British War Medal 1914-20 : Private E George, 11 Battalion, AIF (part of Carroll, VC group)

British War Medal 1914-20. Impressed around edge with recipient's details.

Though part of Lance Corporal John Carroll VC's medal group, this British War Medal 1914-20 is named to 7723 Private Ernest George. Carroll apparently lost his War Medal and Victory Medal and then replaced them with George's medals, or swapped with George in the 1930's. Both men were from Kalgoorlie. Ernest George was a 44 year old barman and railway man when he enlisted in the AIF at Boulder, WA, in April 1917 and was assigned to the 26th reinforcements of 11 Battalion. When he reached England his physical condition (due to weight and dental problems) was judged to be such that he would to be 'unlikely to stand duties overseas' and he returned to Australia for discharge in September 1918, without seeing active service. George died at Kalgoorlie in 1932. He was entitled only to the British War Medal.

John 'Jack' Carroll was born in Brisbane on 16 August 1891 to John and Catherine (nee Wallace) Carroll. The family moved to Western Australia when he was still an infant. Carroll was working as a railway guard at Kurrawang near Kalgoorlie when he enlisted on 27 April 1916. He was allotted as a private (service number 1804) to the 2nd reinforcements of 44 Battalion on 1 July. The battalion embarked at Fremantle on HMAT A28 Miltiades on 9 August, arriving at Plymouth, England on 25 September.

In late November, Carroll was transferred to 33 Battalion (33Bn) under Lieutenant Colonel Leslie Morshead, and proceeded with the battalion to France. For his actions between 7 and 11 June 1917, during the Battle of Messines Ridge, he was awarded the Victoria Cross. In July he was wounded in the chest while part of a working party in the forward areas around Messines and evacuated to Boulogne. He rejoined his unit on 19 August and the following month was promoted to lance corporal. Carroll was again wounded in action at the First Battle of Passchendaele on 12 October. This wound effectively spelt the end of his active service, though he rejoined his unit in France briefly in June 1918.

He was invested with his VC at Buckingham Palace by King George V on 23 March 1918. In August, Carroll was one of ten VC recipients who returned to Australia on HMAT D21 Medic to assist with recruitment following the failure of the conscription referenda. In early November, Carroll, together with fellow VC winner Lieutenant Clifford William King Sadlier, arrived in Perth to a rousing reception. He was discharged from the AIF on 1 January 1919. Following the war he returned to his occupation at Kurrawang and on 23 April 1923 married Mary Brown in Perth. They had no children.

On Anzac Day 1927, Carroll was one of twenty three VC recipients at the Anzac Commemoration Service in Melbourne attended by HRH Duke of York (later George V). Later that year, following a rail accident at a timber mill at Yarloop south of Perth, his right foot was amputated. In 1956, he was part of the Australian contingent for the VC Centenary celebrations in London. John Carroll died on 4 October 1971 and was buried at Karrakatta cemetery in Perth with full military honours. His medal group came into the Memorial's collection in 1989. Carroll's brother, Martin, ,also served in the AIF.