The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (28455) Gunner Albert David “Bert” Beard, 101st Howitzer Battery, 1st Field Artillery Brigade, 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 Michael Kelly, the story for this day was on (28455) Gunner Albert David “Bert” Beard, 101st Howitzer Battery, 1st Field Artillery Brigade, AIF, First World War.

28455 Gunner Albert David “Bert” Beard, 101st Howitzer Battery, 1st Field Artillery Brigade, AIF
KIA 3 November 1917

Story delivered on 12 August 2017

Today we remember and pay tribute to Gunner Albert David Beard.

Popularly known as “Bert”, Albert Beard was born on the 8th of May 1892 at Cowes, Victoria, to Albert and Isabella Beard.

Shortly after Albert’s birth the Beard family moved to New South Wales, but by 1914 had returned to Victoria where they owned and ran the Town Hall Hotel in Brighton. Here Albert Beard worked for his parents as a barman.

Following the outbreak of the First World War, Beard enlisted for service with the artillery in Melbourne on 15 May 1916. He spent the next five months in training establishments.

He was allotted to the 21st reinforcements to the 1st Divisional Ammunition Column. In late October, Beard embarked from Melbourne aboard the transport ship Ulysses, bound for England, where he arrived just after Christmas.

He joined the 1st Divisional Ammunition Column in France in mid-February 1917, and only days later was detached to the 1st Division’s trench mortar school. After successfully completing the course, he returned to his unit.

In late April Beard was accidentally injured when driving an ammunition wagon during a resupply run. He suffered a contusion to his left foot and was out of action for a month.

The ensuing months were busy as wider AIF operations at Messines and then Ypres kept the men busy. With Australian artillery brigades suffering heavy casualties during the latter half of 1917, Beard was transferred to the 1st Field Artillery Brigade in mid-October.

In the early hours of the 3rd of November, Beard joined the 101st Battery, which was in positions on Anzac Ridge. The battery’s positions were under sporadic German artillery fire during the day.

According to a witness report, Beard was at a gun position when he was hit in the head by a shell splinter from an exploding German shell. He was taken to the advanced dressing station of the 7th Australian Field Ambulance where he died shortly after from his wounds. He was laid to rest in the Menin Road South Military Cemetery. He was 26 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 Gunner Albert David Beard, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Michael Kelly
Historian, Military History Section