-joined his battalion in April 1917 as the AIF was attacking the German army in its new position on the Hindenburg Line. Private Graham would not get a chance to enter the front line until early May.

On 12 May the men of the 30th Battalion were in the trenches at Maricourt Wood, near the French village of Morchies, when it came under heavy shell-fire. Private Graham was a Lewis Gunner for C
Company, and was struck by a shell fragment from the German bombardment. He was killed instantly, along with two others.

Will Graham, also serving in the AIF, did not hear of his brother’s death for some weeks. In mid-June he heard a rumour that Wes had died, and wrote to his cousin:
I’m not sure that it’s true – I trust it is not … I can’t get any details as our lot are not near his battalion. If you haven’t received word, don’t tell mother what is in this letter, but if it is true it will nearly kill her. Look
after her and the youngsters, Cyril, old man – I know I can trust you for that.

Wes Graham’s widowed mother had already received confirmation of her son’s death. He was 19 years old.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, among more than 60,000 Australians who died during 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 Wesley Hamilton Graham, and all those Australians who have given their lives
in the service of our nation.

Dr Meleah Hampton
Historian, Military History Section