The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (7328) Private George Montague Tickle, 9th 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 Nathan Boyd, the story for this day was on (7328) Private George Montague Tickle, 9th Battalion, AIF, First World War.

7328 Private George Montague Tickle, 9th Battalion, AIF
KIA 24 April 1918

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private George Montague Tickle.

George Tickle was born in Brisbane on 18 March 1895, the first of nine children of tobacconist George Tickle and his wife Alice.

Young George grew up in South Brisbane, where he attended West End State School before going on to work as a salesman. He also served for two and a half years with the Australian Medical Corps in Brisbane.

George Tickle enlisted in December 1916, at the age of 21. He was allotted to reinforcements to the 9th Battalion, which had been recruited from Queensland shortly after the declaration of war.
On 24 January 1917, George Tickle left Australia aboard the troopship Ayrshire, bound for overseas service. Arriving in England, Private Tickle underwent training on Salisbury Plain before joining his unit in Belgium in November.

As the 9th Battalion spent the European winter in Flanders, engaging in vigorous patrolling and raiding, Tickle was marked for further training. He was sent to divisional signal school and then to the 3rd Infantry Brigade School, rejoining his unit in March.

On 24 April, the battalion had just re-entered the front line, relieving the 12th Battalion. Detailed to take the village of Meteren, about 17 kilometres south-west of Ypres, the assault met fierce resistance. Despite using Stokes mortars to good effect, the attack was repelled by the great number of enemy machine-guns posted in houses and hedges. The commanding officer asked for heavy a barrage in order to keep the attack going, but it “was considered inadvisable on account of the close proximity of our own troops”. As the troops regrouped and assessed casualties, among the dead was Private George Tickle, who was just 23 years old.

His remains were buried nearby at Meteren Military Cemetery.

1918 was a cruel year for the Tickle family. Not long after news of George’s death was received in Australia, George Tickle senior died, leaving Alice Tickle to mourn both son and husband.

George Tickle’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 Private George Montague Tickle, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Duncan Beard
Historian, Military History Section