4 minute read
Calls to Service
BY TESSA OCCHINO
Bugle calls are an iconic part of Anzac and Remembrance days, signalling to all the sacrifice of thousands of Victorians in war. But where do these come from and what do they really mean? Discover more through Albert Dawe’s bugle, one of the first bugles ever played at the Shrine.
Bugles have a long history in the military, being used as a signalling and communication device in the British Army from around 1764. The Australian military adopted this tradition, as well as many others, from the British. By the beginning of the First World War the introduction of telegraphs, telephones and wireless signalled the end of the practical use of bugles, but they were kept for ceremonial uses and are still used in this capacity.
Today, our most widely known bugle call is the Last Post, played at Anzac Day and Remembrance Day before the minute of silence. The Last Post is just one of many bugle calls that have been used in military tradition to direct men to particular duties and signal events. One guide, Trumpet and Bugle Calls for the Australian Army, published in 1916, lists 128 different bugle calls, all with accompanying lyrics.
The Last Post signifies the end of the day’s activities. It has been adopted at services to acknowledge all those who have died in war. It is also sounded at military funerals, symbolising that the duty of the dead is over, their day has drawn to a final close and they can rest in peace.
During the Dawn Service, Reveille is played to break the minute of silence. Its original purpose was to wake up sleeping soldiers but today, when played on Anzac Day, Reveille symbolises the awakening of the dead in the next world. In Australian military tradition, Reveille is only used at the Dawn Service or for waking the troops on military bases. Rouse, used to call soldiers to their duties, is used at Remembrance Day, memorial services and military funerals.
Albert ‘Bert’ Dawe played his bugle at the Dedication of the Shrine in 1934, 90 years ago. He was one of three Victorian Scottish Regiment buglers who played at the service. Dawe’s bugle differs from the classic Australian bugle as it is nickel plated, rather than the traditional brass. It is not clear if the bugle was brought back from England or purchased in Australia, but it was made by Henry Potter & Company of London, which was known for making fine military instruments.
Dawe enlisted in the 1st Australian Imperial Force on 27 January 1916 at the age of 19, after threatening his parents that he would use a false name if they didn’t give consent. He trained in Egypt and England before heading to France as a reinforcement for the 58th Battalion.
The 58th Battalion was part of the 15th Brigade and saw action at Bullecourt, the third battle of Ypres and Villers-Bretonneux, where Dawe was both wounded and gassed twice. He returned home after 1,153 days of service with shrapnel still in his body and was discharged in 1919. When Japan entered the Second World War, Dawe enlisted again, serving on the staff of the Recruit Reception and General Detail Depot at Royal Park until 1947. In 1967, Dawe was awarded the British Empire Medal for meritorious service for his bugling.
Dawe played this bugle on every Anzac Day and Remembrance Day at the Shrine of Remembrance until his death in 1974.
Tessa Occhino is the former Exhibitions and Collections Officer at the Shrine of Remembrance.
