The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (5713) Sergeant James “Jimmy” Victor Lihou DCM and Bar MM, 13th Battalion, AIF, First World War.

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Troy Clayton, the story for this day was on (5713) Sergeant James “Jimmy” Victor Lihou DCM and Bar MM, 13th Battalion, AIF, First World War.

5713 Sergeant James “Jimmy” Victor Lihou DCM and Bar MM, 13th Battalion, AIF
KIA 18 September 1918
Photograph: A05757

Story delivered 12th May 2017

Today we remember and pay tribute to Sergeant James Victor Lihou DCM and Bar MM.
Popularly known as “Jimmy”, James Victor Lihou was born on 6 February 1895 in Dubbo, New South Wales, to Stephen and Eliza Lihou. He grew up in Wongarbon and attended the local public school, where he was noted as a keen student who was popular amongst his teachers and peers.

He left school at the age of 15 to help support his family, which he did by trapping and selling rabbits, working on sheep stations, and helping local farmers during the wheat harvesting season.

Following the outbreak of the First World War, Lihou enlisted for service in the AIF on 15 January 1916. At five feet six inches tall, he barely made the height requirement, but was accepted. He was allotted to the 18th reinforcements to the 13th Battalion and embarked from Sydney in early May aboard the transport ship Clan McGillivray.

Lihou joined the 13th Battalion in France in early October. He took part in the attack on Stormy Trench at Gueudecourt on 5 February 1917 and was wounded in the face and left hand.

He re-joined the battalion in March and in early April was wounded for a second time during the first battle of Bullecourt. Lihou returned to the battalion towards the end of the month. He fought in Belgium in September and October and was promoted to lance corporal after his battalion was withdrawn.

When the German army launched its spring offensive at the end of March 1918, the 13th Battalion was involved in attempts to stop their advance. After heavy fighting against the Germans, Lihou was promoted to corporal.

At the beginning of April, Lihou took part in the attack on Hébuterne. The 13th Battalion attacked the German trenches 12 times before capturing their objective and the field beyond. For his part in the fighting, he was awarded a Military Medal.

Lihou again distinguished himself on 4 July during an attack on Vaire Wood near Corbie. He led a Lewis gun section in the leading wave of the attack, firing from the hip as he advanced to great effect. He engaged a German strongpoint which threatened to hold up the advance, and accurate supressing fire allowed a bombing section to flank the post and neutralise it with grenades. For this action and his leadership throughout the rest of the battle, he was awarded a Distinguished Conduct Medal.

When Lihou went on leave in August, he was promoted to sergeant. On 18 September, only days after returning, Lihou was involved in the attack on Le Verguier.

During the attack, Lihou and a party of seven men got ahead of their company. As they continued to advance, they encountered a German machine-gun post. Lihou immediately rushed the position, throwing a bomb as he did so. Three of the machine-gun crew were killed and the survivors were taken prisoner.
Lihou and his men advanced to their objective where more machine-guns were encountered. Again, Lihou charged ahead to bomb and capture another crew, after which his men joined him in the German trench. Lihou led his men along the trench and saw another German machine-gun post which was holding up another battalion. Lihou

climbed out of the trench and charged towards the enemy; as he did so, he was shot in the chest.

As the rest of his men attacked, they heard him call out that he was wounded. He walked away towards the rear and was not seen by his battalion again. He was 23 years old. For his actions that day, he was awarded a bar to his Distinguished Conduct Medal.
Lihou was regarded as an outstanding soldier, friendly, courageous, and an excellent leader.

Following the end of the war, his name was listed on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial to the Missing.

Lihou’s name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, along with more than 60,000 others from the First World War.

This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Sergeant James Victor Lihou DCM and Bar MM, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Michael Kelly
Historian, Military History Section