The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (2996) Private Richard Weaver, 38th 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 Stuart Baines, the story for this day was on (2996) Private Richard Weaver, 38th Battalion (Infantry), First World War.

2996 Private Richard Weaver, 38th Battalion
KIA 13 October 1917
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 13 February 2014

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Richard Weaver, who was killed in Belgium during the First World War.

Richard Weaver was born in 1897, the fourth of seven children of Richard and Harriet Weaver of Botany in New South Wales. Known as "Tom" to avoid confusion with his father, he attended public school at nearby Matraville, and worked as a horse driver in the years before the war. He did not wish to go to war, as his father relied on him so heavily for running the family farm, but after unfairly receiving a white feather from a girl to symbolise his cowardice, he changed his mind.

Richard initially enlisted in the AIF at Cootamundra in March 1916, but foot problems necessitated his discharge after just 19 days in camp. He successfully re-enlisted at Victoria Barracks in September 1916, and following a period of training at the Sydney Showground left Australia in November with the 7th Reinforcements for the 59th Battalion, bound for England.

Richard spent the following months training on the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire and left for the front in August 1917. By this stage, Richard had been transferred to the 38th Battalion, and soon after his arrival in France was transferred again to the brigade's light trench mortar battery. Richard had missed out on the brigade's first major action at Messines, but took part in the attack at Broodseinde and in the costly and unsuccessful attack on Passchendaele - the latter of which was executed in haste amid horrendous conditions brought on by torrential rain.

The men in the trench mortar batteries made their way up to the front line, hampered by the shell-fire and muddy conditions. Afterwards, the 10th Light Trench Mortar Battery reported that four men had been killed in the attack, with 25 wounded and 27 missing in action. Among the missing was Private Richard Weaver; a court of inquiry later determined he had been killed in action.

Richard's death took its toll on the Weaver family. Richard's father died several months later, never knowing what happened to his son. His mother refused to accept that her son had been killed; she believed he had been wounded and had perhaps forgotten his identity. In her correspondence with the Red Cross and AIF headquarters she sought permission to search mental health hospitals for returned servicemen in Australia.

Finally, in 1922, Mrs Weaver was forced to accept that her son was dead when an Australian Graves Registration Unit uncovered Richard's remains on the Passchendaele battlefield. He was buried in the nearby Tyne Cot Military Cemetery. Mrs Weaver requested the following inscription be placed on her son's grave:

Somewhere in France they have laid him,
My dear boy so long and so brave;
Far away from the golden wattle,
With no loved ones to weep o'er his grave.

This was later modified to read simply, 'Gone, but not forever'.

Richard Weaver's name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, along with more than 60,000 others from the First World War. There is no photograph in the collection to display beside the Pool of Reflection.

His is one of the many stories of courage and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Private Richard Weaver, and all of those Australians who have given their lives in service of our nation.