[Image] 2/23rd Bren Gunner at Tobruk

3rd September, 1941

Tobruk, Libya.

VX26227 Pvt. George E. Jeffs, 2/23rd Infantry Battalion

Private Jeffs mans a Bren Gun in a weapons pit on the Red Line at Tobruk. This is a great photo of the tripod mounted Bren light machinegun (LMG) in action from a perspective not often seen in Australian war photos. The smiling face of Pvt. Jeffs adds a very Australian charm to it. Pvt. Jeffs wears his Tin Hat high on his brow so that when prone he can see down the sights of his Bren gun whilst dispensing .303 calibre welcoming presents to "Gerry".

Sadly, Private Jeffs survived all that the Axis had to offer in North Africa only to be Killed In Action (K.I.A.) by the Japanese at the Quoja river region, New Guinea on 17th November, 1943. At the time of his death (the promoted) Cpl. George Edward Jeffs was 24 years old.

VX26227 Cpl. G.E. Jeffs is memorialised on the Roll of Honour here: http://www.awm.gov.au/roh/person.asp?p=147-11899

image 020558 Australian War Memorial.

[Medal: Allies] The Africa Star

The Africa Star (with 8th Army Clasp)

The Africa Star is a Commonwealth medal awarded for operational service in North Africa from 10th June, 1940 (Italy's entry to WW2) until 12th May, 1943 (defeat of Axis forces in Africa).

Three clasps are available for wear on the Africa Star. Those representing the 1st Army, 8th Army and Commonwealth troops serving in North Africa during 1942-1943.

The medal pictured has the 8th Army clasp attached to the ribbon. This means that the recipient served on active duty in North Africa under Field Marshall Bernard Law Montgomery as a member of the British 8th Army. The 9th Division was attached to the 8th Army for the period of the Alamein campaign from July to November, 1942.

The medal itself is a six pointed star of yellow copper zinc alloy. The obverse has a central design of the Royal and Imperial cypher, surmounted by a crown. The cypher is surrounded by a circlet containing the words ‘The Africa Star'. Stars issued to Australian personnel have recipient names and service numbers engraved on the plain reverse.

The red on the ribbon symbolises the Army, the sky blue the Air Force and the dark blue the Navy. The yellow represents the Western Desert.

An unnamed Africa Star with an 8th Army clasp in good original condition will sell for up to $100 on eBay. A named version (which all Australian Africa Stars were) will sell for more than an unnamed one. Personally my Grandfather's medals are priceless and no amount of money would see them leave the family.

[Image] Tobruk's Bush Artillery Reunited!

Reunion of "Tobruk's Bush Artillery"

This photo is the follow up piece to Lt. Thomas Fisher's famous "Tobruk's Bush Artillery" photo that featured my Grandfather, NX17811 Cpl L.J. McCarthy and his mates sitting on a captured Italian 75mm gun at Tobruk on 27th August, 1941. The men in the picture were actually member's of D Company, 2/17th Infantry Battalion and not cooks as the caption stated. See the original in my post called "[Image] Tobruk's Bush Artillery".

This photo was taken at Anzac Day at Sydney in the early to mid 1990's. I was stunned to find that a photo from my personal collection featured the same men as Lt. Fisher's photo. The two men on the outsides are currently unidentified but the others are exactly as posed in the original photo. My Grandfather is second from the right.

The beauty of this photo is in the fact that all 5 men survived the war, however not all of them unscathed. Of the three identified members only Henry Zouch was not reported wounded in action (W.I.A.). Both Charlie Lemaire and Les McCarthy were wounded at Alamein and Les McCarthy was further wounded in New Guinea in 1943 when a Private accidentally discharged his Bren Gun shooting my Grandad twice, once in the right thigh, the other in the right shin. This was a wound that took months to heal. The funny thing is that when the incident was originally reported to Senior Officers my Grandfather, a section Corporal, covered for the Private under his command and reported the wounds as having been received from a strafing Japanese Zero fighter plane. It wasn't until many months later with the potential for an army board of enquiry looming that the official record was amended to reflect that the wounds were received by "accidental discharge of section's Bren Gun". Amazing what information is in official service records.

To view the original post and photo about Tobruk's Bush Artillery click here http://9thdivvy.blogspot.com/2008/07/image-tobruks-bush-artillery.html

image from author's private collection.