Australia's first recipient of the Victoria Cross

Jacka then leapt safely into the captured trench but Lance-Corporal Howard following him was shot three times as soon as he came into view. Jacka realised the plan was not going to work and stopped the others from following. He then dashed back, dragging his wounded mate to safety.

Jacka then climbed upon the fire step, and was trying to get a view of the enemy when Lieutenant Wallace-Crabbe suggested that he should go round another way while he and the remainder of the party kept the Turks employed in front. Jacka who was a man of few words, remarked, 'Right-o.' and was off like a shot. A second later there were five reports in quick succession, and when Poliness came in at the opposite end of the trench, Jacka was wiping the blood from his bayonet, with seven dead Turks at his feet.

The trench was now clear of Turks and Jacka remained alone there for the next hour, until the sun rose and when Lieutenant Wallace-Crabbe deemed it safe to determine the outcome of the assault. One of the most famous details of the whole incident is that Crabbe found Jacka sitting amidst Turkish and Australian dead with an unlit cigarette in his mouth. "Well, I got the beggars, sir”, he said. He had shot five, and had bayoneted the remaining two. 

His citation for the Victoria Cross reads:

"For most conspicuous bravery on the night of the 19th–20th May, 1915 at "Courtney's Post", Gallipoli Peninsula. Lance-Corporal Jacka, while holding a portion of our trench with four other men, was heavily attacked. When all except himself were killed or wounded, the trench was rushed and occupied by seven Turks. Lance-Corporal Jacka at once most gallantly attacked them single-handed, and killed the whole party, five by rifle fire and two with the bayonet."

[Supplement to the London Gazette No. 29240, published 23 July 1915. p. 7279]

References:

http://www.hellfirecorner.co.uk/jacka.htm

Kyneton Guardian, Thursday 9 September 1915, page 4

Kalgoorlie Miner, Tuesday 27 July 1915, page 8

West Australian, Tuesday 10 August 1915, page 7

Apart from Albert Jacka, the other soldiers involved in the incident were:

Keith was educated at Trinity Grammar School, Kew, Victoria, and held a good position as a Clerk in a large business firm. He had joined the 46th (Brighton Rifles) Regiment Australian T.F., some time prior to the war, and on the outbreak of war was a Captain. He stood 5 feet 10 ½ inches, and was given a commission as 2nd Lieutenant of the 14th Battalion Australian Imperial Force on enlistment and left Australia with the second reinforcements. After spending some time in Egypt, he was sent with his Battalion to the Dardanelles, and took part in the landing at ANZAC Cove on 25 April, 1915. He was almost continuously in action for six months. He was promoted to Lieutenant not long after landing, in May 1915. 

Writing to his father from Gallipoli on 20 May, he gave the following account of the incident that earned Jacka his VC:

"We have just passed through two very strenuous days and nights here. The Turks were heavily reinforced, and made an attack on our position, and we inflicted terrible loss on the attackers. One little incident during the attack may interest you. The Turks, eight in number, got into a small section of our trench, and as I was near we had to clear them out. Lieutenant Boyle was wounded, and Lieutenant Hamilton killed in tackling the same job, before I came on the scene. I got four boys, who made a rush at them, but were repulsed with two wounded. Then I made as if we were going to attack again, and threw some grenades at them, and the Lance-Corporal whom I have written the memorandum about rushed in at the other end and fired ten shots. The copy enclosed is what I have written to get Jacka a medal for conduct. The General was greatly pleased with the way the attack was repulsed right along, and Major Rankine, who was in command of our trench, got great praise. All of us were personally congratulated by General Godley, Brigadier Monash and Col. Courtney.”

This is an extract from my report to headquarters:

“I beg to report that at 5 a.m. on 19 May Lance-Corporal Jacka, No. 4 Company, 14th Battalion Australian Imperial Force, under my instructions, rushed in at one end of the trenches whilst I had a party engaging them at the other end, and shot seven Turks who had forced and obtained a section of our trenches. Lance-Corporal Jacka and a party of four had tried a previous bayonet rush, but were repulsed with two casualties to us.”

Lieutenant Wallace-Crabbe was mainly responsible for the ascendancy which the 4th Brigade established on the enemy in bomb fighting. He was killed while leading a desperate charge at Hill 60 at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli, 22 August, 1915.

Jacka reported on his death:

Lieutenant Henry Noel Boyle

Henry Noel Boyle was born in 1896 in Collingwood, Victoria to parents John Francis Boyle and Cecilia Mary (nee Little). He entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon on 7 March, 1912 when he was 16 years old and graduated early on 2 November, 1914. He was a member of the guard of honour at the naming ceremony of Canberra on 12 March, 1913. 

Henry enlisted on 3 November, 1914, the day after graduating from Duntroon, entering as a Lieutenant in the 14th Infantry Battalion. His description on his enlistment papers indicate he was 5 feet 7 inches tall, had blue eyes and a fair complexion. Prior to his enlistment and training at Duntroon he was living with his family in Abbotsford.

He landed on Gallipoli on 25 April, 1915. On the night Albert Jack won his VC, Henry was in a communication trench opposite Jacka and was hit in the neck and ear when attempting to sight the enemy. After treatment in hospital in Egypt, he rejoined the 14th Battalion on 20 June, 1915 with the rank of Captain even though he was only 19 years of age. 

During the Battle of Sari Bair in early August 1915, the 4th Brigade, which included the 14th Battalion, was part of an attempt to seize the heights above the ANZAC positions at Gallipoli. Boyle was again injured, this time receiving gunshot wound to his left arm during the fighting which caused a fracture just above the elbow. The injury ended Boyle's active part in the war and he returned home in March, 1916 and was officially discharged medically unfit on 31 January, 1917. 

Henry Boyle served again during WWII in both New Guinea and New Britain. 

On his return from WWI he married Margaret Mary Condon in 1920. He died in Kew, Victoria on 21 January, 1983.

His older sister, Mary Genevieve Mavica Boyle, was the Assistant Honorary Secretary of the 14th Battalion Comforts Fund.

References:

National Archives of Australia: Defence and war service records

Trove

http://www.memorial.act.gov.au/search/person/boyle-henry-noel

Private de Araugo was also involved in the Battle of Lone Pine on 7 August, 1915 coming through the conflict unscathed.

On 1 December, 1915 he was promoted to Corporal, then to Lance Sergeant on 27 January, 1916, and then to Sergeant on 14 April, 1916.

He departed from Alexandria on 1 June, 1916 disembarking at Marseilles on 8 June, 1916 heading for the fighting at the Western Front where he was again promoted, to No. 49 Company Sergeant Major on 6 August, 1916.

While fighting at Pozières between 6-13 August, 1916, he was ‘Mentioned in Despatches’ for his ‘distinguished and gallant service, and devotion to duty’ which was officially gazetted on 2 January, 1917. 

He was also involved on the fighting at Bullecourt in April, 1917 and was promoted again to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant on 6 October, 1917 while serving in Belgium. He then was part of the fighting during the German Spring Offensive in March, 1918 and was promoted again to the rank of Lieutenant on 1 April, 1918. 

In mid-April, 1918 he became ill with pneumonia and was transferred to the 45th Casualty Clearing Station and then to England to the 3 London General Hospital in Wandsworth. He was declared medically unfit to return to service and returned home to Australia where he was officially discharged on 1 November, 1918.

On his return from WWI he married Emily Elizabeth McKenna in 1919. He went to work for the Victorian Railways, and died in Heidelberg, Victoria on 23 July, 1953 at 58 years old.

References:

https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/209446

National Archives of Australia: Defence and war service records

He was shot three times by the Turks – in the arm, and twice in the chest – and was fortunate that the bullets were deflected out of his body. He was taken to a dug-out and due to Turkish snipers had to stay there until the following night before he could be taken down to a medical post under cover of darkness. 

His daughters Aileen and Marie Howard of Bendigo described his injuries in October, 2007:

One bullet hit a metal binding on a book in his uniform pocket and deflected enough to blow out. A second bullet hit a rib, deflected and also blew out. We feel that it may have taken a rib as the wound in that area was as long as a biro.

He told us that those two bullets were two inches from his heart and if they had blown in they would not have bothered to look at him. The scar in that area was as long as a biro. A third bullet shattered into his right hand.

When the action was over Dad heard the stretcher bearers say, “grab him or he will go”, and he went out to it. They dressed his wounds. He came to in the hot sun with a Minister putting an ‘Urgent’ tag on his stretcher. He was then put into a dugout for the rest of the day as he could not be taken to the beachhead until dark and this was dawn.

Dad’s friends had walked as they thought he would die, and probably Jacka would have thought the same thing after he saw him. When Jacka came to see how Dad was, he told him that he had been told he was to be put up for an award or something, and that, “Ooh I did my bloody block.” Exact words as Dad told us.

He had numerous pieces of shrapnel removed over his life, and as we told you when you called, as he got older and thinner, he had them appearing on his knee, elbow and even forehead. He said, “They’ve been there so long, they may as well stay”.

He was eventually transferred to Valetta Hospital in Malta and then to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Harefield, England. He was then repatriated back to Australia on 12 December, 1915 on board the HMAT Star of England arriving in Melbourne on 29 January, 1916.

After seven months recuperating in Melbourne, he returned to Europe on HMAT Port Sydney on 7 September, 1916 landing in Plymouth on 23 October, 1916. After landing in England, he was promoted to Lance Corporal on 8 November, 1916 and then proceeded to France on 13 December, 1916. He was then promoted to Corporal on 10 January, 1917.

During the first battle of Bullecourt on 10 April, 1917, William was captured by the Germans and was officially reported missing on 11 April, 1917.

Due to the British and French armies making German prisoners of war work behind Allied lines, within range of German guns, the German Army began a reprisal policy against the mistreatment of German POWs. The strategy tried to force the Allies to change their POW policies.

Over 1500 Australians captured at Noreuil, Bullecourt and Lagnicourt in April 1917 were subjected to reprisals that disregarded the Hague Convention.

Australian prisoners were taken to Lille. They were locked in the casements of Fort MacDonald for 10 days. Then they returned to the German front line, under British shellfire, to:

bury bodies

clear roads

dig trenches

labour at engineering and ammunition dumps

He was eventually interred at Limburg Prisoner of War Camp spending the remainder of his war there. He was repatriated on 26 December, 1918, and granted leave. However, in early February he was diagnosed with appendicitis and influenza. So did not return to Australia until May, 1919. He was officially discharged on 20 August, 1919.

On his return to Australia, he married Mary Veronica O’Brien in 1925 and they went on to have three children – Donald, Aileen and Maree. He set up as a farmer in Rochester, Victoria. He died at 75 years old on 13 December, 1966 in Bendigo. 

References:

National Archives of Australia: Defence and war service records

https://www.hardjacka.com/howard.html

https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/personnel/australian-pows

Francis Edward Poliness

Francis Edward Poliness was born on 18 December, 1893 in Geelong, Victoria to parents Edward Salvatore Poliness and Jane (nee Bourke). He enlisted on 14 September, 1914 as a 20 year old, into the 14th Infantry Battalion with the rank of Private. Prior to his enlistment he was working as a Metal Polisher in Bendigo.

He left Melbourne on HMAT Ulysses on 22 December, 1914 and after spending a number of months training in Egypt, he landed at ANZAC Cove Gallipoli on 25 April, 1915.

On the night Albert Jack won his VC, William was with his two mates from Bendigo, Private Stephen de Araugo and Private William Howard, holding the Turks at bay at the other end of the trench to Albert Jacka.

He was evacuated from Gallipoli on 18 July, 1915 suffering from Enteric Fever, more commonly known as Typhoid Fever, and transferred to Mtarfa Hospital, Malta and two months later to the Military Hospital at Lewisham, England. 

He was finally well enough to rejoin his unit at Gallipoli on 12 December, 1915. After the Australian troops were finally evacuated from Gallipoli to Egypt in late December, 1915, he again fell ill, this time with Spinal Meningitis and was transferred to the 4th Auxiliary Hospital in Cairo. Due to these illnesses, he was deemed medically unfit to continue to serve and was returned to Australian on board the HMAT Runic on 11 April, 1916. He was finally discharged on 18 October, 1916.

He also served in WWII, enlisting on 30 March, 1942 at the age of 48 but did not serve overseas, spending the duration of the war at the General Hospital in Heidelberg. During his service in WWII he was promoted a number of times, to Acting Corporal, Acting Sergeant and Staff Sergeant. He was discharged 12 June, 1945.

On his return to Australia from WWI he married Mary Ethel Pearson on 13 November, 1923. They moved to Caulfield and he began working as a Clerk. They went on to have two children, Brian and Judith. Francis died on 8 December, 1952 at 59 years of age. 

References:

National Archives of Australia: Defence and war service records

https://www.hardjacka.com/howard.html

William Hugh Hamilton

Lieutenant William Hugh Hamilton was born on 24 May, 1894 in Natimuk, Victoria to parents Robert Hamilton and Margaret (nee Burn). He entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon with the second intake of cadets on 7 March, 1912 and was a member of the guard of honour at the Canberra naming ceremony on 12 March, 1913 and graduated from RMC on 2 November, 1914. 

William enlisted on 3 November, 1914, the day after graduating from Duntroon, entering as a Lieutenant in the 14th Infantry Battalion. 

He left Melbourne on HMAT Ulysses on 22 December, 1914 and after spending a number of months training in Egypt, he landed at ANZAC Cove Gallipoli on 25 April, 1915.

During the incident when Albert Jack won his VC, Jacka was at the end of the trench on a firing step firing into the trench wall to keep the Turks at bay until reinforcements were sent. Lieutenant Hamilton heard the shouts of "Turks in the Line" and ran up jumping into the trench firing his revolver at them as they jumped into the bay. He kept firing until one of the Turks shot him through the head and he was instantly killed.

He is buried near ANZAC Cove in Shrapnel Valley Cemetery, Gallipoli, plot 4, row A, grave 17.

References:

National Archives of Australia: Defence and war service records

http://www.memorial.act.gov.au/search/person/hamilton-william-hugh