Next of Kin Plaque : Lance Corporal J J Jolly, 8 Light Horse Regiment, AIF

Bronze next of kin plaque, showing on the obverse, Britannia holding a laurel wreath, the British lion, dolphins, a spray of oak leaves and the words 'HE DIED FOR FREEDOM AND HONOUR' around the edge. Beneath the main figures, the British lion defeats the German eagle. The initials 'ECP', for the designer Edward Carter Preston appear above the lion's right forepaw. A raised rectangle above the lion's head bears the name 'JOHN JOHSUE [sic] JOLLY'. A checker's mark, '17', is stamped into the plaque behind the lion's left back paw.

John Johsue (sometimes recorded as 'Joshua') Jolly was born at Walhalla, Victoria in 1886, and was orphaned at an early age. When he enlisted in the AIF on 16 September 1914 he was employed as a farrier in Melbourne. He had also worked in the goldfields in Western Australia. Although he had no previous military experience he had been a member of rifle clubs in that state. The spelling of Jolly's second name is uncertain. His signature appears to indicate that he used the spelling 'Johsue', and this is what appears on his next of kin plaque; formal army records mostly record his middle name as 'Joshua'.

Jolly was assigned as a private to B Squadron, 8th Light Horse Regiment, with the service number 316. After initial training in Victoria the regiment sailed for Egypt aboard HMAT A16 Star of Victoria on 25 February 1915, where it joined the other regiments of the 3rd Light horse Brigade, the 9th and 10th Regiments. Jolly landed at Gallipoli on 21 May with his regiment, where they served as dismounted troops.

On 30 June 1915 Jolly was promoted to lance corporal. He was killed while attacking The Nek on 7 August in either the first or second lines to charge the Turkish positions.

The attack at the Nek began at 4.30 am on 7 August. The first line was made up of Victorians from the 8th Light Horse Regiment. As the start time approached the men prepared themselves to go over the top. At 4.23 the British artillery fire which had been directed throughout the night on the Turkish positions suddenly stopped - seven minutes too early. The Turks were almost silent for the next three minutes, as they waited for the expected attack. Although the British bombardment had been heavy by Gallipoli standards, it had little effect on the Turkish trenches. As a result, when the Australian first line attacked the Turks were ready, packed two deep in their front trench, as were the Turkish machine gunners further up the hill on the flanks.

It took only thirty seconds to wipe out the first line, killed or wounded. Many men in the first line were killed as they cleared the firing line or within three paces of their own trench. Of the 150 men of the first line who attacked, only three men from the right of the line reached the Turkish parapet. One of them put up a red and yellow marker flag, but it was pulled down within minutes.

The second line, also made up of men from the 8th Light Horse Regiment, moved into position and attacked two minutes after the first line. They were also mowed down by the Turkish guns. The third line, made up of Western Australians of the 10th Light Horse Regiment moved into position to attack. Attempts by the regiment's commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Noel Brazier, to have the order to continue the attack cancelled failed. At 4.45 am the third line went over to meet the Turkish guns.

The fourth line took their position in the firing trench. Brazier again attempted to halt the attack, but while he was away from the front line the fourth line moved into position. Because of the noise of the guns, the signal to move forward was to be a wave from Major John Burns Scott. Suddenly, the troops to the right began to go over and others followed. A signal had been passed along - but it had not originated with Scott. He stopped the rest of the fourth line from attacking.

The 3rd Light Horse Brigade had been decimated: 151 men of the 8th Light Horse were killed at the Nek, with another 11 dying within a few days of their wounds. The 10th Light Horse lost 78 killed at the Nek, with another five dying of wounds over the next few days. The 9th Light Horse lost four men killed. Of the 600 men in the four lines that attacked, 249 died and over 100 were wounded.

This commemorative plaque was sent to Jolly's sister, Mrs Elizabeth Jane McGeorge, in 1922.