The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (2384) Private Francis Saxon, 22nd 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 Craig Berelle, the story for this day was on (2384) Private Francis Saxon, 22nd Battalion, AIF, First World War.

2384 Private Francis Saxon, 22nd Battalion, AIF
DOW 27 July 1916
Photograph: DA10785

Story delivered 9 September 2016

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Francis Saxon, who was killed while fighting in France during the First World War.

Francis Charles Saxon was born in 1881, one of nine children of Joseph and Caroline Saxon of the Melbourne suburb of Coburg. Known as Frank to his family and friends, he grew up in the suburbs of Melbourne and worked as a labourer in the years before the war. At one point he worked as a miner at Barwon Heads near Geelong, mostly likely in one of the gold mines that prospered in the area at the time.

Saxon enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in July 1915, and after a period of training at Broadmeadows Camp he sailed for Egypt with a reinforcement group for the 22nd Battalion. British forces had begun evacuating from the Gallipoli peninsula, so the following months were spent training and reorganising in preparation for the AIF’s departure for the Western Front. Saxon, however, was hospitalised soon after arriving, and did not join his battalion until the week before it sailed for France.

The 22nd Battalion entered the line for the first time in France in the relatively quiet sector near the town of Armentières. Here the Australians carried out a program of active patrolling and aggressive trench raiding before going into battle. It is likely that Saxon took part in a large-scale trench raid on the night of 29 June 1916, during which men of the 22nd Battalion succeeded in breaking into the German trenches and taking prisoners. Less than a week later the 22nd Battalion was sent south to Pozières, where it made its first major attack against the Germans in the fighting on the Western Front.

Pozières was in Australian hands by the time Saxon entered the line, although the German still held defences to the east. German artillery bombardments had already levelled what remained of the village, causing heavy casualties among the Australians. In order to gain control of Pozières Ridge, men of the 2nd Division assaulted the formidable OG lines just outside the village on the night of 27 July 1916. Not only did the supporting artillery fail to destroy the German barbed-wire entanglements but German machine-gun crews were also alerted to the attack and opened fire as the Australians started to cross no man’s land. It was a costly and unsuccessful action that resulted in heavy casualties, with the 22nd Battalion suffering more than 20 killed and 150 wounded.

Among them was Francis Saxon, who received gunshot wounds to his chest and stomach. He was carried to the 6th Field Ambulance dressing station, but died later that day. Aged 33 at the time, he was buried in the nearby cemetery. His death left a lasting impact on the Saxon family, and his father died not long after.

Francis Saxon’s name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, among more than 60,000 others from the First World War. His photograph is displayed today beside the Pool of Reflection.

This is just one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Private Francis Saxon, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Aaron Pegram
Historian, Military History Section