The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (2189) Private Edmond Woodward Johnson, 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 Gerard Pratt, the story for this day was on (2189) Private Edmond Woodward Johnson, 47th Battalion, AIF, First World War.

2189 Private Edmond Woodward Johnson, 47th Battalion, AIF
KIA28 March 1918


Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Edmond Woodward Johnson.

Edmond Johnson was born Edmond Woodward Charles Henry Johnson on 25 April 1896, the son of Frederick and Emma Johnson of Hobart. He was educated at the Zeehan State School, where he was a boy scout and a cadet. He grew up in a large family with at least three siblings dying in infancy. In 1906, when Edmond was ten years old, the family’s six-roomed cottage in Zeehan was destroyed by fire in the early hours of the morning. Edmond’s father was able to ensure that all 12 children made it out safely. At some point after this the family moved to the Northern Territory, living in Two and a Half Miles, now the suburb of Parap, near Darwin. With his father working as an engine-driver, Edmond gained employment in the railway yards as a blacksmith’s striker.

Edmond was the third Johnson brother to enlist in the Australian Imperial Force, doing so just before his 20th birthday in March 1916. At just 5’3” tall, or 160cm, he only just cleared the height requirements for enlistment. He underwent a period of training in Australia before leaving for active service overseas with reinforcements to the 47th Battalion in August 1916.

Private Johnson was first sent to England, where he continued training on the Salisbury Plain for two months. From there he was sent to France, reaching his battalion in the field in early February 1917. Within days his battalion took part in an attack on German positions near the French village of Bullecourt, which failed with heavy casualties. Johnson came through unscathed and remained with his battalion as its operations moved to the north around Ypres in Belgium later in the year.

On 12 October the 47th Battalion took part in the battle of Passchendaele. Launching their attack in the early hours of the morning, the men made good progress despite the ground being saturated and boggy by the recent rain. At 5.45 am, however, battalion headquarters had come under a heavy German bombardment, making nearly all the battalion’s signallers, runners and scouts casualties. Private Johnson volunteered to become a replacement stretcher-bearer, and was later commended for his “gallant work, both in carrying and dressing the wounded”. The commanding officer of the 4th Australian Division, Major General Sinclair Maclagan noted in his congratulatory message that Johnson “worked unceasingly under heavy Machine Gun Fire and showed great determination”.

The 47th Battalion spent most of the winter of 1917 and 1918 rotating in and out of the front line as offensive operations slowed for the winter. On 21 March 1918 the Germans launched a massive attack, known as the German Spring Offensive, which seriously threatened Allied positions.

Three days after the German offensive began, the 47th Battalion, which had been training in Belgium, was rushed to the south. By 27 March the men were marched in to a position near the railway line at Dernancourt. There they came under heavy German shell-fire, followed by an infantry attack. Although the Germans managed to gain a foothold in the Australian position, they were driven out by desperate fighting, with heavy casualties on both sides. One of the Australians killed was Private Edmond Johnson.

During this operation Private Johnson had been a machine-gunner in his company, a key component to the defence of Dernancourt. Johnson’s corporal wrote, “his last fight was against tremendous odds. He was in command of the [machine-gun] team and the confidence he inspired in his men went far to holding the enemy in his sector of the line.” Anderson added to his message to Edmond’s parents,” in every action for the past nine months [Edmond] displayed unusual qualities of cheerfulness under hardship and coolness in extremity … the loss of such a son must be very severely felt by his parents, but pride must mingle with it. The name of the Australian army has been made by men like him.”

The exact manner of Johnson’s death is unknown, and his body was lost in the vicious fighting of the following days. Today his is one of nearly 11,000 names on the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux. He was 22 years old.

Edmond Johnson’s name is also listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, among almost 62,000 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 Edmond Woodward Johnson, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Meleah Hampton
Historian, Military History Section