The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (NX50950) Private John Edward Smith, 2/1st Pioneer Battalion, Second 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 onv (NX50950) Private John Edward Smith, 2/1st Pioneer Battalion, Second World War.

NX50950 Private John Edward Smith, 2/1st Pioneer Battalion
KIA 14 September 1941

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private John Edward Smith.

John Smith, known as “Jack”, was born on 24 December 1917 to Philip and Maud Smith of Chatswood, New South Wales. While little is known of his early education, it soon became apparent that he was a gifted musician. He received two scholarships to the Sydney Conservatorium for the clarinet, and was considered one of the finest clarinettists in Australia. On his graduation from the Conservatorium, Smith immediately found work as a member of the ABC Military Band, and later was a member of a leading Sydney theatre orchestra.

Jack Smith enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force in June 1940. He underwent a period of training in Australia before leaving for active service overseas with the 2/1st Pioneer Battalion.

Following his arrival in the Middle East, Smith wrote to a friend from the ABC Military Band, saying: “My work is field stretcher-bearing, which is the fate of all good bandsmen. It has proved quite interesting, though sometimes hard to take. It has given me the opportunity of witnessing some examples of sheer bravery and doggedness that other chaps probably never see.”

From early April 1941 the 2/1st Pioneers spent several months in the besieged Libyan town of Tobruk, helping to defend the position by manning forward posts and occasionally fighting as infantry. Private Jack Smith continued to serve as a stretcher bearer, at one point rescuing ABC announcer Michael Eisdell who was also serving with the second AIF. Jack wrote,

I came across a chap a few weeks ago, he was crawling into the post where I was, completely lost and with a bullet wound in his leg … he turned out to be from the ABC ... I patched him up a bit, got him on a stretcher and took him back to the Aid Post, but I think he was more damaged on that trip that by his original injury, for the machine guns were on us all the way, and believe me, when we had to go to earth I think I beat the stretcher down. You can imagine he wasn’t getting a very nice ride.

Eisdell was later invalided to Australia, and praised Smith’s work as a stretcher bearer whenever he was asked about his experience at Tobruk.

On 14 September 1941, Private Jack Smith wrote two letters home. In one he wrote “I am as fit as a fiddle – though I would not say a Strad[ivarius]”. The second he concluded by writing “well, I think that I had better close now as I have a couple of jobs to do.”

Private Jack Smith was recorded as having been killed in action at Tobruk on the 14th of September 1941. He was buried in the Tobruk War Cemetery where he lies today under the words “he was a good boy. May it please God to rest his soul in peace.”

He was 23 years old.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my left, among almost 40,000 Australians who died while serving in the Second 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 John Edward Smith, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Meleah Hampton
Historian, Military History Section