In the West

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 14, 15 August 1916, Page 5

In the West

JACKA, 1 THE V.C. • -i I Mi ■ f .y .•i mi A doUk VICTORIAN'S CmEAT 1 ACT. ■ i.i jfjfi /Ii r ;• >ri j*>rll _____ , REMARAKBLE SUCCESS OF A ■ ‘ . RUSE. - . . jfress Association—CopyrigHt. -JS Reuter’s Telegrams i'.'. ■ ■ I ‘ r.. (Reoeived Noon.) London, August 14. Corporal Jacka, the Victorian, and holder of the Victoria Cross, has earned further honours. He is in hospital in London with eight separate wounds. His comrades declare that he deserves another Victoria Cross. During fierce fighting at' Pozieres, the Australians tdofe ; the first German, position, And regardless' of the danger from their (6wif ■artillery- they penetrated the second j li^© l 'in face of the hottest fire; 1 / iut-« • | “- The Germans coOnter-attacked, refilling the trenches on either side and isolated Corporal. Jacka. A party of fifty bombers who were without were compelled to surrender. / ■

Corporal Jacka and six others, who were crouched in a dugout, saw the hopelessness of the situation. Then they noticed the Australian supports starting, and Jacka unhesitatingly called out to his six comrades, who advanced upon and surprised the Gormans withi the bayonet.

The bluff succeeded, and the Ger- / mans numbering nearly two hundred showed no resistance. Some escaped and others surrendered. The Australians marched in triumph back with the prisoners, and thencomrades, seeing the success of the ruse, welcomed them with rousing cheers.

When Albert Jacka won the V.C (the first to be awarded to an Australian) he was a Lance-Corporal in the 4th Victorian Infantry Brigade. Jacka won the great distinction for his gallantry in attacking seven Turks single-handed. The young hero, who had just turned 21, was with four privates holding portion »! a trench at Courtney’s Point, on tin Gallipoli Peninsula, on the night oi May 19th-20th, 1915. They wen heavily attacked, and all save Jack: were killed. He then disposed o seven Turks without assistance. Prio: to enlisting he was engaged on fencim work for the Victorian Forestry De partment. He joined as a private and won his stripe in Egypt. Hl parents reside at Wedderburn, \i< toria. „ bombardment of maurepas. FRENCH REPORT SUCCESSFUL TRENCH WORK. Press Association—Copyright, Austra lian and4N.%. Cable Association, deceived 11.15 a.m.) F Paris, August 15. A communique stages that there ha; been a lively bombardment of Maurepas. We enlarged our positions south ♦

west of Estrees, taking many portions of the trenches upon the left of the Fay do Meconrt Road. OFFICIAL REPORTS, , The High Commissioner reports: — London, August 14 (2.20 p.m.) The French official report -says: North of the Somme there was a lively cannonade in the region of Maurepas. S6uth of the Somme we enlarged our positions south-west of Estrees, taking portions of trenches. General Haig reports: During the night west of Pozieres, the enemy gained;a temporary footing in portions of tlie' trenches captured yesterday. South of Ypres we successfully raided trenches without loss to ourselves. Successful mining activity near here. V ;i; HAIG’S PROGRESS REPORT. f ' •» ' ) Press Association—Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received 9.20 an.) London,(August 14.

General Haig reports: The enemy last night gained a temporary footing in portions of the trenches westward of Pozieres which we captured yesterday. . Our miners entered and blew up a considerable length of a German mine gallery northward of the YpresComines canal..