Killed in action at Armentieres in 1916. Robert Duncan Jack was the son of Robert Hunter and Julia Jack.  He was born in Caulfield in 1893.  When he enlisted on 31 March 1915 he gave his occupation as jeweller and stated that he had served a five year apprenticeship with A Macrow & Son, 416 Swanston Street, Melbourne.  In 1909 this company was described as being the largest in the Commonwealth in its particular line of business.  It imported pianos, organs, and all kinds of musical instruments, also sewing machines, watches, clocks, silverware and cutlery, as well as having two of the largest jewellery factories in the Commonwealth.  Robert had spent two months serving with the Richmond Rifle Club and was still serving at the time of his enlistment.  He gave as his next of kin his widowed mother of 1029 Punt Road, East Melbourne.  This address was also known as Iona, Nurse MacKay’s private hospital.  Helen MacKay was Robert’s sister.  He was just under 5ft 7ins, with a medium complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. 

He was appointed to A Company, 24th Battalion, 6th Infantry Brigade at Broadmeadows as a private on 7 May 1915.  The battalion was formed during the first week of May out of a surplus of recruits at Broadmeadows and they sailed at the end of that week on 10 May 1915 aboard the Euripides.  The embarkation roll gives Robert’s address as Caulfield, so he may never have lived in East Melbourne. 

After some training in Egypt he proceeded to the Gallipoli Peninsula on 30 August 1915, where he fought at Lone Pine.  On his return he disembarked at Alexandria on 10 January 1916.  A week later he was at Tel-el-Kebir where he was absent without leave from reveille for four days in a row and forfeited four days’ pay and seven days CB. He left Alexandria on 20 March 1916 to join the Forces in France and disembarked at Marseilles on 26 March 1916. He took part in the raid on the enemy’s trenches on the night of 29/30 June 1916 and was killed in action. 

He is buried in Ration Farm Cemetery near Bois Grenier, 1½ miles south of Armentieres, Plot 1,Row 1, Grave No. 6, La Chapelle d'Armentieres.

His mother was granted £2 per fortnight as from 12 September 1916. June 1916