Distinguished Conduct Medal : Lance Corporal J T Harper, 15 Field Company Engineers, AIF

Distinguished Conduct Medal (Geo V). Impressed around edge with recipient's details. Bar to medal, to which Harper was entitled, is missing.

South Australian born motor mechanic John Tom 'Jack' Harper enlisted in the AIF on 1 February 1916, at the age of 20. Harper was posted as 8732 sapper to 3 Field Company Engineers and embarked on HMAT 'Hororata' on 2 May 1916. Arriving in France shortly before transferring to 15 Field Company Engineers in November 1916, he was promoted to lance corporal in October the following year.

For his actions near Ville-sur-Ancre during a feint operation for the main Allied assault on Hamel on 4 July 1918, Harper was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM). A recommendation for the award reads:

'At VILLE-sur-ANCRE , South West of ALBERT, during operations on the morning of July 4th 1918, this N.C.O. was detailed with an officer of an Infantry Battalion in the consolidation of the captured enemy position. At 4 am. This officer sent a runner to L/Cpl. HARPER instructing him to place an entanglement round a captured enemy post on the right flank. He with the assistance of one Sapper, the runner and one Private, moved forward 400 yards under heavy machine gun and shell fire, over exposed and open country, each man carrying as much wire and as many stakes as possible. Arriving at the captured post L/Cpl. HARPER led his party forward and proceeded to erect 150 yards of wire entanglement, under direct observation of the enemy. When the work was almost completed he went back and reported the progress and exact position of his work to the officer and asked if he could do anything further. Later, he again went forward to the captured post and found the Sapper lying severely wounded on part of the wire entanglement. With the assistance of one of the party, he brought the wounded man back to the post. Later on though severely shaken he again went to the same officer to see if he could be of further assistance, but he was informed that as the position was still obscure on the left and hand, and hand to hand fighting was going on, there was nothing to do as regards consolidation at the time. He then volunteered to carry despatches to Battalion Headquarters through the area covered by the enemy barrage. He carried out this work also. The behaviour of this N.C.O. throughout this critical time is beyond praise; his courage and fortitude in carrying out his work under heavy fire, and his coolness and gallantry, were of the highest order'.

During fighting near Peronne in September 1918, Harper's actions attracted further recognition and he was later awarded a bar to the DCM. The recommendation reads:

'For great gallantry and devotion to duty. In the neighbourhood of PERONNE, during the operations of Sept. 1st,2nd,3rd,4th, 5th., this N.C.O. was in charge of a detached squad of Sappers. His skill in organisation of his party, and his continual gallantry, have been most marked. His squad constructed two footbridges between BIACHES and St. RADEGONDE, also a footbridge, under heavy machine gun and shell fire, over the second railway bridge leading into FLAMICOURT, which village was then in enemy hands.

He then personally carried out extremely valuable reconnaissance work of PERONNE bridges, locating material, enabling the rapid re-construction of same.

His coolness, perseverance, and indomitable spirit has helped very materially in the successful completion of jobs undertaken by larger parties.'

He returned to Australia on 18 August 1919 and was discharged on 2 October. He died on 8 May 1954 at Cowandilla, South Australia. Harper is the only dual recipient of the award granted to a member of the Australian Field Company Engineers during the First World War.

• British War Medal 1914-20 : Lance Corporal J T Harper, 15 Field Company Engineers, AIF
• Victory Medal : Lance Corporal J T Harper, 15 Field Company Engineers, AIF