Watch List notes:

Military Medal, (GVR type 1). 324 Pte J.E.Ackroyd. 40/Aust: Inf: Bn. Impressed. Heavily toned, otherwise good very fine.

Entitled to British War Medal 1914-18 and Victory Medal 1914-19.

MM: LG 19/2/1917, page 1756; CAG 25/7/1917, page 1543, to Private John Edwin Ackroyd, 40th Aust Infy Bn.

Recommendation: At Armentieres on the night 3rd /4th. January 1917, during an enemy raid on our trenches, he acted with great coolness and gallantry. He assisted in the firing of a Lewis gun until the gun was put out of action by being smothered in mud from bursting Minenwerfers. He then mounted the parapet, threw bombs, and fired his rifle at the raiders, doing excellent service in the successful repelling of the raid. He had, on a previous occasion, done remarkably cool and good works in connexion with the repelling of an enemy raid.

(Minenwerfers was the German name for a class of short range mine shell launching mortars used by the Imperial German Army during WWI.) John Edwin Ackroyd, farmer, age 28, born at Glenlusk, Tas; Enl.01Mar1916 at Claremont, Tas (according to letter from his wife, sent on 11December 1954 to Central Army Records after he died, his correct name was Charles Bannister but when he enlisted he was rejected on medical grounds and then re-applied under the name of John Edwin Ackroyd); Emb.01Jul1916 with 40Bn; to France 23Nov1916; awarded MM 17Jan1917; WIA 30Jan1917, GSW right leg and forearm, France; RTA 16Jul1917; Disch.22Feb1918.