Ian Underwood Posted 25 June , 2005 Share Posted 25 June , 2005 New item from the Sydney Morning Herald today. Link to the website features a nice pic of the man. SMH news item Peter Casserly, Australia's last survivor of the Western Front in World War I, died yesterday. Aged 107, he was also believed to be Australia's oldest man. And, despite having served on the Somme, his main claim to fame may have been the longevity of his marriage - he and his wife, Monica Casserly, had been married for 80 years and 10 months when she died at 102 last year. "The passing time never changed the loveliness of my wife for me," he recalled recently. "She remained a beautiful blessing throughout our long marriage." Mr Casserly died in a nursing home in Perth. His family believe he could have lived longer if he had not fallen out of his bed nine days ago. Although frail and virtually blind, Mr Casserly could still recall the day in 1917 he sailed for France, aged 19. As he departed he dropped into the Indian Ocean a bottled note to his mother. She eventually got it, after the bottle washed up in Esperance and was posted back to her home in Fremantle. Right to the end he was opposed to the war that claimed nearly 61,000 Australians, 48,000 of them on the Western Front. He knew 28 of the men listed as killed in action on the war monument in North Fremantle alone. Although he marched in an Anzac Day parade aged 22, it took another 84 years before he attended his second. He liked to be thought of as one of the last of the World War I veterans, but he never joined the RSL. Yet a map of the Western Front hung on the wall of his nursing home. Until his last years he preferred to talk about his family, work and the East Fremantle Football Club than his 2½ years of army service. Peter Casserly left school at 13 and worked as a blacksmith's apprentice, then as a fireman on the railways. In France he became a sapper at the infamous battlefields of Ypres, Armentières and Amiens, building and repairing fortifications about two kilometres behind the front line. After leaving the army in 1919 he worked as a labourer, opened a wood yard and then turned his hobby of crayfishing into a career. He had two sons with his wife - Edward, who predeceased him, and Peter jnr. Peter Casserly jnr said yesterday that his father, who he saw more as a friend, had fallen badly on June 16 and, although he picked up for a few days, he went downhill after that. A state funeral would be held in Fremantle next week, he said. "My father was a plain man and would not have wanted all that fuss." Peter Casserly leaves seven grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. His death leaves one sailor from World War I, W. Evan Allan, 105, of Melbourne, along with John Ross, 105, of Bendigo, who enlisted but never left Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 25 June , 2005 Share Posted 25 June , 2005 Peter will be sadly missed. He was the last of the 3000 Fremantle men who went off to the the war and was the last Western Australian WW1 veteran as well as the last Australian who saw service on the Western Front. His funeral will be held at St Patricks Basillica in Fremantle this week. I will be going to pay my last respects to him. I've had his photo as my Avatar for some time. Rest in Peace Peter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzie Posted 25 June , 2005 Share Posted 25 June , 2005 May he rest in peace. Sounds like he had a good innings. Kim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluedog Posted 25 June , 2005 Share Posted 25 June , 2005 Forum Pals Wit the passing of Peter Casserly that leaves only two Australian veterans of the Great War. I am sure Andrew will represent us all at Peter's funeral. Lest We Forget Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frev Posted 25 June , 2005 Share Posted 25 June , 2005 Re-united with Monica - goodbye Peter - and may you both rest in peace together. Frev. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 25 June , 2005 Share Posted 25 June , 2005 Yes, Andrew please take all our condolences with you from over here. Please post a photo if you can. We will remember them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 3RAR Posted 25 June , 2005 Share Posted 25 June , 2005 Vale Peter! Peter deservedly led the past 2 Anzac Day Parades through Perth-he will be hard to replace as he was virtually an icon-the final link in Australia of the day so to speak. Just a bit more information from the local paper on his service-he was a member of the 80 man 2nd Light Railway Unit ferrying ammunition and soldiers to the line and bringing back the casualties. Gary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will O'Brien Posted 25 June , 2005 Share Posted 25 June , 2005 Raising a glass to the memory of Peter tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 27 June , 2005 Share Posted 27 June , 2005 Yes, Andrew please take all our condolences with you from over here. Please post a photo if you can. We will remember them. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> No worries Ian. The funeral is on friday so will try to post some pictures after that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 2 July , 2005 Share Posted 2 July , 2005 I attended Peter's funeral at St Patrick's Basilica in Fremantle. The church was near to capacity with around 600 family, friends & Dignitaries. The coffin was draped with the Australian flag and also had Peters photo and medals on top. It was a nice service with Peter's Parish priest running the mass, and readings given by the Federal Minister for the Environment, Veterans Affairs and also the WA Premier. Eulogies were given by two of Peter's gransdsons, Stephen & Peter as well as the Governer. The ode to the Fallen was read and the Last Post sounded at the end of the service. When the coffin came out of the church and put in the hearse it was given an honour guard by around 100 members of the Army, including the Engineers, which was the branch of Peter's service in WW1. In a coincidence Peter's funeral in Fremantle was on July the 1st. Peter arrived back in Fremantle from the Western Front on July 1st 1919. I've been trying to upload some photos but they must be to large. Will try and reduce and post them later Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frev Posted 2 July , 2005 Share Posted 2 July , 2005 Andrew Thanks for the details on Peter's funeral. Can you tell us where he's buried? Cheers Frev. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 2 July , 2005 Share Posted 2 July , 2005 Sounds like a beautiful service. Hope you can manage the photos! Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 4 July , 2005 Share Posted 4 July , 2005 Andrew Thanks for the details on Peter's funeral. Can you tell us where he's buried? Cheers Frev. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hi Frev The family requested that only family attend the burial so I only went to the church service, but I believe he was buried in Fremantle Cemetery. Cheers Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 4 July , 2005 Share Posted 4 July , 2005 Hi Marina I'll try again. This first one is a bit dark but my camera had a problem with the light in the church. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 4 July , 2005 Share Posted 4 July , 2005 The casket leaving the church. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 4 July , 2005 Share Posted 4 July , 2005 The casket being taken to the hearse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 4 July , 2005 Share Posted 4 July , 2005 Another hearse shot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 4 July , 2005 Share Posted 4 July , 2005 The soldiers lined up outside prior to the casket being taken to the hearse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 4 July , 2005 Share Posted 4 July , 2005 The troops leading the hearse as it left the church Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 4 July , 2005 Share Posted 4 July , 2005 The drummers in front of the hearse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 4 July , 2005 Share Posted 4 July , 2005 And the last photo is of Peter's final journey in the hearse to the Cemetery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frev Posted 4 July , 2005 Share Posted 4 July , 2005 Hi Andrew Thanks for posting the photos and sharing Peter's final journey with us. Don't forget if you ever get to the cemetery - to post the obligatory photo here too!! (pretty please) May he rest peacefully for ever more Never to endure another mindless war. Cheers, Frev PS: fascinating tapestry/painting on the end wall of the church. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzie Posted 4 July , 2005 Share Posted 4 July , 2005 Thankyou, Andrew. One more soldier of the Great War gone to join his mates. Lest We Forget. Kim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 5 July , 2005 Share Posted 5 July , 2005 No Worries Frev & Kim. Glad to know at least the two of you were interested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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