Battalion sports medal: Private John 'Jack' Chalmers, 45th Battalion, AIF

Sterling silver medal showing on the obverse a laurel wreath with '45TH BN. A.I.F.' engraved in the centre. The reverse is engraved 'BATTALION SPORTS SOMME MAY 1918/ 440 yds. Flat Race. 1st Prize. PTE J. CHAMBERS [sic]'. The medal carries Birmingham hallmarks for 1917 and a maker's stamp 'MB Ld'.

Private John ‘Jack’ Chalmers was born in New Zealand in 1894. He enlisted in the AIF in 1915 and embarked with the 7th reinforcements of the 25th Battalion, but upon arrival in Egypt was transferred to the newly established 47th Battalion. The battalion's first battle was at Pozières.

Chalmers suffered from trench foot on the Western Front and was invalided to England in 1917, where he met and married Jessie Alice Courtenay. He rejoined his unit later that year and fought at Messines and Passchendaele. He was then transferred to the 45th Battalion, where he served for the rest of the war.

After the war, Chalmers and his wife settled in Sydney. Chalmers joined the North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club. In 1921, he won belt races at several beaches around Sydney and won the Australian Lifesaving Belt Championship in 1922.

On 4 February 1922, Chalmers was awarded the Albert Medal for rescuing a swimmer during a shark attack at Coogee Beach. Although the swimmer subsequently died from his injuries, Chalmers’s bravery in rescuing him was recognised.

The Albert Medal was discontinued in 1971 and recipients were invited to exchange the award for the George Cross. Chalmers travelled to London for the investiture at Buckingham Palace on 12 July 1972.