John Alexander French

Infobox Military Person
name= John Alexander French


caption= John A. French
born= 15 July 1914
died= 4 September 1942
placeofbirth= Crow’s Nest, Queensland
placeofdeath= Milne Bay, New Guinea
nickname= Jack
allegiance= flagicon|Australia Australia
branch= Second Australian Imperial Force
serviceyears= 1939 - 1942
rank= Corporal
unit= 2/9 Australian Infantry Battalion
battles= World War II
*North African Campaign
*Siege of Tobruk
*New Guinea Campaign
awards= Victoria Cross

John Alexander "Jack" French VC (15 July 1914 - 4 September 1942) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Early life

French was born on 15 July, 1914 in Crow’s Nest, north of Toowoomba in Queensland, Australia. His father, Albert French, was a barber originally from Tenterfield and his mother, Lucy, settled in Crow’s Nest with her family after moving from Charleville.

He attended the Crow’s Nest State Primary School from 1920 to 1928. In May of 1928, he sat for and successfully passed a demanding State scholarship examination. As a boy, Jack excelled at sports, and in rugby league he was known as “The Flying Winger”.

He was renowned for his sense of fair play and protected those who were weaker. One childhood friend, Alf Blinco, remembers a time when he was accused of stealing and unjustly punished, John found the real culprits and brought them to justice thus exonerating his friend.

French enrolled as a State scholarship holder at the Toowoomba State High School and Technical College for his secondary schooling. He was popular and well regarded by his peers and the teachers. After completing his studies in 1929, he returned to Crow’s Nest and commenced an apprenticeship with his father.

World War II

When World War II became a certainty, he was the first in Crow’s Nest to enlist. He was posted to the 2/9th Battalion and left home on 23 October, 1939. This was the first battalion raised in Queensland in World War II.

On 5 May 1940, after a period of intense training, the battalion embarked on the "Mauritania" which carried them to the United Kingdom for further training. While in the UK, he was chosen as one of the bodyguards for King George VI, and also to the then Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill. On January 1 1941 the battalion sailed to Alexandria and successfully captured the Italian fort of Giarabub. The battalion went on to battle at Tobruk before engaging in further training in Syria.

The battalion was eventually granted seven days' leave, and French returned to Australia and Crow's Nest. This leave was the final time his family saw him alive. This was followed by a new round of re-training using new methods. The men realised that a new enemy was to be faced to protect their families and their way of life, they must engage the Japanese.

Victoria Cross Action

The citation from his VC reads as follows: "At Milne Bay New Guinea, on the afternoon of 4 September 1942, a company of Australian Infantry battalion attacked a Japanese position where it encountered terrific rifle and machine-gun fire. The advance of the section, of which Corporal French was in command, was held up by fire from three enemy machine-gun posts, whereupon Corporal French, ordering his section to take cover, advance and silenced one of the posts with grenades. He returned to his section for more grenades and again advanced and silenced the second post. Armed with a Thompson sub-machine gun, he then attacked the third post, firing from the hip as he went forward."

"He was seen to be badly wounded by fire from this post, but he continued to advance. Enemy guns then ceased fire and his section pushed on to find that all the members of the three enemy gun crews had been killed, and that Corporal French had died in front of the third gun pit."

"By his cool courage and disregard of his own personal safety, this non-commissioned officer saved members of his section from heavy casualties and was responsible for the successful conclusion of the attack."

His was the first VC awarded on Australian territory (due to Papua New Guinea being under Australian Government jurisdiction) and the only one on the Darling Downs.

References

* Toowoomba State High School. Corporal J.A. French, V.C. Research Committee – “Corporal John Alexander French, V.C.” 1983.
* French, M & Waterson, D – “Darling Downs : a pictorial history 1850-1950” p. 219. 1982.
* Crow's Nest and District Tourist and Progress Assn. - "From Tall Timbers" 1988 p. 364
* Citation wording copied verbatim from Cpl. French's VC citation.

External links

* [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/theartofwar/valgal/valour/INF3_0461.htm Corporal J.A. French] in "The Art of War" exhibition at the UK National Archives
* [http://www.iol.net.au/~conway/vicross/french.html Corporal J French] "(photo, brief details)"
* [http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/script/veteran.asp?ServiceID=A&VeteranID=950 World War II Nominal Roll]
* [http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2193217 Commonwealth War Graves Commission]
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