The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (1069) Corporal Fergus Stanley Ibbott, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, 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 Chris Widenbar, the story for this day was on (1069) Corporal Fergus Stanley Ibbott, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, First World War.

1069 Corporal Fergus Stanley Ibbott, 3rd Light Horse Regiment
DOW 6 August 1916

Story delivered 5 May 2017

Today we remember and pay tribute to Corporal Fergus Ibbott.

Fergus Stanley Ibbott was born on 11 February 1889 in Apsley, Tasmania, to George and Charlotte Ibbott. He attended Buckland’s School in Hobart and went on to become a pastoralist. He was interested in military matters, serving in the local light horse regiment for more than eight years. He was known as “a good all-round sportsman and a particularly fine horseman”.

Ibbott enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in May 1915. He underwent a brief period of training in Australia before leaving for active service overseas in June 1915. He was posted to the 3rd Light Horse Regiment, and arrived on Gallipoli on 2 October 1915.

Ibbott was on Gallipoli for less than a month before he fell ill with an infected arm. He was initially treated on the Gallipoli peninsula, but was eventually evacuated to Mudros in mid-December. From there he was sent to Alexandria, arriving just after Christmas. Early in the new year, Ibbott was promoted to corporal. He proved an able soldier, and Captain Bennett of C Squadron later wrote:

As a soldier and a man, he was all that c
ould be desired … He was a great favourite with all his comrades, and with everybody with whom he came in contact, and no matter to what duty or task he was set he always carried out to the best of his ability, and always with good results.

Between January and May 1916 the 3rd Light Horse Regiment was deployed to protect the Nile Valley from bands of pro-Turkish Senussi Arabs. From late May, the regiment joined the forces defending the Suez Canal.

On 3 August Allied defensive positions came under attack near the Egyptian town of Romani. Although the heavily outnumbered
Australian Light Horse Brigade was initially forced back, they were steadily reinforced and the position stabilised while a counter-attack was organised. By the 5th of August Turkish resistance collapsed, and the threat was over, ending the last attack on the Suez Canal.

Corporal Fergus Ibbott was one of the men holding an outpost when the attack began. Major Bisdee VC later recalled

The Turks were expected, but no one ever expected them to come on with the fury which they did … but our men were ready for them, and stood firm, only retiring when the enemy – who were in great numbers – started to get round our flanks.

Ibbott’s friend Private Geoff Gardiner wrote: “He acted the part of a brother to me on the first day of the action, when I was so knocked up after the retirement and he would not allow me to attempt anything more for the rest of the day.” On the second afternoon of the battle, as the tide was turning, Corporal Ibbott was wounded. Gardner recalled, “Hunn and I helped him back to the ambulance. He was suffering a good deal, but seemed very cheerful, in spite of the pain.”

Despite the best efforts of the field ambulance, Corporal Fergus Ibbott died of his wounds on 6 August 1916. Private Gardner wrote: “The death of Corporal Ibbott has been a great blow, not only to the regiment as a trusted and valuable NCO, but a greater loss to many like myself, who were personal friends of his.” Captain Bennett also expressed his sympathy for the Ibbott family, writing “we all miss him, and we one and all sympathise with you in your great loss”.

Ibbott is buried in the Kantara War Memorial Cemetery on the eastern side of the Suez Canal some 50 kilometres south of Port Said. He was 27 years old.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, among more than 60,000 Australians who died while serving in 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 Corporal Fergus
Stanley Ibbott, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Meleah Hampton
Historian, Military History Section