Informal portrait of 214 Corporal (Cpl) Bernard Charles John Rose, 13th Battalion. A clerk from ...

Informal portrait of 214 Corporal (Cpl) Bernard Charles John Rose, 13th Battalion. A clerk from Strathfield, NSW prior to enlistment, Cpl Rose embarked with B Company from Melbourne on HMAT Ulysses on 22 December 1914. After serving at Gallipoli, he was promoted to Sergeant and awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. The citation reads in part "During the operations N.W. of Pozieres....Sgt Rose was the only sergeant left with his Company. The heavy casualties and sustained and intense bombardment affected the morale of his men and Sgt Rose was responsible for them hanging on......He several times took the place of a runner who had become exhausted, crossing and re-crossing a particularly bad corner of the firing line." Subsequently promoted to Second Lieutenant he was awarded the Military Cross , the citation for which partly reads "He handled his men with great skill and courage on the attack on the Hindenburg Line....Shortly after reaching the second objective.... Lieut Rose organized a mixed party.... and counter attacking drove the enemy 400 yards up the trench...put in a block and there held the position against several attacks. When compelled to give ground due to a lack of bombs....was the last man of his platoon to leave." Later promoted to Captain, he returned to Australia on 16 March 1919 and went on to serve in the Second World War as a Captain in the 11th Garrison Battalion.