The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (725) Private Timothy Richard Bambery and (726) Private George Sweeten Bambery, 15th Battalion (Infantry), 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 Nicholas Schmidt, the story for this day was on (725) Private Timothy Richard Bambery and (726) Private George Sweeten Bambery, 15th Battalion (Infantry), First World War.

725 Private Timothy Richard Bambery, 15th Battalion
KIA 27 April 1915

726 Private George Sweeten Bambery, 15th Battalion
KIA 26 April 1915

No photograph in collection

Story delivered 6 December 2013

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Timothy Richard Bambery and Private George Sweeten Bambery, both killed in action on Gallipoli in the First World War.

Brothers Timothy and George Bambery were born at Warwick in Queensland in the 1880s to Timothy and Margaret Bambery. The family lived at Murwillumbah and the Richmond River before settling at Tweed Heads in New South Wales. They owned and ran a popular kiosk at the Caves on Fingal Headland, and Timothy, George, and their brothers went to Murwillumbah Public School. In later life, Timothy worked as an engine driver at the Cudgen Sugar Mill and also worked his own land at Midginbil; he was said to be "a favourite with all who knew him". George was a farmer at Crabbes Creek; the local newspaper described him as a "man of fine physique, and in the full vigour of life".

Timothy and George enlisted together at Murwillumbah in October 1914 and they trained in Queensland at Enoggera near Brisbane. The brothers were part of the original establishment of the 15th Battalion, three-quarters of which were recruited from Queensland and the rest from Tasmania. The battalion was united in Melbourne for training before embarking for Europe in December 1914, although no sooner had the troopships left Australia than they were diverted to Egypt to defend British interests against the Ottoman Turks. After their arrival in February 1915, the Bambery brothers spent the following weeks training beneath the pyramids at Mena Camp outside Cairo.

On 25 April 1915, the 15th Battalion was part of a combined Australian and New Zealand landing force that came ashore on the Gallipoli peninsula. The intention of the landing was to gain control of the Dardanelles straits and force Turkey out of the war. The battalion did not land until 9 pm that night, several hours after the first wave of ANZACs had come ashore, and by that stage of the landing the fighting was taking place mainly in the precipitous ridges above the beach.

After landing, troops from the 15th Battalion were immediately sent into action; the battalion was split up into companies and sent to reinforce other Australian units engaged with the Turks on a second ridge. It is believed the Bambery brothers were sent to 400 Plateau, where both were killed in the fighting - George on 26 April 1915 and Timothy on the following day. Historical documents do not tell us how the two men were killed, but it was in the region of Lone Pine, where the memorial to the missing now stands. Their remains were never recovered, and their names are recorded on that monument.

The names of Timothy and George Bambery are listed on the Roll of Honour on your left, along with 60,000 others from the First World War. Theirs are two of the many stories of courage and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Private Timothy Bambery and Private George Bambery, and all of those Australians who have given their lives in service of the nation.