Jacob Edwin (Jack) Hindhaugh was an officer in Australia’s Commonwealth Military Forces, prior to the First World War. When war was declared in August 1914, he volunteered to serve overseas with the first contingent of the Australian Imperial Force. He was almost 33 years of age on enlistment, and was appointed captain in the headquarters of the 1st Light Horse Brigade.

Jack landed at Gallipoli in early May 1915 as Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to Colonel Henry George (Harry) Chauvel, who was commander of the AIF’s 1st Light Horse Brigade. Later that month, Jack was wounded in the Turkish offensive, but remained on duty for a further two months before being evacuated sick to Malta, with ‘shock from previous wounds’ and influenza.

Following recuperation in Heliopolis, Jack was appointed to command Australia’s 1st Division Cyclist Company (March 1916). Many of the 150 men of this Company were recruited from reinforcements for the 4th Light Horse, who arrived in Egypt during the Gallipoli campaign. The cyclists were employed militarily for the first time when the 1st Division entered the line south of Armentieres in mid-April 1916. The cyclists played a significant role carrying messages and transporting men quickly and economically behind the front. They would scout ahead, determining the best routes forward, and provide mobile contact between the flanks of brigades and divisions. Additionally they undertook support roles, such as police work, traffic control, and building light railways. On some occasions cyclists experienced battle, but theirs was predominantly a support role.

Six months into the role of commanding the 1st Division Cyclist Company, Jack was promoted from captain to major (25 September 1916), and continued in this post on the Western Front for two years. The Cyclist Companies were restructured a couple of times and by January 1918, all five Australian Divisional Companies had either been redistributed to other units, or grouped together to form the Australian Corps Cyclist Battalion. It is with this battalion that Hindhaugh remained.

Jack Hindhaugh served throughout the entire war, from his application for a commission in September 1914 and embarkation overseas in October through to the AIF’s final battle on the Western Front in October 1918, his return to Australia and subsequent discharge from the AIF in February 1919. For his service he was mentioned in despatches twice, once in November 1918 and again in March 1919.