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Australia

John Walter Kerr was born in Kerang, in country Victoria, on 25 February 1899. An apprentice fitter and turner for two years before joining up, John Kerr enlisted on 10 March 1917, having just turned 18. Prior to turning 18, he had spent three years in the cadets. Being under 19, he needed his mother's written permission to join. His service records held at the National Archives of Australia have retained this letter he needed to produce to enlist.

By early 1917, almost 30,000 Australians had died, either killed in action, from wounds post-battle or from sickness and disease. At this phase of the war, those enlisting no longer had expectations that it would be a glorious adventure and that it would all be over quickly.

The World War I Personal Profiles Project undertaken by the Australian Government in the early 1990s recorded an interview with Trooper Kerr. This interview is available through the Australian War Memorial. He said he joined for ".... the thought of going to fight for your country". Being a country boy, he had few problems entering the Light Horse, unlike "... the townies... they couldn't manage it."

He left his home, "Burbank" in Kerang, to undertake training at Broadmeadows and Seymour in what was then rural Victoria before embarking with the 30th Reinforcements on HMT A73 "Commonwealth" on 2 November 1917. He had been scheduled to sail earlier with the 28th Reinforcements but developed the mumps and was placed in quarantine. Those other men who had enlisted with him and sailed as scheduled participated in the Charge at Beersheba. After a 5 week voyage, the reinforcement group landed at Suez before undertaking further training at Moascar. Trooper Kerr was taken on strength with the 4th Light Horse Regiment at Deir el Belah on 2 February 1918.

The War Diary of the 4ALH outlines that from 2 February – 10 February, the Regiment trained in mounted drill and undertook classes in mounted bayonet fighting.

From 20 to 28 February, the Regiment was employed on salvage duties "about enemy and own works near Gaza, from Gaza Rd westwards."
By the end of the month, after two officers and 53 other ranks had joined or rejoined the Regiment (including 3833 Trooper Kerr), the Regiment's strength stood at 25 officers and 472 other ranks.

More salvage and drills continued throughout March before the Regiment received orders from Brigade H.Q. that the Division would be moving out on 1 April 1918.
Throughout the first week of April, the Regiment was on the move, as outlined in the Regimental War Diary. Leaving Gaza on 1 April, they travelled from town to town, arriving at Selmeh on the 6th, where they formed camp and continued training through to the 19th. Breaking camp on the 20th, they continued their March towards Jerusalem, moving through there on the 23rd and then on to Khel el Meshrah, travelling via the old Roman Road where, on the 26th, they bivouacked north of Jericho.

At 1930 hours on 29 April, the Regiment moved out and crossed the Jordan River in a northerly direction along the eastern side of the river. The following morning, the advance was resumed. The war diary then outlined what happened next. "When the advance was resumed with this Regiment (4 L.H.R.) providing the Advanced Guard to the Brigade – "B" Squadron being the vanguard. The enemy commenced shelling the Advanced Guard from when it was approximately (east) of Umm Es Shert until about 1 mile N. of Wadi Ishkarara when the shelling gradually died away. Owing to travelling quickly and being well extended in line of troop columns, casualties were very few although at times the shelling was very heavy."

This attack opened the six days of operations in the Jordan Valley (29 April to 4 May 1918), including the raid on Es Salt. This offensive was Trooper Kerr's first action.

His recollection of his first action records, "It wasn't long before we saw black forms moving towards us and shellfire... shells bursting nearer and nearer to us..." Retelling the event, almost 80 years later, as part of the Australian Government's Personal Profiles of World War 1 project in September 1994, he vividly recalled that a fellow Trooper was shot in the stomach and had to be left behind. Later, it was discovered that the man survived and had been taken Prisoner of War by the Turks.

The After Action Report by the Commanding Officer of the 4 L.H.R. Lt. Colonel Bourchier provides a report on the operations in the Jordan Valley on the morning of 30 April.

"About 0630, the enemy were observed massing along the W bank of the Jordan, moving towards the bridgehead. One squadron of cavalry, two companies of infantry and what appeared to be a company of machine guns, with other troops formed up in the rear, were observed and reported to B.H.Q. at about 0700; shortly afterwards, the attack was launched, the enemy taking advantage of the various wadis leading up to our positions and which in many cases furnished them with excellent cover. The enemy could now be seen coming in great force in massed formation, our artillery doing considerable damage and causing him to break this formation. The advanced posts of the Regiment were now engaging the enemy. A Regiment of cavalry at this period was seen to be working round our right flank into the foothills." Bourchier estimated that there were 6000-7000 Turkish troops moving to attack the Brigade. As the enemy was now enveloping both flanks of the Regiment, the position became precarious. Bourchier described it as "far from satisfactory."

A week later, Trooper Kerr was admitted to hospital in the Field before ultimately being hospitalised in Moascar, Egypt, keeping him away from the Regiment until 20 July 1918.

In August, the Regiment was issued swords and trained in traditional cavalry tactics to prepare for the next offensive against the Turks. This offensive was launched along the Palestine coast on 19 September 1918 - its objective was Damascus. The mounted forces penetrated the Turkish rear areas, severing roads, railways and communications links. On 1 October 1918, a patrol of the 4th Light Horse, commanded by Sergeant Frank Organ, were the first Allied troops to enter Damascus.

On 11 October 1918, Trooper Kerr was admitted to Hospital in Damascus after recurring bouts of dysentery, then transferred to Alexandria, Egypt, on 23 October, where he was convalescing when the Armistice was signed.

He left the rest camp in Port Said, where he was recovering, on 12 December 1918. Some long-serving troopers began to embark for home soon after, and while the rest awaited their turn, the 4th Light Horse were called back to operational duty to quell the Egyptian revolt that erupted in March 1919. order was restored in a little over a month.

The 4LHR remained in Egypt until June 1919, when the Regiment embarked for Australia on H.M.T. Essex, arriving in Melbourne on 25 July 1919, where Trooper John Kerr was finally discharged on 6 December 1919.

Returning from the war, Jack, as he was known to his friends, completed his apprenticeship using his entitlement to tools as a member of the A.I.F. to the value of 10 pounds. He then formed an engineering company with his uncle. The engineering works of Johnston and Kerr located in Footscray, remained in business for 50 years and only closed on his retirement in 1985 at the age of 86!
John Kerr married Myrtle Emma Comer (1907-1985) in 1933, the couple having three sons and a daughter. Their children then went on to produce ten grandchildren and they in turn seventeen great grandchildren.

In 1946, he was listed in the 4th Light Horse Regiment Association. In that year the introduction stated, ‘The years have mellowed its members, but our comradeship grows stronger as the years roll by.’

On 31 August 1991, with the death of 257 Trooper Fenton Rockwell Denney, he became the last surviving member of the 4th Light Horse.

For his service in the 1st A.I.F., he received the British War Medal and Victory Medal. He was also presented with the 80th Anniversary Armistice Remembrance Medal as one of the 71 Australian surviving members of the First World War on 21 April 1999.

He died on 29 July 2001 in Camberwell, Victoria.