Charlotte Varcoe
LINCOLN Jones stood proudly at the face of the Port MacDonnell Anzac Day dawn service alongside his school choir peers, donning his great-grandfather’s war medals.
Lincoln – a student at Allendale East Area School – asked his father Boandik Elder Uncle Ken Jones prior to Anzac Day whether he could wear the medals of William Charles Westbury while he sang alongside the school choir.
William was born in 1878 in Mount Gambier/Berrin yet spent his childhood growing up in Port MacDonnell.
In 1901, William was recruited for the Boer War in South Africa and joined the sixth South Australian Imperial Bushmen.
After training, he sailed to South Africa to take part in the war.
Following the end of the Boer War in 1902, William returned home with his battalion and got back to his regular life of sports and outdoor activities.
At the beginning of WWI, William was working as a labourer at Pinnaroo and he soon enlisted with the Australian Imperial Force in August 1914.
Following his training, William was transported by sea to Gallipoli on April 25, 1915.
On May 9, 1915 William was shot in the ankle and sent to the hospital before returning to the front line two months later.
He managed to survive the conflict and evacuated Gallipoli in December the same year.
Following from Gallipoli, William joined the 50th Australian Infantry Battalion and once training was finished he boarded the troopship Arcadian and arrived in France on June 11, 1916.
He and his battalion were involved in a battle at Mouquet Farm in Pozieres before he was discharged with good conduct just over a year later.
William was awarded the 1914/15 Star, the British Service Medal and the Victory Medal.
After enjoying many years back in the outdoors at home, William died on February 20, 1936 of tetanus at the age of 58.
Knowing his great-grandfather’s history, Lincoln said he was proud to wear the medals during last week’s service.
“I wanted to wear the medals because my great-grandfather went to two wars and survived them both,” Lincoln said.
“It is important for me to wear them because it is my history and culture and I was excited to put them on.”
He said he felt “pretty proud” to wear his great-grandfather’s medals and enjoyed singing in the choir for the commemorative event.
“Anzac Day is important to me because it is about getting together and commemorating people who went to war,” Lincoln said.
