The Last Post Ceremony occurs at the Memorial each day from 4.55pm and during the occasion, a story is told about one of the 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations. 

Sunday sees Private Tucker’s story told.

Private Tucker was a member of the 45th Australian Infantry Battalion. He was killed by sniper on August 17, 1918, near Harbonniers in northern France. Jack, as he was known, died at the age of 19 years and 11 months.

At the time of his enlistment in February 1917, Jack was the eldest of seven sons of John Aloysius Tucker, the Coolah Police Sergeant for many years in the lead up to the Great War.   

Jack’s mother Minnie (Mary Ann) Tucker was, along with her husband, a stalwart of the Coolah community and had borne many sorrows in her life, having buried two infant sons, Joseph and Francis in 1911 and 1913 respectively. 

John and Minnie Tucker lived in Scully Street for many years and are now buried in the Coolah cemetery. 

Long-standing Coolah residents may recall the Tucker Brothers Garage, run by two of Jack’s younger brothers Sylvester and Harry Tucker. 

Sylvester Tucker’s eldest child was Mary Hannon [nee Tucker[ and her youngest daughter, Cecilia Hannon of Sydney, has made the arrangements with the Australian War Memorial to have her great uncle’s Word War I service recognised.

Speaking recently to the Coolah Diary, Cecilia said that she wanted her great uncle, who is now buried at the Fouquescourt British Cemetery, to be remembered during the World War I  centenary commemorations.

“I see Jack as atypical of the country lads that went off to that European conflict, never to return. So little is known of his life with the exception of two articles in the Mudgee Guardian in September and November 1918 reporting on his death. There’s no one left to ask,” she said.

“The Australian War Memorial’s Last Post Ceremony is like a funeral service on Australian soil for those that didn’t return to small towns like Coolah. It gives the current generation of relatives of those WWI servicemen an opportunity to properly acknowledge and to grieve. I commend the Australian War Memorial for this initiative.

“Jack came from a small town and is now buried on the outskirts of the even smaller town of Fouquestcourt. I’d like to think he’s happy there.”

The Last Post Ceremony can be viewed live via the Australian War Memorial’s website or from a participating RSL club.