Soldier Profile

The soldier I have chosen is Albert Jacka.
His servive number is 465.
Albert was born on the 10th of January 1893 at Layard in Victoria. Albert was one of seven children.
Jacka's first occupation after completing elementary school was working as a labourer with his father and then later upgrading to working for the Victorian State Forests Department when he was at the age of 18.
Albert enlisted at the age of 21 into the Australian Imperial Force as a private in the 14th Battalion on the 18th of September 1914 in Victoria. After training in Egypt Jacka's battlaion landed in Gallipoli on 26th April 1915.
After returning to Australia from war in September 1919, 2 years later married a young women in  1921 and adopted a daughter.
Albert Jacka did survive the war but many years later his health started to deteriorate. Of the year 1931 in December Jacka was entered into Caulfield Military Hospital and then died a month to follow due to a kindey disease. Albert was buried with full military honours in St Kilda cemetry. Over 6,000 people passed his coffin to remember this brave, strong and famous soldier who fought for his country.

Letters Home

To my dearest mother and father, I am missing you both terribly and wish I was back home with you guys.
I have not written in a while, but fighting has been very heavy lately.
This morning had a great battle at 3:00am, the Turkeys captured a large portion of our trench. Many of our men who were fighting on the front line for us were killed. One of my good mates was shot dead. I am currently leading a section of men and recaptured our trench back from the Turkeys. During attack I bayoneted two Turks, shot five and took three prisoners and during this cleared the whole trench free. Against heavy attack I held the trench alone for almost 20 minutes. I was informed by one of the major officers that I am going to be recommended.
All the men surrounding me are true Aussies, and believe in fighting for their country with passion and they are doing a great job at it from what I am seeing. Al my mates are great soldiers and never back down from what they are told to do. Everyone here has great pride in their home Australia and are not afraid to step up to any challenge or task they are given. They are all brave for coming out here not knowing what is going to happen.
I am over all the deaths, smell, fighting, sadness and especially trench life but I have grown to live and deal with all these things over the past years and I am here to fight for my country but I always remember I am helping my family and friends and it keeps me strong.
I think we have a strong position now against the Turks and are fighting very strongly, but we have to keep it up because the Turkey's are not giving up with all this heavy fighting and attacking.
I will write again as soon as I possibly can.
Loving and missing you, Albert Jacka. 

Diary Entry.

Today on the 15th May 1915 life in the trenches is pretty horrible. Me and my mates did the daily morning "stand to" which is where we are wakened by our officer an hour before dawn and have to climb to the fire step to guard against any dawn attacks or raids by the enemy.

I could feel that winter chill as soon as I woke up for my "stand to" duty after only having a few hours’ sleep because the freezing air would not let us stay warm and sleep. It first started this morning with a light cool drizzle of rain but has now progressed to heavy down pour and everywhere you walk the mud is covering you up to your knees and is making everything that little more harder to do. Everything I own is almost completely ruined from all the water and mud in the trenches. Anything you touch is nearly frozen or has frost just sitting on it from the winter days and nights.

The food is still decent and there is still a sufficient supply of it. I am eating proper meals, but the water is very muddy from all the rain getting to our fresh water so I have been feeling a little bit dehydrated lately.  Many men have been falling critically ill over the past few weeks with diseases and just common colds but we don’t have the facilities or medical supplies to help them and many men have been buried in shallow holes all around the trenches. Everywhere you walk ythere are many bodies just lying there from being killed when the enemy has attacked and it is horrible to look at but nothing much can be done.

The odour of the trenches is disgusting with rats, rotting bodies, all the men’s bad body odour from not showering, cigarette smoke, cooking food and many more smells that tie in with all these. I am use to this horrible smell now but and also cause my body odour combines with it.