In September 2024 GA Secretary Margaret Carter visited Lone Pine Cemetery to take photographs of the memorial plaque of the Australian Light Horse 10th Regiment with the inscription of the name of Trooper Amos Doust, at the request of his great nephew Luke Clatworthy. Luke has kindly contributed photographs and information on his great uncle for this article.

Amos, affectionately known as Ned, had five brothers and four sisters their parents being Henry James and Elizabeth Doust of Bridgetown, Western Australia. Amos worked as a mail contractor and was a skilled marksman, winning a silver trophy from the Bridgetown Rifle Club in January 1914.  The cup is one of the family’s prized possessions.

Amos was courting Esther, who was originally from Lincolnshire England. They got engaged prior to his enlistment intending to marry on his return from active duty, with Amos giving Esther an engagement ring, his photo in the lid of the ring box, a brooch and a lock of his hair.

He enlisted on 20th October 1914 as a Private with the 10th Light Horse Regiment, A Squadron.  Amos embarked with his Regiment from Freemantle W.A. in February 1915.

They landed on Gallipoli in May 1915 in a dismounted role as infantry leaving their horses behind in Egypt. This was due to the terrain and static nature of the fighting on the Peninsula.

Pte Doust, aged 29, was killed in the action at The Nek on August 7th 1915.  He has no known grave and is memorialised on the 10th Light Horse Panel in the Lone Pine CWGC Cemetery.

There are other memorials in Australia which are very dear to the family.

Amos’s fiancée treasured the items he gave her on their engagement day for the rest of her life. She never talked about him to her family but in her eighties she wrote this short poem about her beloved Ned:

“My Own Contribution To The memory of Dear Ned

The 10th Light Horsemen loved their horses
They left their farms to join the forces
Their uniforms with hats on side
And emu feathers were their pride
To show they were West Australian born
And proud to answer their country’s call
Ready to die for the land they loved”

His name was remembered in lights at the Australian War Memorial in the Canberra.