{"id":92314,"date":"2022-05-21T18:49:59","date_gmt":"2022-05-21T18:49:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=92314"},"modified":"2023-06-25T12:44:58","modified_gmt":"2023-06-25T12:44:58","slug":"the-last-post-its-origins-and-history-by-michael-roberts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history-by-michael-roberts\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cThe Last Post\u201d \u2014 Its Origins and History-by Michael Roberts"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000000;\">\u201cThe Last Post\u201d \u2014 Its Origins and History-<span style=\"color: #800080;\">by Michael Roberts<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thuppahis.com\/2022\/05\/15\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-49618 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thuppahis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/BUGLER-11.jpg?w=500&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"elanka\" width=\"600\" height=\"341\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Source:<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\" href=\"https:\/\/thuppahis.com\/2022\/05\/15\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Thuppahis<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-88737 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Michael-Roberts-eLanka.jpg\" alt=\"Michael Roberts\" width=\"160\" height=\"184\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i86\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">The Last Post will be played all over the world on Remembrance Day. But as Alwyn W Turner explains, its origins had nothing to do with mourning.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i86\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Arthur Lane was a bugler in the British Army when he was captured by Japanese forces during the fall of Singapore in 1942. He spent the remainder of World War Two in PoW camps and working on the notorious Burma Railway.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i86\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">But he also had a more melancholy duty. He still had his bugle with him and it was his task to sound the Last Post for each of his comrades who died during those years.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thuppahis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/images-5.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-61719 jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thuppahis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/images-5.jpg?resize=299%2C168&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"299\" height=\"168\" data-attachment-id=\"61719\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/thuppahis.com\/2022\/05\/15\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history\/images-5-3\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thuppahis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/images-5.jpg?fit=299%2C168&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"299,168\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"images (5)\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thuppahis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/images-5.jpg?fit=299%2C168&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thuppahis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/images-5.jpg?fit=299%2C168&amp;ssl=1\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" data-lazy-loaded=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i86\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">\u201cI\u2019d have to go and set the fires at the crematorium. The lads would build them during the day, put the bodies on, and then somebody had to be delegated to set fire to the funeral pyres, and see that they were properly burnt, so I had to do that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i86\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">For the rest of his long life, he was haunted by nightmares. And he never played the Last Post again.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i86\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><strong>The sound of a lone bugler playing the Last Post has become one of the most distinctive sounds in the world. Eerie and evocative, it exists beyond all the usual barriers of nation, religion, race and class, charged with the memory of generations of the fallen<\/strong>.\u00a0<strong>But it wasn\u2019t always like this.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i86\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">The Last Post was first published in the 1790s, just one of the two dozen or so bugle calls sounded daily in British Army camps.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-18mjolk-ComponentWrapper e1xue1i810\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-component=\"image-block\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-wpgbih-StyledFigure e34k3c23\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1hn5d7b-StyledFigureCopyright e34k3c20\" style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\" role=\"text\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-1f39n02-VisuallyHidden e1y6uwnp0\">IMAGE SOURCE,<\/span>PA<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i86\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">\u201cAt that time soldiers didn\u2019t have wristwatches, so they had to be regulated in camp,\u201d says Colin Dean, archivist at the Museum of Army Music in Kneller Hall. \u201cThey had to have a trumpet call or a bugle call to tell them when to get up, when to have their meals, when to fetch the post, when to get on parade, when to go to bed and all other things throughout the day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i86\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">The soldier\u2019s day started with the call of Reveille, and came to a close with the First Post. This indicated that the duty officer was commencing his inspection of the sentry-posts on the perimeter of the camp. The inspection would take about 30 minutes, and at the end there would be sounded the Last Post, the name referring simply to the fact that the final sentry-post had been inspected. For decades this was the sole use of the call, a signal that the camp was now secure for the night, closed till morning.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i86\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">It was not until the 1850s that another role began to emerge. It was an era when many military bandsmen, and most bandmasters, were civilians and were under no obligation to accompany their regiments on overseas postings. So when a soldier died in a foreign land, there was often no music available to accompany him on his final journey. And, necessity being the mother of invention, a new custom arose of charging the regimental bugler to sound the Last Post over the grave.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i86\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">The symbolism was simple and highly effective. The Last Post now signalled the end not merely of the day but of this earthly life. And, as the practice developed \u2013 back home now as well as abroad \u2013 it was then followed by few moments of silent prayer and by the sounding of Reveille, the first call of the day, to signify the man\u2019s rebirth into eternal life.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i86\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">A further dimension was added in the first years of the 20th Century. The end of the Boer War saw the rise of war memorials across the country, some 600 of them. This was a break with the past. The traditional British way of commemorating a victory was to erect a statue to the general or the commander. But these monuments listed the names of the dead, both officers and other ranks, the men the Duke of Wellington was said to have called \u201cthe scum of the earth\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i86\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">There was a new mood of democracy abroad and the war memorials reflected this. And every time a memorial was unveiled, it was to the sound of the Last Post being played, now the symbol not only of death but of remembrance.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i86\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">By the time that World War One broke out in 1914, the Last Post was already part of the national culture. During the war, it was played countless times at funerals in northern Europe and other theatres, and it was played at funerals, memorials and services back home. It was already becoming a familiar sound, but with mass enlistment and then conscription, the walls that had long existed between the civilian and the soldier broke down completely, and a piece of music that had once belonged exclusively to military culture was adopted by a wider society.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i86\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">HG Wells said this was \u201ca people\u2019s war\u201d, and the Last Post became the people\u2019s anthem.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i86\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">So it remains. In the decades that followed WW1, it became almost a sacred anthem in an increasingly secular society. Once the music of empire, it has been played at independence ceremonies for former colonies and at the funerals of those who fought colonialism, from Mohandas Gandhi to Nelson Mandela. It has sounded for both friends and foes, a symbol of the democracy of death. During the Troubles in Northern Ireland, it was played not only for British soldiers, but also for paramilitaries.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-18mjolk-ComponentWrapper e1xue1i810\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-component=\"image-block\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-wpgbih-StyledFigure e34k3c23\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1hn5d7b-StyledFigureCopyright e34k3c20\" style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\" role=\"text\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-1f39n02-VisuallyHidden e1y6uwnp0\">IMAGE SOURCE,<\/span>EPA<\/span><\/div><figcaption class=\"ssrcss-name08-StyledFigureCaption e34k3c22\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-1f39n02-VisuallyHidden e1y6uwnp0\" style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Image caption,<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-y7krbn-Stack e1y4nx260\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">A Philippine army bugler plays the last post in Manila<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i86\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Over the years, the piece has changed \u2013 not in the music but in the performance. Notes are held for longer, the pauses extended, the expression more mournful, so that it now lasts around 75 seconds, rather than the 45 seconds it used to take to mark the end of the day. And it has been infused by a mass of memories and memorials, so that what was once jaunty is now simply sorrowful.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thuppahis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/sddefault.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-61723 jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thuppahis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/sddefault.jpg?resize=492%2C369&amp;ssl=1\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 492px) 100vw, 492px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thuppahis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/sddefault.jpg?w=640&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thuppahis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/sddefault.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thuppahis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/sddefault.jpg?resize=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thuppahis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/sddefault.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w\" alt=\"\" width=\"492\" height=\"369\" data-attachment-id=\"61723\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/thuppahis.com\/2022\/05\/15\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history\/sddefault\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thuppahis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/sddefault.jpg?fit=640%2C480&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"640,480\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"sddefault\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thuppahis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/sddefault.jpg?fit=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thuppahis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/sddefault.jpg?fit=500%2C375&amp;ssl=1\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" data-lazy-loaded=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thuppahis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/download-1.png?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-61722 jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thuppahis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/download-1.png?resize=500%2C315&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"315\" data-attachment-id=\"61722\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/thuppahis.com\/2022\/05\/15\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history\/download-1-5\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thuppahis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/download-1.png?fit=282%2C178&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"282,178\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"download (1)\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thuppahis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/download-1.png?fit=282%2C178&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thuppahis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/download-1.png?fit=282%2C178&amp;ssl=1\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" data-lazy-loaded=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i86\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><strong>Arthur Lane,<\/strong>\u00a0sounding the Last Post in Japanese prisoner-of-war camps, became known as \u201cthe musician to the dead\u201d. He kept with him, for the duration of his captivity, a roll of army-issue toilet-paper, on which he dutifully recorded the names and details of each of the men whose funeral he attended.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i86\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><strong>A<\/strong><strong>nd\u00a0at the end of the war, he counted up the names. He had sounded the Last Post for over 3,000 of his fallen comrades.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i86\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><i class=\"ssrcss-xbdn93-ItalicText e5tfeyi2\">Alwyn W Turner presents The Last Post on BBC Radio 4 at 11:04 GMT on Wednesday 11 November or catch up later\u00a0<\/i><a class=\"ssrcss-1gfaiii-InlineLink e1no5rhv0\" style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/programmes\/b06nq1f6\">on iPlayer<\/a><i class=\"ssrcss-xbdn93-ItalicText e5tfeyi2\">.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i86\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><i class=\"ssrcss-xbdn93-ItalicText e5tfeyi2\">Subscribe to the\u00a0<\/i><a class=\"ssrcss-1gfaiii-InlineLink e1no5rhv0\" style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/ssl.bbc.co.uk\/newsletters\/newsmagazine?ptrt=http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/magazine\">BBC News Magazine\u2019s email newsletter<\/a><\/span><i class=\"ssrcss-xbdn93-ItalicText e5tfeyi2\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">\u00a0to get <\/span>articles sent to your inbox.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cThe Last Post\u201d \u2014 Its Origins and History-by Michael Roberts &nbsp; Source:Thuppahis The Last Post will be played all over the world on Remembrance Day. But as Alwyn W Turner explains, its origins had nothing to do with mourning. Arthur Lane was a bugler in the British Army when he was captured by Japanese forces [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":88737,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"aside","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,42710],"tags":[29441],"class_list":{"0":"post-92314","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-aside","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-articles","8":"category-michael-roberts","9":"tag-michael-roberts","10":"post_format-post-format-aside"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.7.1 (Yoast SEO v25.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>\u201cThe Last Post\u201d \u2014 Its Origins and History-by Michael Roberts<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Last Post will be played all over the world on Remembrance Day. But as Alwyn W Turner explains, its origins had nothing\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u201cThe Last Post\u201d \u2014 Its Origins and History-by Michael Roberts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Last Post will be played all over the world on Remembrance Day. But as Alwyn W Turner explains, its origins had nothing\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history-by-michael-roberts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"eLanka\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/eLanka.com.au\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-05-21T18:49:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-06-25T12:44:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Michael-Roberts-eLanka.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"160\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"184\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"eLanka admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"eLanka admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history-by-michael-roberts\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history-by-michael-roberts\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"eLanka admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/person\/f6e635b74ab35ef88a68a9973cacc5bd\"},\"headline\":\"\u201cThe Last Post\u201d \u2014 Its Origins and History-by Michael Roberts\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-05-21T18:49:59+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-06-25T12:44:58+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history-by-michael-roberts\/\"},\"wordCount\":1120,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history-by-michael-roberts\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Michael-Roberts-eLanka.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Michael Roberts\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Articles\",\"Michael Roberts\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history-by-michael-roberts\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history-by-michael-roberts\/\",\"name\":\"\u201cThe Last Post\u201d \u2014 Its Origins and History-by Michael Roberts\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history-by-michael-roberts\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history-by-michael-roberts\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Michael-Roberts-eLanka.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-05-21T18:49:59+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-06-25T12:44:58+00:00\",\"description\":\"The Last Post will be played all over the world on Remembrance Day. But as Alwyn W Turner explains, its origins had nothing\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history-by-michael-roberts\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history-by-michael-roberts\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history-by-michael-roberts\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Michael-Roberts-eLanka.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Michael-Roberts-eLanka.jpg\",\"width\":160,\"height\":184,\"caption\":\"Michael Roberts\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history-by-michael-roberts\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Articles\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/category\/articles\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"\u201cThe Last Post\u201d \u2014 Its Origins and History-by Michael Roberts\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/\",\"name\":\"eLanka\",\"description\":\"eLanka - Sri lanka events in Australia\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#organization\",\"name\":\"eLanka\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/elanka-logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/elanka-logo.jpg\",\"width\":192,\"height\":82,\"caption\":\"eLanka\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/eLanka.com.au\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/elanka\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/SriLankanDownUnder\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/person\/f6e635b74ab35ef88a68a9973cacc5bd\",\"name\":\"eLanka admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2e0d346a7f97b80e861cdeafe7b7de523b59f5060666f1a5da8369457bf9b6c3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2e0d346a7f97b80e861cdeafe7b7de523b59f5060666f1a5da8369457bf9b6c3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"eLanka admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/author\/elanka\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"\u201cThe Last Post\u201d \u2014 Its Origins and History-by Michael Roberts","description":"The Last Post will be played all over the world on Remembrance Day. But as Alwyn W Turner explains, its origins had nothing","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"\u201cThe Last Post\u201d \u2014 Its Origins and History-by Michael Roberts","og_description":"The Last Post will be played all over the world on Remembrance Day. But as Alwyn W Turner explains, its origins had nothing","og_url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history-by-michael-roberts\/","og_site_name":"eLanka","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/eLanka.com.au\/","article_published_time":"2022-05-21T18:49:59+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-06-25T12:44:58+00:00","og_image":[{"width":160,"height":184,"url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Michael-Roberts-eLanka.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"eLanka admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"eLanka admin","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history-by-michael-roberts\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history-by-michael-roberts\/"},"author":{"name":"eLanka admin","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/person\/f6e635b74ab35ef88a68a9973cacc5bd"},"headline":"\u201cThe Last Post\u201d \u2014 Its Origins and History-by Michael Roberts","datePublished":"2022-05-21T18:49:59+00:00","dateModified":"2023-06-25T12:44:58+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history-by-michael-roberts\/"},"wordCount":1120,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history-by-michael-roberts\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Michael-Roberts-eLanka.jpg","keywords":["Michael Roberts"],"articleSection":["Articles","Michael Roberts"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history-by-michael-roberts\/","url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history-by-michael-roberts\/","name":"\u201cThe Last Post\u201d \u2014 Its Origins and History-by Michael Roberts","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history-by-michael-roberts\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history-by-michael-roberts\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Michael-Roberts-eLanka.jpg","datePublished":"2022-05-21T18:49:59+00:00","dateModified":"2023-06-25T12:44:58+00:00","description":"The Last Post will be played all over the world on Remembrance Day. But as Alwyn W Turner explains, its origins had nothing","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history-by-michael-roberts\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history-by-michael-roberts\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history-by-michael-roberts\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Michael-Roberts-eLanka.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Michael-Roberts-eLanka.jpg","width":160,"height":184,"caption":"Michael Roberts"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-last-post-its-origins-and-history-by-michael-roberts\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Articles","item":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/category\/articles\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"\u201cThe Last Post\u201d \u2014 Its Origins and History-by Michael Roberts"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#website","url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/","name":"eLanka","description":"eLanka - Sri lanka events in Australia","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#organization","name":"eLanka","url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/elanka-logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/elanka-logo.jpg","width":192,"height":82,"caption":"eLanka"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/eLanka.com.au\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/elanka\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/SriLankanDownUnder"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/person\/f6e635b74ab35ef88a68a9973cacc5bd","name":"eLanka admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2e0d346a7f97b80e861cdeafe7b7de523b59f5060666f1a5da8369457bf9b6c3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2e0d346a7f97b80e861cdeafe7b7de523b59f5060666f1a5da8369457bf9b6c3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"eLanka admin"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew"],"url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/author\/elanka\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92314","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92314"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92314\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":116810,"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92314\/revisions\/116810"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88737"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92314"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92314"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92314"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}