The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (740) Sergeant Lionel William Loveband, 6th 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 Richard Cruise, the story for this day was on (740) Sergeant Lionel William Loveband, 6th Light Horse Regiment, First World War.

740 Sergeant Lionel William Loveband, 6th Light Horse Regiment
KIA 27 March 1918
Story delivered 15 October 2018

Today we remember and pay tribute to Sergeant Lionel William Loveband.

Lionel Loveband was born in England on 28 October 1889 at Warkleigh in Devon, the son of Reverend Tom and Mary Ann Loveband. He grew up around Exeter and attended the Exeter School. After his father’s sudden death in 1903, his mother was left to bring up her young family.

Towards the end of 1910, Loveband emigrated to Australia to join his younger brother, Hugh, who had come the year before. Landing at Sydney in December, he travelled to Moree and worked on a farm.

The early months of the First World War brought sad news to the Loveband family. On 6 December 1914, Loveband’s older brother, Captain Arthur Reginald Loveband, was killed in action in Belgium while serving with the 1st Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment.

Loveband enlisted for service in the Australian Imperial Force on 19 January 1915 and after initial training, was allotted to reinforcements to the 6th Light Horse Regiment. He embarked with other reinforcements from Sydney on 20 February, bound for Egypt. After joining his unit, he was posted to C Squadron.

As part of the 2nd Light Horse Brigade, the 6th Light Horse Regiment landed on Gallipoli on 20 May to bolster the 1st Division. During his time on Gallipoli, Loveband rose through the ranks to temporary sergeant.

The 6th Light Horse occupied positions on the right of the Anzac line until they were evacuated in December. The light horsemen returned directly to Egypt and soon after they began patrolling around the Suez Canal.

Loveband’s first major action came in August 1916, when Ottoman troops, attacking towards the Suez, were brought to battle at Romani and defeated. The 6th Light Horse Regiment was involved in the pursuit of the Ottoman forces at they withdrew into the Sinai.

On 2 April 1917, Loveband was admitted to hospital with a fractured skull after being kicked in the head by a horse. A month later, he had recovered sufficiently to be discharged to return to duty. After a brief convalescence, he returned to the 6th Light Horse.

At the end of October, Loveband took part in the battle of Beersheba and the pursuit of Ottoman forces as they withdrew. After the capture of Gaza in November, Loveband’s rank of sergeant was made permanent.

He was sent on a Vicker’s machine-gun course at the beginning of February 1918. At the end of the month he qualified as a first class gunner, and returned to his unit at the beginning of March.

Following a feint attack on Amman in late February, the 6th Light Horse Regiment was involved in operations nearby over the next month.

On 27 March, the 6th Light Horse Regiment was involved in an attack on the railway station at Amman. A little after midday, as the men of C Squadron advanced towards the railway station, they came under a hail of machine-gun fire.

Loveband was shot in the head and severely wounded. Another member of the squadron, Trooper Kenrick Riley, ran to his aid and while carrying Loveband back for treatment, was himself shot and killed. Other men then retrieved the wounded Loveband and Riley’s body, and carried them back to the horse lines. Loveband’s head wound was mortal and he died a short time later. He was 28 years old.

Lionel Loveband had been known as a quiet soldier and an excellent leader. He was described as a man who seldom spoke, but when he did, all those present listened. He was a popular member of the unit and his death was described as a sore blow to his comrades.

Loveband and Riley were buried that afternoon in a nearby wadi. After the war, they were re-interred in the Damascus Commonwealth War Cemetery. His mother chose the epitaph for his grave, which reads
In Proud and Ever Loving Memory
Of Lionel
“For the Truth’s Sake”

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, among almost 62,000 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 Sergeant Lionel William Loveband, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Michael Kelly
Historian, Military History Section