John Chalmers,
GC (11 March 1894 – 29 March 1982) was a New Zealand-born
Australian exchange recipient of the
George Cross
The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational Courage, gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, ...
, the highest decoration for gallantry awarded to civilians or to military personnel for actions "not in the face of the enemy" in the United Kingdom and
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...
. A member of the
North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club
The North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club is a foundation member of the surf lifesaving movement in Australia. It was founded in 1907 by a group of concerned locals and has a proud history of no lives being lost whilst its members have patrolled.
Se ...
, Chalmers was awarded the
Albert Medal in 1922 for his actions in rescuing a swimmer during a
shark attack
A shark attack is an attack on a human by a shark. Every year, around 80 unprovoked attacks are reported worldwide. Despite their rarity, many people fear shark attacks after occasional serial attacks, such as the Jersey Shore shark attacks of ...
at
Coogee Beach. With the establishment of the George Cross, the Albert Medal was discontinued and, in 1971, living recipients of the decoration were invited to exchange their medal for the George Cross; Chalmers took up the offer and formally became a recipient of the George Cross.
Early life and war service
Chalmers was born in
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...
, New Zealand, on 11 March 1894 to
Scotsman
Scottish people or Scots (; ) are an ethnic group and nation native to Scotland. Historically, they emerged in the early Middle Ages from an amalgamation of two Celtic peoples, the Picts and Gaels, who founded the Kingdom of Scotland (o ...
John Chalmers, and his English wife Louise (née Seager). In 1906, Chalmers and his family moved to
Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
, before re-locating to
Queensland
Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
two years later. During this time, Chalmers gained employment as an
engine driver
A train driver is a person who operates a train, railcar, or other rail transport vehicle. The driver is in charge of and is responsible for the mechanical operation of the train, train speed, and all of the train handling (also known as bra ...
.
On 5 October 1915, Chalmers enlisted in the
Australian Imperial Force for service during the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
.
Allotted to the 7th Reinforcements of the
25th Battalion as a
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...
, he embarked from
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...
aboard HMAT ''Itonus'' on 30 December. Arriving in
Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
, Chalmers was re-allocated to the newly formed 47th Battalion on 9 March 1916, following an expansion of the Australian forces. Following a period of training, Chalmers was shipped from
Alexandria
Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...
along with the rest of his battalion in June, bound for the
Western Front.
Disembarking at
Marseille
Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
on 9 June 1916, the 47th Battalion moved into the trenches the following month, where it took part in its first major action of the war at
Pozières
Pozières (; ) is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Geography
The commune is situated on the D929 road, northeast of Amiens between Albert and Bapaume, on the Pozières ridge.
Southwest of the village ...
. For the remainder of the year, Chalmers served alternating stints in the trenches and training behind the frontlines with his battalion.
Having contracted
trench foot
Trench foot, also known by #Names, other names, is a type of immersion foot syndromes, foot damage due to moisture. Initial symptoms often include tingling or itching which can progress to numbness. The feet may become erythema, red or cyanosis, ...
, Chalmers was evacuated to England for treatment in February 1917.
During this time, Chalmers married Jessie Alice Courtenay at the register office,
Dorset
Dorset ( ; Archaism, archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, t ...
, on 30 July 1917; the pair were later to have a son and a daughter.
Having sufficiently recovered, he rejoined the 47th Battalion in France during September.
Serving at
Messines
Messines may refer to:
* Mesen (in French: Messines), a village in Belgium
**Battle of Messines (disambiguation), World War I battles
* Messines, Quebec, a municipality in Canada
* São Bartolomeu de Messines
São Bartolomeu de Messines, also ref ...
and
Passchendaele,
Chalmers was transferred to the 45th Battalion on 25 April 1918.
Following action at
Amiens
Amiens (English: or ; ; , or ) is a city and Communes of France, commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme (department), Somme Departments of France, department in the region ...
, he was granted three weeks leave to the United Kingdom in September.
Following the
Armistice
An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from t ...
, Chalmers returned to Australia on 3 July 1919 and was discharged from the Australian Imperial Force on 18 October.
Re-settling in Sydney with his wife, Chalmers joined the
North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club
The North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club is a foundation member of the surf lifesaving movement in Australia. It was founded in 1907 by a group of concerned locals and has a proud history of no lives being lost whilst its members have patrolled.
Se ...
. In 1921, he won belt races at several beaches around Sydney, and won the Australian Lifesaving Belt Championship the following year.
Albert Medal
On 4 February 1922, Chalmers was on duty at Coogee Beach when Milton Coughlan, a body surfer, was attacked by a shark. Tying a line around his waist, Chalmers scrambled across the rocks where he slipped becoming dazed. Despite this, he dived into the water and swam out to Coughlan. Chalmers grabbed hold of him, and the pair were assisted ashore by
Frank Beaurepaire
Sir Francis Joseph Edmund Beaurepaire (13 May 1891 – 29 May 1956) was an Australian distance freestyle swimmer from the 1900s to the 1920s, who won three silver and three bronze medals, from the 1908 Summer Olympics in London to the ...
. Coughlan was rushed to hospital with extensive injuries to his arms, where he died soon after admission.
Chalmers actions during the incident were widely publicised in the media, with ''
The Sydney Mail
''The Sydney Mail'' was an Australian magazine published weekly in Sydney. It was the weekly edition of ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' newspaper and ran from 1860 to 1938.
History
''The Sydney Mail'' was first published on 17 July 1860 by J ...
'' describing the rescue as "one of the most glorious deeds of gallantry ever recorded in Australia". Both Chalmers and Beaurepaire were awarded medals from the Royal Shipwreck Relief & Humane Society of New South Wales and the Surf Life Saving Association of New South Wales.
On 7 July 1922, the announcement and accompanying citation for Chalmers to be awarded the Albert Medal was published in the ''
London Gazette
London is the capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe, with a population of 14.9 million. London stands on the River Tha ...
'', reading:
Chalmers and Beaurepaire were both granted life memberships with the
Coogee Surf Life Saving Club
The Coogee Surf Life Saving Club is a foundation member of the surf lifesaving movement in Australia. It was founded in 1907 by a group of concerned locals and has a proud history of no lives being lost whilst its members have patrolled. Coogee S ...
and
North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club
The North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club is a foundation member of the surf lifesaving movement in Australia. It was founded in 1907 by a group of concerned locals and has a proud history of no lives being lost whilst its members have patrolled.
Se ...
s for their efforts during the rescue. Following fund raising by the public, Chalmers was given £3,000, which he used to repay the mortgage on his home and place a deposit on a truck.
Later life
In 1971, owing to the decline in status and significance of the Albert Medal, the British Government announced that the decoration would be abolished and living recipients would henceforth be regarded as holders of the
George Cross
The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational Courage, gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, ...
. The change came into effect from 21 October, and living recipients were accordingly invited to exchange their medals. All six Australian Albert Medal recipients living at the time opted to accept the offer, Chalmers and four others travelling to
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
to receive their awards. The five men,
Stanley Gibbs
Stanley Frederick Gibbs, George Cross, GC (2 January 1909 – 3 March 1991) was an Australian shipping clerk and an List of Australian George Cross recipients, exchange recipient of the George Cross, the highest Civil awards and decorations, ci ...
,
Robert Kavanaugh,
William McAloney
William Simpson McAloney, (12 May 1910 – 31 August 1995) was an Australian air force officer who was a senior engineering officer in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and an Australian exchange recipient of the George Cross, the h ...
,
Dick Richards
Dick Richards (born 1936) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Known as a storyteller and an "actor’s director", Richards worked with Robert Mitchum, Gene Hackman, Martin Sheen, Blythe Danner, Catherine Deneuve, Alan Arki ...
and Chalmers, were presented with their George Crosses by
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
in an investiture ceremony at
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and r ...
on 12 July 1972.
Chalmers retained his affiliation with the Surf Life Saving Association for the rest of his life, later being presented with their twenty-five and fifty-year service awards.
During his life, Chalmers was employed as an ironworker, and later a rigger, at the Balmain shipyards. Aged 88, Chalmers died at his home in
Bondi Junction
Bondi Junction is an Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is 6 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the Local government in Australia, local governm ...
on 29 March 1982; his ashes were scattered on
Bondi Beach
Bondi Beach () is a popular beach and the name of the surrounding suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Bondi Beach is located east of the Sydney central business district, in the Local government in Australia, local government area of ...
.
Notes
References
Bibliography
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*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chalmers, Jack
1894 births
1982 deaths
Recipients of the Albert Medal (lifesaving)
Australian Army soldiers
Australian recipients of the George Cross
Australian military personnel of World War I
Australian people of English descent
New Zealand emigrants
Immigrants to Australia
Australian people of Scottish descent
Australian surf lifesavers
Train drivers
Military personnel from Wellington City