The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (941) Trooper Rasmus Robinson Hansen, 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance, 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 Gerard Pratt, the story for this day was on (941) Trooper Rasmus Robinson Hansen, 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance, AIF, First World War.

941 Trooper Rasmus Robinson Hansen, 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance, AIF
KIA 7 August 1915
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 24 December 2015

Today we remember and pay tribute to Trooper Rasmus Robinson Hansen.

“Ras” Hansen was the son of Christian and Sarah Jane Hansen. He was born in 1889 in Clifton Hill, Victoria. At some stage in his childhood his family moved to Bendigo, where Ras attended Sandhurst Grammar School. After his schooling he became a draper and worked as a window dresser for John Snow’s Emporium in Bendigo, as well as for other establishments in Ballarat and Sydney. Hansen was a member of the Central B-Grade Cricket Team, and was a capable pianist and violinist. He was also a member of the Bendigo Harriers’ Club. His mother died in 1912 and his father moved to Richmond, while Hansen remained in Bendigo.

Ras Hansen enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in December 1914 and was posted to the 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance. After a period of training in Australia he was sent to Egypt for further training. In July 1915 Trooper Rasmus Hansen was finally sent to the Gallipoli peninsula, where he arrived on 3 August.

Four days later the 3rd Light Horse Brigade attacked Turkish trenches on a narrow bridge of land between Russell’s Top and Baby 700, known as The Nek. Wave after wave of attacking light horsemen were cut down by Turkish fire, and the attack failed with huge casualties.

The men of the 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance were engaged in rescuing wounded men from The Nek and nearby Lone Pine. The stretcher-bearers – including Hansen – had to carry wounded men down a gully under heavy shrapnel-fire. Staff Sergeant John Walker of the Australian Army Medical Corps wrote to Hansen’s father to say, “they kept at it without flinching from dusk the night previously till the Sunday without more than a biscuit and no rest”.

Trooper Ras Hansen was killed on that day. Walker, who had known him in civilian life, told Hansen’s father what had happened. While taking shelter from the shrapnel near a bottleneck in the gully, a shell wounded one of Hansen’s mates. He rushed out from his shelter to help, and was hit by another exploding shell. Badly wounded about the neck and head, Hansen probably died instantly. Walker wrote: “he died gloriously in an endeavour to save his mate’s life – a hero’s death”.

Trooper Ras Hansen was buried in the 7th Field Ambulance Cemetery on the Gallipoli peninsula. He was 26 years old.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, among the more than 60,000 Australians who died during 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 Rasmus Robinson Hansen, and all those Australians who have given their lives in the service of our nation.

Dr Meleah Hampton
Historian, Military History Section