The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (3282A) Private Graeme William Sanquhar Kirkpatrick, 9th 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 Troy Clayton, the story for this day was on (3282A) Private Graeme William Sanquhar Kirkpatrick, 9th Battalion, AIF, First World War.

3282A Private Graeme William Sanquhar Kirkpatrick, 9th Battalion, AIF
DOW 21 April 1916
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 20 October 2016

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Graeme William Sanquhar Kirkpatrick.

Graeme Kirkpatrick was born in Sanquhar, Scotland, in 1872. As a young man, he enlisted in the British Army and served nine years with the 1st Battalion, the Royal Scots. He immigrated to Australia at the age of 26, settling in Melbourne, where he married and had a daughter, Kathleen. His marriage later broke down, and he moved to Toowoomba to work as a bank clerk.

Following the outbreak of the First World War, Kirkpatrick enlisted in Toowoomba at the age of 43 on 4 October 1915. After his initial training, he was allotted to the 7th reinforcements to the 25th Battalion. With his previous military experience, he was promoted to provisional corporal.

Kirkpatrick embarked for Egypt in December aboard the transport ship Itonus. After several months at the 7th Training Battalion in Zeitoun, he was transferred to the 9th Battalion and reverted to the rank of private. On joining the battalion, he had the letter A appended to his service number as there was already someone with that number in the battalion.

In late March the 9th Battalion sailed for France. By 19 April, the battalion was in reserve billets near Rouge-de-Bout, one mile behind the front line in the Armentières or “nursery” sector. Intermittent artillery fire was landing nearby.

Early the next afternoon, tragedy struck when the battalion’s C Company billets were heavily shelled. One shell landed outside a canvas tent, wounding four soldiers. As men went to assist, another shell landed among them, killing several men and wounding others. A further shell hit a brick wall of a nearby billet causing a further 47 casualties. C Company was decimated, suffering 25 men killed and a further 50 wounded.

Graeme Kirkpatrick was wounded. He was taken to the 7th Casualty Clearing Station but his wound proved mortal. He died on 21 April and was laid to rest in the Merville Communal Cemetery that day.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, among more than 60,000 Australians who died while serving in 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 Graeme William Sanquhar Kirkpatrick, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Michael Kelly
Historian, Military History Section