Albert Jacka

Soldiers full name: Albert Jacka

Sodiers service number: 465

Date of Birth: 10 January 1893

Place of birth: Geelong, Victoria

Address: Ridge Street, Wedderburn, Victoria.

Religion: Church of England

Appearance: Height 5'6.5" weight 145 lbs

Occupation: Soldier, army officer.

Marital Status: Single

Date of enlistment: 18 September 1914

Place of enlistment: Melbourne, Victoria.

Age of enlistment: 21.

Return: Returned to Australia 6 /9/ 1919

Diary entry

21st May

1915

Diseases, the smell of rotting carcases, the mud and rain and the pests I am tired of it all and it’s only been 3 weeks since I landed in Gallipoli along with my Battalion.  It’s the middle of the day, the sun at its peak, and my Battalion are restricted to our trenches. Any sign of movement and we will be fired at from either sides by the snipers and lookouts; constantly we are being watched.  Some of the other soldiers are catching up on much needed sleep while others write to their love ones back home.

 The sweltering sun is beaming down above us and my shirt is soaked with sweat.  The harsh weather has begun to take its toll on all of us, the heat affecting us during the day and the cold nights making it unbearable to sleep.

 Being woken up the first hours of the morning is often a challenge. This morning we were woken one hour before dawn and sent to the ‘fire step’ with bayonets fixed to our rifles to be on guard for a dawn raid by the enemy. This is the usual ‘stand to’ which occurs every morning and marks the beginning of our daily routine.

After the first light of the day had approached we settled in for some breakfast.  After breakfast all of us soldiers faced an inspection carried out by the commanding officer, which occurs every morning. This was followed by our daily chores, each man receiving a specific chore. Today my chore was attending to the duckboards on the floor of the trench and repairing the ones that were damaged. While I was fixing a break in the duckboards I spotted another brown rat. Rats were unwanted but frequent visitors to the trenches and are drawn here by the strong smell of death and decay.\Rats aren’t the only pests though. I scratched at my shirt, the lice causing my skin to itch.

My stomach grumbled so I nibbled on the stale bread and biscuits I had beside me. This along with canned-corned beef is the basis of our diet and we are in short supply of fruit and vegetables.

At dusk we will have the second ‘stand to’ of the day. Then with the darkness of the night more duties will have to be attended to.  Some of us will be sent to fetch vital food, water, and maintenance supplies whilst others will be sent to the ‘first step’ for sentry duty.

Then tomorrow we will wake an hour before dawn once a gain and begin another typical day at war.

Letter home

Dear mum and Dad,

In your past letter to me you ask how i was doing. Well if it was just a few more then 12 months ago I could have told you that everything was fine and I was enjoying serving my country. Fighting at Gallipoli was very tough yet rewarding and I feel that I have grown as a person becoming more brave and courageous. But now, today I am face with this question and i tell you that I would give anything and everything to be back at home with you.

Have a told you that I was awarded Australia’s first Victoria Cross?  Just over three weeks after arriving in Gallipoli the Turks launched a large-scale frontal assault at us and a small section of Trench at Courtney’s post was captured. All attempts to drive them out failed until I took advantage of a diversion created by bomb throwers and leapt in, killing most of the occupants. I was then left to hold the trench alone for the remainder of the cold gloomy night but was then awarded the next morning.

Every day I fight alongside my fellow soldiers, the 14th battalion, and I have made strong bonds with many of them. But again and again I see them die before my eyes, shot and killed in the front line. All of them were so young and brave, their lives taken away from them. They are people I will truly never forget.

At this very moment, as I am writing this letter I am recovering from a bullet womb from being shot by a sniper. I came about this as I was freeing a group of recently captured Australians and forcing the surrender of around fifty Germans. Please do not worry about me as I am fine and are on my way to recovery and will be returning to the front soon.

I know that you are very proud of me and miss me as much as I miss you all. I promise you that I will hold strong and stay alive, then before you know it I will be back at home. But until this is time, stay safe and know that you are in my thoughts.

Sincerely

Albert

Recruiment poster

Sources

Primary Source

Albert Jacka and Martin Omeara 1916

Secondary Source

Retracing footsteps of Albert Jacka, VCBy Peter Fray
April 25, 2004
The Sun-Herald

  Albert Jacka's stubborn streak fuelled his legendary gallantry, helped him win Australia's first Victoria Cross in World War I and inspired the men under his command, who were known as "Jacka's Mob".

This morning, a later addition to the mob - his great-great-nephew Jason La Macchia, 25, and his parents, Val and Tony - are determined to forget about terrorist threats and join thousands of Australians at Anzac Cove.
Mr La Macchia, an IT consultant from Brisbane, said he had never met "Uncle Albert", but grew up with his legacy and heroics.

"It's just an honour to see the place and to get an appreciation of what they went through," he said. "They didn't have a chance."
But Albert Jacka, from Victoria, who became mayor of St Kilda after the war, showed thousands of Australians it was still possible to fight against improbable odds.

In May, 1915, he single-handedly killed seven Turks who had overrun a trench at Gallipoli, two with his bayonet. He was twice awarded the Military Cross for bravery in France.

Mrs La Macchia, whose father William Jacka Olive was a gunner in World War II, said the family had always been very proud of Uncle Albert