The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (VX16298) Lieutenant Terence James Feely, 2/4th Field Regiment, 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 Nathan Boyd, the story for this day was on (VX16298) Lieutenant Terence James Feely, 2/4th Field Regiment, Second World War.

VX16298 Lieutenant Terence James Feely, 2/4th Field Regiment
KIA 13 December 1943

Today we remember and pay tribute to Lieutenant Terence James Feely.

Terence Feely was born on 6 December 1918 in Briagolong, Victoria, the son of Terence and Janet Feely.

Known as “Terry”, he grew up on the family property at Briagolong, attended Briagolong State School, Maffra Higher Elementary School (where he was school dux), and went on to Xavier College in Melbourne, where he was involved with stock and station training.

Feely was also involved in the Citizens Forces, and was a serving member of the 13th/19th Light Horse Regiment, known as the Gippsland Light Horse.

On 23 May 1940, Terence Feely enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force. He was posted to the newly-raised 2/4th Field Regiment, and was soon promoted to acting bombardier. With leadership potential being spotted at an early stage, by July he had promoted to acting lance sergeant.

After a bought of tonsillitis in early September, on 20 October 1940 Feely and his unit embarked from Melbourne, bound for overseas service. Arriving in Egypt in November, the 2/4th travelled by train to Palestine where the unit trained. In March Feely attended the Middle East School of Artillery and was promoted to sergeant

After moving to a new position in Egypt in mid-April, the regiment was equipped with 25-pounders, 18-pounders, and 4.5 inch howitzers.

After Tobruk was placed under siege by Axis forces in April 1941, the regiment moved to the fortress at Mersa Matruh, Egypt. As part of the invasion of Syria and Lebanon, the regiment supported the Australian 21st Brigade’s advance along the coast. During the fighting against the Vichy French, the regiment undertook anti-tank, direct-fire tasks, counter battery fire. At the end of the campaign, the 2/4th remained in Syria undertaking garrison duty.

With the advent of war in the Pacific, the 2/4th was withdrawn from Syria in December 1941. Feely left towards the end of January 1942, travelling via Bombay before arriving in Australia before a period of leave in April and May.

Over the next two months, Feely attended a junior leadership course at Warwick Farm in Sydney. Having completed the course, in late October he joined his unit in New Guinea, where he was promoted to lieutenant on 26 November 1942.

Feely did not see action again until September 1943, when he and his comrades was transported by air to support the Australian advance on Lae, followed by the 7th Division’s involvement in the Finisterre Range campaign, where it would play significant role in the capture of Shaggy Ridge.

Late in October and November, the 7th Division’s task was to clear out Japanese soldiers from the Ramu and Markham Valleys. The soldiers of the Papuan Battalion were weary and footsore, and there was a high rate of sickness among the Australians. While supplies were built up and attempts made to improve the health of the men, malaria was still the cause of the greatest number of casualties, and there were new cases and recurrences daily.

During November, the artillery pounded the Japanese positions. Observers from the 2/4th Field Regiment were forward in the main area, but forward observation officers could not direct the fire with much accuracy on many targets because of the rugged nature of the country.

While the Australian gunners could not entirely silence the Japanese guns, they did manage to stop them from firing for long periods. This hide-and-seek artillery duel continued throughout November.

In early December patrols began probing Shaggy Ridge, and by 12 December Feely and his men were with two companies of the 2/25th Battalion forward from the main battalion. Patrolling by day and setting ambush positions by night had given them little rest.

An hour after midnight, the men of one of the company heard sounds of movement. In the moonlight, sentries could see a large Japanese force. While the initial attack came from the north, men to the south soon opened fire on about 30 Japanese moving down the track across their front. Machine-gun fire repelled the attackers from the north, and enemy fire died down, but the Japanese force of about 400 was by no means spent.

Finding the northern approach difficult, the enemy began crawling forward. The Australians held their fire until the enemy got up and charged. Machine-gun fire again broke up the attack, but the Australians were outnumbered and almost encircled.

The line to battalion headquarters was cut, but the artillery line was still intact. Feely brought defensive fire on the immediate front, but while giving his fire order, he was mortally wounded.

Artillery fire was brought down on enemy positions, but the artillery telephone line was cut at 2.45 am and the guns stopped shelling for fear of hitting their own men.

At 3 am a troop of guns beyond the Yogia River decided to take the risk and brought down fire on the last recorded target, switching to defensive fire tasks which had been effective earlier in the battle.

Japanese attacks and almost constant fire continued, but were thrown back with heavy casualties. While gradually withdrawing, the Australians unknowingly came very close to Japanese positions. Lieutenant Searles trod on a Japanese soldier when moving round his area; when the Japanese complained he was shot. Half an hour later a Japanese soldier shouted out insults about “white dingoes over there. Honourable Japanese gentlemen over here.” A burst of Bren gun fire and a shriek followed this call, and a Japanese officer was later found dead in that position.

While the remainder of the Australians managed to withdraw, it was too late for Lieutenant Terence Feely, who had died of his wounds.

He was 25 years old.

Initially buried near where he fell, his remains were reinterred after the war. They now lie in Lae War Cemetery, alongside 2,817 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War.

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 Lieutenant Terence James Feely, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Duncan Beard
Editor, Military History Section