Corporal continues family’s Gallipoli legacy
The Australian Defence Force has a rich history of family legacies being carried on through the generations.
CAPTION: Australian Army soldier Corporal Jake Bostock talks with Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Simon Stuart, AO, DSC. Story by Captain Cody Tsaousis. Photo by Sergeant Tristan Kennedy.
The Bostock dynasty started with James Dundee Bostock, who served in 9th Battalion, First Australian Imperial Forces during WW1, and is credited with being the second man to land at Gallipoli.
He was wounded by a grenade in the coming months and subsequently returned to Australia for treatment, before overcoming his injuries and getting back Europe, only to discover the war had ended days before his arrival.
He went on to commission as a lieutenant and served as an acting captain during WW2.
Now, more than a century after his great grandfather landed on Turkish shores, Corporal Jake Bostock is following in his footsteps by commissioning, following a posting as an infantry soldier at 8th/9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment.
Corporal Bostock is well aware of the legacy his family name holds, and is proud to have such a strong connection to his great grandfather.
“It’s a great honour to be able of follow in my great grandfather’s footsteps to some degree. I feel very proud to be contributing to our family’s history,” he said.
Corporal Bostock received his great grandfather’s medals on April 25, 2015, which was his first year in the battalion and the 100th year anniversary of the Gallipoli landings.
He also discovered James Bostock’s diary was sitting in the 9th Battalions War Memorial Museum at Enoggera, giving him another way to connect with his heritage.
Corporal Bostock’s brother Luke also contributed to the family legacy in Defence, serving more than 15 years in the Royal Australian Navy.
As an extra nod to his family history, Corporal Bostock successfully requested to be part of Gallipoli Company at Royal Military College Duntroon next year.
“I’m stoked. It gives me another connection to the Gallipoli battle honour, and it will follow me through the rest of my career that I was in Gallipoli Company,” Corporal Bostock said.
“I’ll hold that really close to my heart. It’s an amazing opportunity to honour my great grandfather’s legacy as one of the highly esteemed Anzacs.”
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