The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (VX17989) Sergeant Robert Nelson Burgess, 2/2 Pioneer Battalion, Second 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 (VX17989) Sergeant Robert Nelson Burgess, 2/2 Pioneer Battalion, Second World War.

VX17989 Sergeant Robert Nelson Burgess, 2/2 Pioneer Battalion
DOW 28 June 1941


Today we remember and pay tribute to Sergeant Robert Nelson Burgess.

Robert Burgess was born on 21 October 1917, the youngest of three boys born to Ernest and Stella Burgess of Werribee, Victoria. Burgess was a keen sportsman, and was active in his local community. He was a foundation member of the Werribee militia detachment, a local military force, and worked as a shop assistant in his family’s grocery business.

Burgess enlisted into the Second Australian Imperial Force on 29 May 1940 at Caulfield in Melbourne. A day later he was posted to D Company of the 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion and, on account of his valuable militia experience, was promoted to sergeant. Burgess and the 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion trained at Puckapunyal, to the north of Melbourne, and in April 1941 sailed from Sydney to join the war in the Middle East. Months after Robert’s enlistment, his older brother Eric also enlisted. Eric Burgess joined the 2/24th Battalion and later served in the defence of Tobruk in North Africa.

In May 1941, Robert Burgess and the 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion disembarked at Port Tewfik on the Suez Canal, and soon encamped at Hill 95 to the north-east of Gaza in Palestine. The battalion continued its training there, got used to the hot and dry desert conditions, and spent leave time exploring the sights of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

In June 1941, the 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion joined “Exporter Force”, a joint force comprising Australian and British units tasked with fighting against Vichy French forces in Syria and modern-day Lebanon. On 6 June, the four companies of the 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion were split to allow them to support different units in the campaign.

Burgess and D Company were placed under command of the 25th Brigade. Pioneer Battalions supported infantry units by providing additional defence, as well as by conducting essential repair work. From 10 June 1941, Burgess and the 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion provided extra security for the 2/25th Battalion at Banias, and set to work repairing bridges and roads sabotaged by Vichy French forces as they retreated from the area. This engineering work was never free from danger: as they were repairing roads, they routinely came under machine-gun attack from enemy aircraft.

On 17 June, Burgess and the 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion participated in the Allied attack on the fort at Merdjayoun. In this unsuccessful attack, A and B Companies of Burgess’s unit were ordered to conduct a frontal attack on formidable walls and machine-gun positions, suffering heavy casualties. Burgess, who was in D Company, did not take part in the main attack, but did help to search the battlefield for wounded soldiers after the fighting.

On 22 June 1941, Burgess took part in the successful occupation of Fort Merdjayoun after it had been evacuated by retreating enemy forces. As Burgess and his comrades entered the abandoned fort, they came under attack from enemy artillery and aircraft fire, but suffered no casualties.

Days later, on 26 June, Burgess and D Company of the 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion moved to the village of Balate to prepare for an attack on enemy positions at the top of a steep and rocky ridge which overlooked a road vital for movement and supply in the difficult terrain. Burgess and his company were ordered to attack the high ground under support of Allied artillery and machine-gun fire. Burgess’s platoon formed the centre of the attack.

At 1 am on 27 June 1941, Burgess marched out from his camp, and with his fellow troops moved into positions designated for the start of the attack. At 4.15 am, after a ten minute artillery barrage, the Australian troops advanced across hundreds of metres of flat ground before beginning to make their perilous climb. As they climbed towards their objective, they came under heavy enemy machine-gun, mortar, and artillery fire. During this attack, Burgess received severe wounds, but due to the chaotic nature of the fighting could not be evacuated from the battlefield. Mortally wounded, he lay where he fell while the battle raged around him.

As the sun began to rise, the Australians realised that the objective could not be taken and withdrew from the attack. Burgess was finally evacuated and taken to a hospital, but died of his wounds the following day. He was 23 years old.
He is buried at the Khayat Beach War Cemetery in Israel, where over 750 Commonwealth soldiers of the Second World War now lie. His grieving family left the inscription on his grave: “He fought the good fight”.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my left, among almost 40,000 Australians who died while serving in the Second World War.

This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Sergeant Robert Nelson Burgess, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

David Sutton
Historian, Military History Section