Private George Herbert Blowers - 18 June 2026

[00:04:53]Good evening visitors. Welcome to the Australian War Memorial's last post ceremony. My name is Kylie Campbell and joining us today from the Australian Army is Lieutenant Colonel Dan Hiscoco.

[00:05:06]2026 marks 125 years of dedicated service by the Australian Army and its predecessors.

[00:05:14]Today we remember and pay tribute to Private George Herbert Blauers and warmly welcome his family who are in attendance this evening.

[00:05:24]We are honored to acknowledge Deputy Chief of Navy Rear Admiral David Grogan and warmly welcome Defense Family Advocate Miss Charlotte Webb.

[00:05:34]We welcome the veterans who have served, those that are still serving, and the families that love and support them. The live stream of this ceremony is made possible by the Returned and Services Leagues of Australia and the RSL and Services Clubs Association.

[00:05:50]We welcome members who are watching the broadcast of this ceremony across Australia.

[00:05:57]During this evening ceremony, wreaths will be laid at the base of the pool of reflection by family, visitors to the memorial, and students on behalf of Tunabi Christian College from New South Wales.

[00:06:11]If you are able, please stand and join in singing the national anthem.

[00:06:22]Australians.

[00:06:24]Oh, let [singing] us rejoice for we are one [music] and free with [singing] golden soil and wealth for toil. All home [singing] is by sea.

[00:06:43]All [singing] of in nature gifts of beauty rich and rare in history's page. [singing and music] At every stage [singing] Australia in joyful stren [singing] please be seated.

[00:07:21]The Australian War Memorial was the vision of Charles Bean, Australia's First World War official historian.

[00:07:28]Bean landed with the Australian troops on Gallipoli and stayed with them at the front through to the end of the war. The idea of this national memorial and museum came to him at Pierre, France in the depths of the bloody fighting of 1916.

[00:07:44]Bean's idea was that this would be a place where family and friends could mourn loved ones buried in far away places.

[00:07:53]It would also be a place that could help all Australians understand what these men and women had endured and what they had done for us. Bean's vision to which we remain true is best expressed as inscribed in the entrance to the memorial's galleries. Here is their spirit and the heart of the land they loved. And here we guard the record which they themselves made.

[00:08:16]Tonight we will read the story behind just one of those on the role of honor which lists the names of more than 103,000 men and women who have given their lives for us in war and on operations for more than a century. But first we present a lament. Flowers of the forest wreaths and floral tributes will now be laid at the base of the pool of reflection.

[00:08:48]>> [music] >> Heat.

[00:09:04]Heat.

[00:09:12]Heat. Heat.

[00:09:15][music] Heat. Heat.

[00:09:45][music] >> [music] >> Heat. Heat.

[00:10:32]>> [music] >> Heat. Heat.

[00:10:45][music] >> [music] [music] [music] >> Today we remember and pay tribute to Private George Herbert Blowers.

[00:11:57]George Blowers was born on the 18th of June 1907 in Rather Glenn, Victoria.

[00:12:04]He was one of the eight children of John and Katherine Blowers with five sisters and two brothers.

[00:12:12]George attended school in Ruther Glenn and early in life took an interest in the local band.

[00:12:18]His mother died in 1915 when George was only 8 years old.

[00:12:24]Little else is known about his early life, but before the war, he was working as a tally cler at a sawmill at Glenn Wills in Victoria's high country.

[00:12:37]Soon after the outbreak of the Second World War, George joined the Australian Imperial Force at Wangorata on the 24th of October 1939.

[00:12:47]Initially taken on strength at the Royal Melbourne showgrounds on the 10th of November, he was posted to the second 8th Australian Infantry Battalion at Park.

[00:12:59]After completing its basic training, the battalion departed Melbourne for overseas overseas service on the 14th of April 1940.

[00:13:10]They would become part of the Sixth Australian Division. Before leaving Australia though, George had time to return to Ruther Glenn for a sendoff extended by Rather Glenn's First World War veterans.

[00:13:25]Arriving in the Middle East on 18th May 1940, the second 8th trained in Palestine and Egypt in preparation for its first campaign against the Italians in eastern Libya.

[00:13:39]The battalion played only a small role at the Battle of Bardia in early January 1941, but suffered the heaviest casualties of any Australian unit during the Battle of Tbrook later that month after it attacked a strong point, including dug in enemy tanks.

[00:13:59]The 19th Brigade led the divisional advance onwards to Benghazi, which was reached on the 6th of February. The Italian forces surrendered the next day.

[00:14:11]In early 1941, the second 8th deployed to Greece. It fought a fierce battle with German troops at Vive in the country's north on 11 and 12th April, but overstretched and outmaneuvered by a superior force. The second ETH was forced to withdraw.

[00:14:31]The battalion became disorganized, losing a large part of its weapons and equipment, and many of its troops were separated.

[00:14:41]The second ETH played no significant role in the rest of the campaign and was evacuated from Calamada in two ships on the night of the 26th of April.

[00:14:52]About 200 members of the battalion were taken to Egypt while another 400 were landed on the island of Cree after their transport ship, the Costa Rica, was sunk.

[00:15:05]On Cree, the second ETH was stationed at Giorgopoulos in a beach defense role.

[00:15:12]When German paratroops began landing in force on the 20th of May, the second ETH was rushed by vehicle to defend the ground just west of the village of Mournes about 3 km south of Hania.

[00:15:25]3 days later they deployed further west near the village of Perivolia.

[00:15:32]By the 26th the battle was turning in the favor of the Germans. So Alli troops began falling back.

[00:15:40]The second ETH took up a defensive position southeast of Hania, but the next day they were heading to the island's southern coast.

[00:15:52]Retreating over the mountains, they reached Spark on the 30th of May. In the hills and ravines above the village, they quickly formed defensive positions, fighting off enemy patrols hot on their heels.

[00:16:08]The following night they began moving down to the beach. In the hours before daybreak on the 1st of June, the battalion embarked aboard Royal Navy ships for evacuation once again.

[00:16:23]But Private George Blowers was not among them. The second ETH had a long list about 100 men missing presumed dead.

[00:16:34]Blowers was last seen as before a German dive bomber raid that morning, the 1st of June. It is believed he did not survive this raid.

[00:16:46]According to family law, as related in a letter from a battalion comrade, George saved a number of men by carrying them to safety and medical care, though he himself was wounded.

[00:17:00]This may well be why he was mentioned in dispatches in recognition of distinguished services.

[00:17:08]Blau's body was neither recovered or ever identified. He is therefore commemorated on the Athens memorial located within Faileron War Cemetery in Athens, Greece.

[00:17:23]He was 33 years old. His name is also listed on the role of honor on my left among almost 40,000 Australians who died while serving in the Second World War.

[00:17:37]His photograph is displayed beside the Pool of Reflection.

[00:17:42]This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Private George Herbert Blowers who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

[00:18:04]Please stand for the reading of the ode and the sounding of the last post.

[00:18:20]They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

[00:18:29]At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them.

[00:18:34]>> We will remember them.

[00:18:57]>> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> lest we forget.

[00:20:23]Lest we forget.

[00:20:30][snorts] We leave you this evening with the words of the memorial's founder Charles Bean.

[00:21:04]Many a man lying out there at Posier or in the low scrub at Gipoly with his poor tired senses barely working through the fever of his brain has thought in his last moments, "Well, well, it's over."

[00:21:17]But in Australia, they will be proud of this.

[00:21:20]Ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys, that concludes the last post ceremony.

[00:21:25]On behalf of the director, staff, and volunteers, thank you for visiting the Australian War Memorial today. We wish you all a very pleasant evening.