French VC Rest Area
Yarra, NSW
Hume Highway (A31)
At a Glance
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
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- 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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Campsites(3)
Trails(3)
Toilets(3)
Groceries(3)
Fuel(5)
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