JACKA. V.C.

Otago Witness, Issue 3212, 6 October 1915, Page 82

JACKA. V.C.

HOW HE WON THE HONOUR. (By Captain O. E. Bean, Official Press Correspondent with the Australian Ex peditionary Force.) (Copyright—New Zealand right secured by the Otago Witness.) GABA TEPE, August 2. Details of the incident in which Lancecorporal Jaeka figured when ho obtained his Victoria Cross are as follows; On May 19, just as the sky was beginning to pale, a party of 10 men and a sergeant of the 14th Battalion, who wore holding a short section of a trench at Courtney s Post, found the Turks outside the parapet throwing bombs down into the trench. The Turks threw about eight bombs. Two Australians fell killed and four wounded. Seven or eight Turks jumped in. An officer went to see the situation. Ho was coming back through the communication trench when ho said, ‘"They have got mo; the Turks arc in the trench.” Lance-corporal Jacka, who was in the communication trench, heard this, and immediately jumped from the communication trench up to the step of the bench behind the last traverse of this section of the fire trench, which uad not yet been reached by the Turks. In doing this he was exposed for a moment to the Turks’ rifles at a distance of about three yards. Once behind the traverse he was sheltered from the fire, provided no more camo over the top of the trench. 1 he Turks were afraid to' come round Tie traverse. Ho held the Turks there for a considerable time alone. Meanwhile word had gone back “ Officer wanted.” Lieutenant Hamilton, running up the communication trench, could see die Turks jumping into the trench, and began firing with his revolver, but the Turks on the parapet saw the flash and shot him through the head. A second officer was sent up, and was just reaching the firo trench when Jacka shouted, “ Look out, sir, Turks are in here.” The officer asked Jacka would ho charge if the officer got men to back him up. Jacka said “ Yes.” The officer's platoon was following him in the communication trench. He called for volunteers. “It's a tough job. Will you back Jacka up?” One of the loading men answered “ It’s sink or swim. Wo will come, sir,” and the leading throe wont forward. Those three men and Jacka wore all Bendigo men. The moment the loading man put his head round the corner ho was

hit in throe places and fell back, blocking the trench. The exit to the trench at this end was now being well held. Jacka jumped back from the fire trench into the communication trench. The officer told Jacka. he would hold this exit and give the Turks the impression that ho was noing to charge. Again Jacka said ho would make his way round through the communication trench to the other end of the fire trenches, at the rear of the Turks. This plan worked excellently. The officer’s party throw two bombs and fired several shots into the walla of the trench opposite them. Jacka made his way round, and a moment after the bombs were thrown he reached the portion of the trench lust behind the Turks. The party in front heard shots and charged, hut when they reached the trench only found two Turks crawling over the parapet and shot them. There was Jacka in the trench with an unlightcd cigarette in his mouth and a flushed face. “ Well, I managed to got the beggars, sir,” ho said. In front of him was the trench literally blocked with Turks. Ho had shot five and had just finished bayonetting the remaining two. One of these was only wounded, and was taken prisoner.