The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (2890) Sergeant John Robert “Jack” Rollo, 10th Light Horse Regiment, First World War.

Places
Accession Number AWM2021.1.1.324
Collection type Film
Object type Last Post film
Physical description 16:9
Maker Australian War Memorial
Place made Australia: Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, Campbell
Date made 20 November 2021
Access Open
Conflict First World War, 1914-1918
Copyright Item copyright: © Australian War Memorial
Creative Commons License This item is licensed under CC BY-NC
Copying Provisions Copyright restrictions apply. Only personal, non-commercial, research and study use permitted. Permission of copyright holder required for any commercial use and/or reproduction.
Description

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 Melanie Cassar, the story for this day was on (2890) Sergeant John Robert “Jack” Rollo, 10th Light Horse Regiment, First World War.

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Speech transcript

2890 Sergeant John Robert “Jack” Rollo, 10th Light Horse Regiment
Accidental: 14 June 1919

Today we remember and pay tribute to Sergeant Jack Rollo.

John Robert Rollo, known as “Jack”, was born on the 10th of April 1887 to John William and Eleanor Rollo, in Berwick-Upon-Tweed in Northumberland, England.

Young Jack Rollo served a six-year iron workers apprenticeship, most likely with his father, who was an ironmonger. As a young man he also served for seven years in the British Territorial Army as a garrison artillery engineer.

Jack immigrated to Australia at the age of 21 around 1908, landing in Western Australia. By the time the First World War began, he had married Eleanor Turnbull and together they had a daughter and a son. The family lived in North Fremantle and Jack was working for State Implement Works at Rocky Bay.

Jack enlisted in Perth for service with the Australian Imperial Force on 18 March 1916. After several months of training, in early June he was allotted to reinforcements to the 10th Light Horse Regiment.

He embarked with other reinforcements from Fremantle on 31 July aboard the transport ship Malwa, bound for Egypt. Jack spent a month in the isolation camp at Moascar before joining the 10th Light Horse Regiment in the Sinai desert at the end of September.

The advance through the Sinai was slow, laying water pipe and a rail line to keep the advance going. After advancing to El Arish on 21 December, a force led by Harry Chauvel advanced into the desert to take out the Ottoman garrison at Magdhaba.

The battle took place on 23 December and eventually saw the Ottoman garrison overwhelmed at bayonet point. The 10th Light Horse took part in a mounted attack against Ottoman positions that guarded nearby wells and it was here that Jack was wounded in the neck. Though slight, the wound required him to be evacuated.

Jack recovered from his wound in early February 1917 and was posted to the 3rd Light Horse Brigade Training Regiment. The only blemish on his service record came during this period when he went absent without leave. He was confined to barracks for two weeks and deprived of seven days’ pay.

Jack re-joined the 10th Light Horse Regiment in late April, just days after the failed Second Battle of Gaza. But he was back with his unit for less than a week when he was admitted to hospital unwell.

He spent the remainder of 1917 between convalescent hospitals and Port Said rest camp. By early 1918 he had been diagnosed with neurasthenia, another term for shell shock, and spent much of 1918 at the Desert Mounted Corps rest camp.

In late November 1918, with the war now over, Jack was posted to the details camp in Moascar. He was promoted to acting sergeant and placed in charge of the canteen section, remaining in this position for several months while waiting to be repatriated to Australia.

Jack would not return home. At around 6 pm on 14 June, he was riding a motorcycle back to back to camp after refuelling it for an officer.

Jack rode towards two British soldiers walking along the road with a local Egyptian behind them. As the soldiers stepped off the road to avoid the motorbike, the Egyptian stepped into the road and was struck.

Jack was thrown from his bike, which came to rest on his head. He was taken to hospital.

The doctor who examined him saw that the base of his skull had been fractured and that he was bleeding from the right ear. His condition was deemed too critical to operate and he died some two hours later. A court of inquiry found that the crash was accidental and no blame was attached to anyone.

He was laid to rest the following day in the Ismailia Military Cemetery, Egypt and after the war, the following epitaph was added to his grave:

“Earth cannot hide the glory of his noble soul. His duty well done.”

He was 32 years old.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, among almost 62,000 Australians who died while serving in 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 Jack Rollo, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Michael Kelly
Historian, Military History Section

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