French VC Rest Area
Yarra, NSW
Hume Highway (A31)
At a Glance
About
The French VC Rest Area sits alongside the Hume Highway near Yarra in New South Wales, marking stop 10 of 20 along the Remembrance Driveway. Travelling northbound, you've just passed the Derrick VC Rest Area and are heading toward the Kibby VC Rest Area — each stop on this memorial route honouring an Australian Victoria Cross recipient. This rest area is dedicated to Corporal John Alexander French, known as Jack, of the 2/9th Infantry Battalion, Australian Imperial Force. Jack French was born on 15 July 1914 at Crows Nest, near Toowoomba in Queensland, the son of a hairdresser. He was educated locally before apprenticing as a barber with his father — an ordinary beginning that gave little indication of the extraordinary courage he would demonstrate years later. French enlisted on 22 October 1939 and served in the Middle East, including the Siege of Tobruk, before returning to Australia in early 1942. By December 1941 he had been promoted to corporal. On 4 September 1942, during the Battle of Milne Bay in Papua, French's company was pinned down by intense fire from three Japanese machine-gun posts near Goroni. Ordering his section to take cover, French advanced alone and silenced the first machine-gun post. He continued moving forward under fire to neutralise the remaining positions. He was killed in action that same day, aged 28. His was an act of singular selflessness that undoubtedly saved the lives of the men in his section. The rest area itself is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and is well equipped for a proper break. Facilities include toilets, drinking water, picnic tables, a shelter, BBQs, and dedicated truck parking, making it suitable for heavy vehicle operators, caravanners, and families alike. It's a worthwhile stop to stretch the legs, reflect on Corporal French's story, and prepare for the road ahead.
Victoria Cross Recipient
Corporal John Alexander French VC
2/9th Infantry Battalion
John Alexander 'Jack' French was born on 15 July 1914 at Crows Nest, near Toowoomba in Queensland, the son of a hairdresser. He was educated at Crows Nest State School and Toowoomba Technical College, and apprenticed as a barber with his father. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 22 October 1939 and was posted to the 2/9th Infantry Battalion, serving in the Middle East including the Siege of Tobruk before returning to Australia in March 1942. He was promoted to corporal in December 1941.
On 4 September 1942, during the Battle of Milne Bay in Papua, French's company encountered strongly held Japanese positions near Goroni and was pinned down by intense fire from three machine-gun posts. Ordering his section to take cover, French advanced alone and silenced the first machine-gun post with grenades. He returned to his section for more grenades and attacked the second post, destroying it. He then armed himself with a Thompson sub-machine gun and charged the third post. Although badly hit by enemy fire, he continued his assault and fell dead in front of the enemy gun pit.
French was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. His selfless courage in silencing three machine-gun positions single-handedly enabled his company to continue its advance. He was twenty-eight years old and is buried at Bomana War Cemetery, Port Moresby.
Born 15 July 1914, Crows Nest, QLD. Died 4 September 1942, Milne Bay, Papua.
References
Remembrance Driveway →
Stop 10 of 20 along the Remembrance Driveway
View all 20 stops
- Sir Roden Cutler VC Rest Area
- Partridge VC Rest Area Southbound
- Kenna VC Rest Area
- Keith Payne VC Rest Area
- Gordon VC Rest Area
- Mackey VC Rest Area
- Kingsbury VC Rest Area
- Chowne VC Rest Area
- Derrick VC Rest Area
- French VC Rest Area
- Kibby VC Rest Area
- Edmondson VC Rest Area
- Gratwick VC Rest Area
- Gurney VC Rest Area
- Badcoe VC Rest Area
- Wheatley VC Rest Area
- Anderson VC Rest Area
- Middleton VC Rest Area
- Newton VC Rest Area
- Edwards VC Rest Area
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Attractions(1)
Toilets(3)
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