The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (2618) Private Andrew Bayne 47th 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 Joanne Smedley, the story for this day was on (2618) Private Andrew Bayne 47th Battalion, AIF, First World War.

2618, Private Andrew Bayne 47th Battalion, AIF
DOW 19 August 1917
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 25 September 2015

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Andrew Bayne.

Andrew Bayne was born on 27 June 1885 in St Andrews, Scotland, to Henry and Margaret Bayne. Little is known of his early life, but he later married Catherine Finlayson McLennan Collins. The couple immigrated to Australia and settled in Brisbane

Following the outbreak of the First World War Bayne, as a father of four and a labourer at Zillmere bacon factory, did not rush to enlist. It was while walking down a Brisbane street in 1916 that he was handed a white feather. Incensed, he enlisted for service on 10 June. He was allotted to the 6th reinforcements to the 47th Battalion, and after a period of training embarked for England that October aboard the transport ship Marathon. In a letter to his wife prior to his departure, he wrote: “What a damned fool I was to have ever enlisted.”

After disembarking at Plymouth in early January Bayne spent several months in the 12th Training Battalion at Codford. Here, he went absent for four days without leave, and on return was fined 17 days’ pay and sentenced to 14 days’ field punishment.

Bayne was sent to France in late March 1917, and after two days at Étaples he was sent forward to the 47th Battalion, where he joined C Company. Four days later Bayne took part in the disastrous first battle of Bullecourt. Though the Australians had broken into the German front line, a lack of artillery and tank support allowed German counter-attacks to drive the Australians back to their starting line with heavy casualties.

The 47th Battalion, having suffered heavy casualties, was brought back up to strength in time for the battle of Messines, where in the early hours of 7 June 19 mines were detonated under the German front-line trenches.

On 19 August the battalion was in support trenches known as Wytschaete Alley. The Germans were shelling the Australian positions throughout the day, and one shell exploded in the trench bay occupied by Bayne. He received shrapnel wounds to his left arm, both legs, and his face, but the worst wound was to his stomach.

Bayne called for the stretcher-bearers; he was heard to say “they have got me” before he was carried to the rear. At the 4th Australian Field Ambulance he lost consciousness and later died from his wounds. He was buried in the nearby Westhof Farm Cemetery. He was 32 years old.

According to a comrade, Bayne had been “full of fun, very popular with all his mates”.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, along with around 60,000 others from 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 Andrew Bayne, and all Australians who have given their lives in the service of our nation.

Michael Kelly
Historian, Military History Section