John Charles PAUL
One of Australia’s bravest and best.
John Charles Paul, known as Jack, was born at Queenscliff on the 11th April, 1893 to John Keating Paul and Norah Paul (nee Ryan). He was their second son born there; his brother Henry arriving the year before. Their father was a career soldier stationed at Fort Queenscliff with the Garrison Artillery and in 1910 was posted as Master Gunner to Fort Largs in Adelaide.
Both Henry and Jack were boarders at Geelong College where they were active in the Senior Cadets with Jack winning a Victorian Rifles Association medallion for shooting in 1906. On leaving school in 1910 he obtained employment as a wool traveller and buyer with Dalgety and Co.’s Geelong office and took up residence at the Golden Age Hotel, a short walk from Dalgety's office. He also joined and took an active part in the Citizens Military Forces. That same year he joined Barwon Rowing Club, a time when the membership doubled to 61. One of his first competitive races was at the 1912 Henley on the Yarra Regatta where he rowed four seat at 6 ft. and 11st 8 lbs. The crew won by a length in their heat but lost the final by half a length in a splendid race, leading the rowing correspondent for The Argus to comment that “of the country clubs the best on form was probably the Barwon Maiden Eight.”
Early in 1914 he stroked the winning crew of the Maiden Eight at Ballarat.
News of the outbreak of the Great War reached Geelong on 6 August 1914 but even before war was declared military preparations had begun. Lieut-Colonel William Bolton, C.O. of the 70th Infantry on 2 August was summoned to Victoria Barracks, Melbourne. There he received orders to mobilise the 70th Infantry and proceed to Queenscliff to defend the forts covering the entrance to Port Phillip Bay. On 7 August the 70th Infantry from Ballarat boarded a train and travelled to Queenscliff, stopping at Geelong to pick up the Geelong members. A few days later Bolton was appointed C.O. of the newly formed 8th Battalion and as such had the right to choose his officers, picking Jack Paul and another Barwon member, Leopold Hagger, as the regimental bugler.
By the 24th of the month Jack, now aged 21 years and four months, was appointed Second-Lieutenant in 'B' Company of the 8th Battalion. He was presented with a thermos flask, compass and dressing case by the members of 'G' Coy, 70th Infantry and then left Geelong to spend a few weeks with his parents and sister, Ethel, at Fort Largs. He left Adelaide on Monday 7 September to start his duties at Broadmeadows Military Camp. On 11 October Jack was in command of the advance party at Port Melbourne which prepared the troopship Benalla. He left Victoria as part of the first convoy of ships on 19 October, arriving in Egypt on 8 December. The voyage was not without its trials for a young lieutenant - at the crossing of the line ceremony the troops pursued their officers forcing them to take refuge in the hospital where their C.O. found them drenched to the skin on the open verandah. The soldiers had formed a human chain and were passing up fire buckets to throw on the officers. During the voyage the battalion was informed that instead of arriving in England, they were being diverted to Egypt for further training. Apparently most of the officers were none too pleased.
Broadmeadows Camp 1914. Front row - Left Lieut J.C. Paul, Right Bugler. L.A Hagger. Picture Source - Australian War Memorial.
Jack settled into training at Mena Camp and on 1 February 1915 was promoted to Lieutenant and given command of a platoon. He was very shortly to see some action as a letter to his father, published in the Adelaide Advertiser, describes.
There is more than a touch of human interest in a letter from Lieut. J. C. Paul … It was written in Egypt on February 13th last and is from the pen of a man who has the power, in simple, unvarnished language, to draw a picture of the battle front as seen by a soldier. It tells of the introduction of the Australians to active warfare in the trenches, and is one of the most interesting epistles yet received in Adelaide. Lieutenant Paul says:-
We actually got to the front. We were sent post haste, about 10 days ago, to the Canal. The Turks were advancing rapidly. We arrived at Ismailia at midnight and marched to our bivouac in the rain. The guns were booming along the battle front and rifles were cracking in the distance. Shrapnel was bursting about a quarter of a mile from where we lay in reserve all night. At 3 am in the morning things became quiet and a general retreat of the Turks set in. We were shoved aboard a train at dawn, and my company was sent down the line to a place called El Ferdan to reinforce the New Zealanders, 5th Ghurka Rifles, 33rd Punjabis, Gwalor Rifles, and East Lancashire Artillery. We went straight to the trenches or sandbag redoubts, but the Turks were retiring across the low desert hills in disorder about 6000 yards away. So our infantry had to just look on. The artillery and gunboats in the Canal were shelling the hills and making a mess of things for the Turks. We had plenty of fun enough to keep one alert with snipers who were busy until the Ghurkas went out and cleared them away. It was our first taste of war, and our battalion was the first Australian infantry to be at the front. As the Turks had retired 60 miles in a week we were sent back to our base yesterday. It was all right while it lasted. The only regrettable thing was that the New Zealanders bore the brunt of it, instead of us. They had two killed and 14 wounded. There were about 30 casualties among the Indian troops. The Turks lost more than 1,000 killed and nearly as many wounded, besides about 1,200 prisoners. They came into our posts in groups with the white flag out and gave themselves up. They said they were sick of it. They told us they only got one water bottle full for a week and rushed the water when we gave them a drink….they seemed glad to surrender.
We swept out in fan shape, with the Indian troops, to clear the desert to the hills and bury their dead. I take off my hat to the shooting of the naval guns. They had blown the trenches to bits. The dead were everywhere, and the sand of the desert was red with blood. The wounded were pitifully torn in all directions by shrapnel, and howled and moaned as we lifted them onto stretchers. I saw some of the most horrible sights one could wish to see. In one trench a doctor had been busy and his instruments and case were lying there, when he was cleared out by John Bull’s seamen gunners. I collected some of the bullets as a memento.
I believe the names of the 7th and 8th have gone in for battle bars. It is simply rotten being back at the base after doing actual war work, but I think before this reaches you we will be in France and well into it. I have seen Cairo pretty well … I have seen nearly all the types of Indian soldiers. The Ghurkas are the great pals of the Australians. They palled up as soon as they met, and the Australians taught them how to swear and play poker and nap. They are the jolliest, funniest little soldiers I ever saw, always playing and tumbling about. They just suited our boys. They get drunk when they can and smoke cigarettes. Now we are longing to get to France. I’ll take your tip after this and quit soldiering, and settle down to civil work after this remarkable scamper around the world. I think the Great War will end as suddenly as it began. Now I will ring off for today.
After publication of his letter all hell broke loose in Adelaide. A former Presbyterian chaplain to British troops in India immediately responded - great injustice to Australian soldiers … I protest … very poor opinion of Australian soldiers …bring down the credit and character of their regiments … I never heard, or saw, of a Ghurka soldier being drunk. It was quickly followed by a letter in defence of Jack; in fairness it was written by one of his relatives who had served with his father in India, and it contained such sentiments as: wowsers …narrative cannot be doubted for one moment … big hearted Australians, etc., etc.
We are shown another side of Jack from the diary of an English Private in the 8th Battalion: Jack comes across as a bit of a lad, exploring all that Egypt has to offer, friendly with all ranks, liking a drink, a feed and a yarn.
February 16th - …went with Lieut Paul and five other fellows patrolling the streets in pairs. Assembled at 11.30 and then Mr Paul shouted, yarned till 12.30 and got back to barracks about 10 o’clock.
February 21st - … went around with Lieut Paul and had my eyes opened more than ever. Mr. Paul is a real sport. Things were quiet and we parted from Mr Paul’s friends, Joe and his friend, another Egyptian. Another fellow, an Englishman, was with us and he and Mr Paul and myself went to the National Hotel, where they were staying and had a drink and something to eat. I left them after a yarn with Mr Paul, he has promised to take me around again tomorrow night by which time I will have seen enough of Cairo.
February 22nd - … went away with Lt Paul and Pte Hayes about 9.45 and picked up Lieuts Barrett and Hardy at Sheppards Hotel, also two Englishmen, staying at the National. Went all through the Wassa and saw all there was to see, it entirely sickened me. Left them at midnight and Hayes and I made for home.
Jack embarked on 8 April from Alexandria for the three day trip to Mudros on the Greek island of Lemnos. During their three week stay several practice landings were made on the beach and they were allowed ashore on leave only once or twice. On about the 23rd Jack's battalion was told that the attack would take place on Sunday 25th. Iron rations were issued and all the men's kits checked. Another lieutenant in the 8th, John Charles Barrrie, later wrote in his memoirs: Saturday the 24th was a wet day, everything was ready, and the troops were allowed to rest. In the afternoon, sixteen of us foregathered in one cabin … and in a spirit of fun Lieut. Jack Paul forecasted our fate. He was a big, fine-looking chap, the son of a soldier, and one of the best himself, liked by all of us. Taking each in turn, he told us what would happen to us on the morrow, and that he himself would be killed. He was killed that first day, and, strangely enough, his entire forecast almost came true.
Lieut. J.C. Paul took part in the landing at Gallipoli on 25 April as part of the second wave. Contrary to the original plan his battalion was rushed to Bolton's Ridge. One officer was killed and another wounded as they were starting off but Jack's company advanced, driving off some Turks. When Turkish reinforcements arrived in overwhelming numbers and ammunition was running low his company withdrew and it was during this retirement that Jack was wounded. A fellow Barwon Rowing Club member, Private Norman Hurst, later wrote to the Geelong office of Dalgety and Co. with further news: All we know of him ... is that he was wounded during the retreat of April 25. He and his party chased the Turks inland, but ammunition was running short. Then they had to come back to our present position. When he was hit, five fellows went out under heavy machine gun and shrapnel fire to bring him in. He ordered them to leave him and save themselves. When, however, they went to get hold of him he drew his revolver on them, and they had to leave him. On the day of armistice they hunted everywhere for his body, but could not find it. Some hope that he is a prisoner.
Jack's body was discovered by members of the 9th Battalion on 28th June; his identity disc removed and his body buried on the spot. He had been listed as missing and it was more than three months before he was confirmed as killed in action and his family notified of his death. Six weeks later his father resigned his commission with the Citizen Forces and enlisted in the A.I.F at the age of 50 years and 11 months, and was quickly appointed Lieutenant in the 32nd Battalion. The Geelong Advertiser reported that he had enlisted to revenge the death of his son, who had meet his death like a hero: I hope to go to the front soon to avenge my dear boy's death. It is a great privilege to me to know that I will have the opportunity of educating a lot of fine young fellows how to assist me in the work of how best to slaughter the copper-coloured scum of Europe. I only hope I may also have the pleasure of sending to a bad place as many Germans as possible. I shall try to secure you the fez of the Sultan of Turkey. He later transferred to the Field Artillery earning a D.S.O. with the 105th Howitzer Battery in June 1917. But one month later he returned to Australia medically unfit, suffering from nervous exhaustion, sleeplessness, wasting, loss of appetite and exhaustion.
The biography in The Geelong Advertiser following Jack’s death described him as of “splendid physique and rare dash - one of the most dashing lieutenants in the AIF. Amongst the effects returned to his family was a fez cap. Jack's body was not found after the war. On the first anniversary of the Gallipoli landings Nurse Madge MacInerney of Balaclava, Victoria placed an In Memoriam notice in the Melbourne Argus: "In loving memory of Jack, Lieutenant J.C. Paul, 8th Batt., killed at Gaba Tepe, April 25, 1915. Dearly loved and sadly missed" and then at the end of the war in 1919: "In sad and loving memory of Jack (Lieut. J.C. Paul), 8th Battalion, killed in action Gaba Tepe, April 25, 1915. Sadly missed. One of Australia's best and bravest."
John Charles Paul has no known grave and is commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial, Turkey