Ben Roberts-Smith: "He should have got three VCs"
Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith will present his military hero Albert Jacka's story this Sunday in part two of his Sunday Night special presentation.
Albert Jacka's story influenced Ben Roberts-Smith decision to become a soldier and he said Jacka's heroic actions following the Gallipoli campaign should have earned him the VC several times over.
Problem was, he was unpopular with his superiors and he didn’t care.
"For anyone who knows anything about WWI knows that this is the man that probably should have received the VC three times," Roberts-Smith said.
"What makes Jacka so impressive, is that he always stood up for what he believed in and that didn’t endear him with the senior ranks of the British milliatry."
In the Sunday Night special The Power Of Ten, Jacka's bravery at Gallipoli has been recreated in minute detail – revealing how he continued fighting while outnumbered during a Turkish onslaught.
"The thinking is he probably didn’t get his other Victoria Crosses because he had made them so disgruntled about the way he led," Roberts-Smith said.
He received the first Victoria Cross of 10 awarded to ANZAC troops at Gallipoli.
Also featured in The Power of Ten this week is William Dunstan, who enlisted when his girlfriend's parents told him he must return a hero in order to marry the love of his life.
"He was part of only once in our history where three men were awarded the Vic cross for the same action… One of those men was killed and Dunstan was actually blinded for a year after that happened."
"Dunstan was actually told by his inlaws, 'You can't marry our daughter unless you get a VC"…. No one really goes away to win a VC but obviously this was a situation where that occurred."
Roberts-Smith said the thing that struck him about William Dunstan was how he his from the fame of being a hero and went on to have a successful career outside of the military.
"When he came home he actually became the editor of the Herald Sun In Melbourne. So he had quite a good career when he left the military," Roberts-Smith said.
Ten Australian actors were cast to play the role of each Victoria Cross recipient — handpicked for their similarities to the men as documented in photographs and writing.
"Before we did the re-enactments we wanted [the actors] to understand the feeling and emotion that went through them in battle," Roberts-Smith said.
"We wanted the project to be enduring – hopefully providing something educational for future generations."
Part two of The Power of Ten will air April 19 at 8:30pm.
