The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (3732) Private Edward Percy Clout, 13th Australian Infantry 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 Craig Berelle, the story for this day was on (3732) Private Edward Percy Clout, 13th Australian Infantry Battalion AIF, First World War.

3732 Private Edward Percy Clout, 13th Australian Infantry Battalion AIF
KIA 11 August 1916


Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Edward Percy Clout.

Edward Percy Clout was born in Camden, New South Wales, on 21 December 1893. His parents, Edward and Maude Clout, owned and operated the local Tattersalls pub in Wollongong. Clout was the eldest of nine children and enjoyed photography as a boy. He worked as an apprentice wheelwright for coach building company A.W. Davis & Co and was a keen sportsman, playing for the local Balgownie football team.

Edward Clout enlisted in the AIF with the rest of the Balgownie football team in August 1915 at Holsworthy, New South Wales. Clout was assigned to the 13th Battalion and embarked from Sydney aboard troopship Suevic in December that year.

Clout reached Egypt in March 1916, joined his battalion and began training. He became ill and spent a month in hospital before travelling to France with his unit. Clout’s battalion was stationed near the town of Pozieres, where it would take part in some of the most horrific battles of the Great War.

The German forces had a distinct advantage at Pozieres, holding the high ground from which they launched devastating attacks. Clout’s battalion headed north towards Mouquet Farm positioned on a high ridge above the ruined village of Pozieres.

Australian divisions mounted nine separate attacks around Mouquet Farm in an attempt to force the enemy back from their defences. Australian divisions succeeded in capturing Pozieres, on 5 August but failed to take Mouquet Farm.

After 42 days of fighting, allied casualties totalled 23,000 men, missing, wounded or killed. Among their number was Private Edward Clout. His parents received a telegram on 9 September advising them that their son was wounded and missing.

Rumours swelled around Clout’s disappearance with several people stating they had seen him or heard from him at different times. A court of enquiry was held in 1917 to determine what had happened to him.

The enquiry found that sightings of Clout detailed by the Red Cross had likely confused Edward Clout with his cousin Private Frank Clout. No one had seen or heard of Edward since 11 August 1916. By late January 1917, Base Records still could not give Clout’s parents any news of his whereabouts.

Clout’s comrade and fellow Balgownie football player Private Lionel Whitbread wrote to Private Clout’s parents:

“I saw him at dawn on the morning of the 11th of August. The gun crew I was on went out along the trench to support an attack. We came in at dawn and I passed Clout’s position and stayed a few minutes chatting with him. That night he met his fate. It appears he was slightly wounded in a finger at first. He went along to the advance dressing station and had his wound dressed and made back to his gun. No further news can be gained of him. He must have been killed as he was returning to his gun.”

The court established that Private Edward Percy Clout had been killed in action on 11 August 1916. His remains were found some years after the end of the war and reinterred at Courcelette cemetery near where he fell. He was 22 years old.

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 Private Edward Percy Clout, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Meghan Adams
Researcher, Australian War Memorial