Victoria Cross Heroes – Albert Jacka VC

Albert Jacka VC

The Victoria Cross is eligible for any British or Commonwealth serviceman. Or even, for that matter, anyone serving with or attached to British of Commonwealth forces. And throughout the medal’s illustrious history many of our colonies have punched far above their size in terms of the heroism that their citizens have shown.

Perhaps the most famous Austrialian recipient of the Victoria Cross is Albert Jacka. Born in 1893, in 1914 he joined the Australian Army. After Turkey allied herself with Germany Jacka’s Division was sent to guard the Suez Canal in Egypt. From there, he and his comrades took part in the fateful Galipolli campaign in 1915. In a campaign blighted by incompetent planning, Jacka’s part in it would be one of the few bright spots.

Landing at ANZAC Cove on 26 April 1915, Jacka and his comrades were immediately pitched into battle against Turkish defenders. Despite British predictions that the Turks would collapse, they fought bitterly in defence of their homeland. On 15 May, they launched an offensive against the ANZAC positions. In the resulting conflict, Jacka shot five and bayoneted two Turkish soldiers, forcing the remainder to flee the trench; he then held the trench alone for the remainder of the night. This was a ferocious and tenacious action, far beyond what could have been expected of any man. But somehow Jacka showed that when ordinary people are put in dire straits, some of them are capapble of extraordinary feats.

His Majesty the KING has been graciously pleased to award the Victoria Cross to the undermentioned Officers… Lance-Corporal Albert Jacka, 14th Battalion, Australian Imperial Forces. 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.

As the First Australian to win a VC in the First World War, Jack became a national celebrity. In 1916 he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. In 1916 he went to France, fighting in the battle of the Somme. He went on to win two Military Crosses. Although it has been suggested that Jacka deserved a bar to his VC, for an action at Pozieres in 1916, research has shown that his superior officers never reccomended him for a second Victoria Cross in the first place. As such, accusations of British snobbery are unfounded. By the end of the war Jacka had been wounded several times, and also gassed before he ended the war as a Captain.

Upon the conclusion of the war, Jacka returned to a heroes welcome in Australia and entered business; establishing an electrical goods importing and exporting company. He was later elected to the local council, where he became the mayor of St Kilda, Victoria. Jacka never fully recovered from the multiple wounds he sustained during his war service, and died at the age of 39.

Albert Jacka’s Victoria Cross is on public display at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia.

Duisburg, Germany

Duisburg

More than 8 years ago now, when I was Leader of Portsmouth City Youth Council, I was invited on an official council visit to Portsmouth’s twin city in Germany: Duisburg.

Duisburg is in the Ruhr Industrial area, on the banks of the river Rhine. It is the twelfth largest city in Germany, with a population of 495,668 people – thats over twice as big as Portsmouth. Like other cities in the Ruhr area, Duisburg is well known for being an industrial centre. In particular, Duisburg has been well known for its steel production. Indeed, on the banks of the Rhine, it is ideally placed to ship steel by river. It also has a large Brewery, which produces König Pilsener beer.

It has been the major central trading place of the city since the fifth century. The city itself was located at the “Hellweg”, an important medieval trade route, and at a ford across the River Rhine. Due to the town’s favourable geographic position a palatinate was built and the town was soon granted the royal charter of a free city. The rise of tobacco and textile industries in the 18th century made Duisburg an industrial center. Big industrial companies such as iron and steel producing firms (Thyssen and Krupp) influenced the development of the city within the Prussian Rhine Province. Large housing areas near production sites were being built as workers and their families moved in. In 1938, as part of the Kristalnacht, the Nazis destroyed the Synagogue.

A major logistical center in the Ruhr and location of chemical, steel and iron industries, Duisburg was a primary target of Allied bombers. A total of 299 bombing raids had almost completely destroyed the historic cityscape. 80% of all residential buildings had been destroyed or partly damaged. Almost the whole of the city had to be rebuilt, and most historic landmarks had been lost.

Like most cities in Germany, Dusiburg made a fantastic job of rebuilding after the war. Arguably, German cities had a much clearer canvas as they had been destroyed far more than cities such as Portsmouth, Coventry and London. Although the steel industry is perhaps not quite as strong as it once was, the city still has a thriving port. Its a fascinating city to visit. One of the old steelworks has been turned into a landscaped tourist attraction, fully lit up with colourful lights at night. Its a clean, green city, like most in Germany, and with impressive public transport. Only in England do we paint the tarmac red and call it a cycle lane!