The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of Lieutenant Francis Patrick Laracy, 1st 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 Tristan Rallings, the story for this day was on Lieutenant Francis Patrick Laracy, 1st Battalion, AIF, First World War.

Lieutenant Francis Patrick Laracy, 1st Battalion, AIF
Drowned 10 October 1918

Today we remember and pay tribute to Lieutenant Francis Patrick Laracy.

Francis Patrick Laracy was born in 1891 in Toowoomba, Queensland, the third child and only son of Michael and Johanna Laracy. Known as “Sonny” or “Frank”, Laracy attended Christian Brothers School in Toowoomba, before attending St Stanilaus’ College in Bathurst. Later he moved to Sydney, to study pharmacy at Sydney University and work as a chemist’s assistant.

Laracy enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 24 August 1914, and served in the 1st Australian Field Ambulance. Laracy and the 1st Field Ambulance landed on Gallipoli at about 9.30 am on 25 April 1915, spending spent the day tending to the wounded, despite constant heavy Turkish fire.

On 13 May, Laracy was admitted to hospital with a wound to the left shoulder, likely caused by heavy Turkish sniper or shrapnel fire. He did not rejoin his unit on Gallipoli until August.

Following the evacuation of Gallipoli, Laracy spent time in Egypt as Australian forces reorganised and prepared for fighting in Palestine and on the Western Front. In March he sailed from Alexandria for Marseilles in France, and moved with his unit to northern France, near the border with Belgium.

Throughout his service Laracy showed himself to be a reliable and capable soldier. He was promoted several times, and eventually reached the rank of lieutenant. In August 1916 he transferred from the 1st Field Ambulance to the 1st Infantry Battalion, which formed part of the 1st Brigade of the 1st Australian Division.

On 30 October 1916, Laracy and the troops of the 1st Battalion were in the trenches near Flers, north of the Somme River, during a period of heavy rainfall that caused sections of the trenches to collapse, and left the men knee deep in thick mud. In the terrible conditions, the Germans opened a series of artillery bombardments on the Australian lines, and Laracy received a wound to his right forearm. His injuries were so severe that he was taken to England for recovery, and he was not discharged from hospital until February 1917.

Later that year, in November, the Laracy family received the sad news that Francis’s cousin, Private Edward Joseph Laracy, had died of pneumonia contracted while serving in the 4th Australian Field Bakery.

On 11 and 12 July 1918, Francis Laracy took part in a series of successful raids conducted by Australian troops near Strazeele, near the French-Belgian border. In this action he led a small party against an enemy post, killing three and capturing two prisoners. The following morning he led another small patrol that surprised and captured a number of garrisons from enemy posts and gained about 200 metres of enemy territory. In this action he captured 28 German prisoners and four machine-guns. He received a severe gunshot wound to the left forearm, but despite his injuries stayed in the fighting and continued to direct his men. After ensuring that their position was secure, he returned to his company commander to report on the ground taken, and based on the information he provided, Australian troops were able to make a larger attack on the German lines that gained more ground and captured more prisoners and machine-guns.

He was later awarded the Military Cross for this action, his citation reading: “He was foremost in leading his men, and though during the operation he was wounded in the arm, he ensured that everything was satisfactory before he left.”

Laracy was sent to England for medical treatment, and during his period of recovery made a trip to Ireland.
On 10 October 1918, Laracy was on board the Irish Mail ship the RMS Leinster as it carried passengers from Dublin to Holyhead in Wales, when it was struck by German torpedoes and sunk.

Over 500 passengers and crew drowned in the tragedy. Laracy was last seen clinging with one arm to a raft in the rough seas. His head and shoulder were above water, but the cold and exposure, coupled with his injuries, made it difficult for him to hold on.

Survivors of the wreck called encouragement to him, but he reportedly did not respond, and simply smiled to those around him. One witness later wrote that: “Ultimately he let go his hold and sank smiling to the last. In all my experience (which includes several) I have never seen a braver death.”

He was 26 years old. He had been among the first Australian troops to land on Gallipoli, and died one month before the end of the war.

His name is listed on the Hollybrook Memorial in Southampton, England, which commemorates nearly 1900 servicemen and women of the First World War who have no known grave.

Lieutenant Francis Patrick Laracy’s 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 Lieutenant Francis Patrick Laracy, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

David Sutton
Historian, Military History Section