On 19 May 1915, the Turks launched an assault against the Anzac Line, capturing a section of the trench at Courtney's Post; one end of which was guarded by Jacka. For several minutes he fired warning shots into the trench wall until reinforcements arrived, after which he attempted to enter the trench with three others; all but Jacka were either wounded or pinned. It was then decided that while a feint attack was made from the same end, Jacka would attack from the rear. The party then proceeded to engage the Turks with rifle fire, throwing in two bombs as Jacka skirted around to attack from the flank. He climbed out onto "no man's land", entering the trench via the parapet. In the resulting conflict, Jacka shot five Turkish soldiers and bayoneted two others, forcing the remainder to flee the trench; he then held the trench alone for the remainder of the night. Jacka's platoon commander, Lieutenant Crabbe, informed him the following morning that he would be recommended for his bravery. This German Luger pistol was handed into the Australian War Records Section (AWRS) in Melbourne by Captain Albert Jacka, who had served with 14 Battalion, Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Jacka won the first Victoria Cross awarded to a member of the AIF during the First World War when he recaptured the trench mentioned above. The following year on the night of 6 & 7 August he was awarded a Military Cross when, from behind enemy lines, he led his platoon in rescuing Australian prisoners while inspiring other units to counter-attack and recapture the line. For the action in which the pistol was captured, Jacka was awarded a Bar to his Military Cross. The incident occurred early on the morning of 9 April 1917, during preparations for the first battle of Bullecourt. Jacka and Lieutenant Bradley of the 16th Battalion were laying tapes for the infantry jump off point when Jacka noticed a German officer and his orderly patrolling the area. Realizing that the Germans would soon stumble on the marker tapes, he enlisted the aid of a Lewis gunner to capture them before they could raise the alarm. Confronting the Germans, who showed signs of resisting, Jacka seized the officer. With the capture of the officer the orderly dropped his rifle and surrendered. It is thought that Jacka retained the officer's pistol as a souvenir, later handing it in the the AWRS. When the German officer was brought before Lieutenant Colonel J H Peck, commanding officer of the 14th Battalion, complaining of the rough treatment that he had received from Jacka, Peck replied that 'if he had been through Jacka's hands he could thank God he was still alive.'