Next of Kin plaque: Private John Herbert Leopold Gilbert, 37th Australian Infantry Battalion

Bronze next of kin plaque, showing on the obverse, Britannia holding a laurel wreath, the British lion, dolphins, a spray of oak leaves and the words 'HE DIED FOR FREEDOM AND HONOUR' around the edge. Beneath the main figures, the British lion defeats the German eagle. The initials 'ECP', for the designer Edward Carter Preston appear above the lion's right forepaw. A raised rectangle above the lion's head bears the impressed name 'JOHN HEBER [Sic] LEOPOLD GILBERT'. A checker's mark, '15', is impressed behind the lion's rear right paw and tail.

John 'Jack' Hebert Leopold Gilbert, a married grocer, was born in Haddon, Victoria on 26 January 1884 to George and Rosina Gilbert. He enlisted in the AIF at Ballarat on 28 February 1916 having previously served nine years in the Victorian Mounted Rifles. Gilbert embarked for overseas service with 37 Battalion Reinforcements on 19 February 1917 aboard HMAT Ballarat. On 25 April his troopship was approaching southern England when it was torpedoed by a German U-boat and was sunk. No lives were lost and Gilbert was picked up by the destroyer HMS Hardy and taken to Plymouth where he disembarked later that day.

After spending several months at 10 Training Battalion, Lark Hill Gilbert proceeded overseas to France on 10 September and was taken on strength by 37 Battalion in the field on 23 September. On 4 October 1917 Gilbert was severely wounded in the abdomen and buttock during the battle of Broodseinde where he was operating as a bomber. He was taken to 3rd Australian Casualty Clearing Station but died of his wounds the following day. He was buried at Nine Elms British Cemetery.

A witness, Sergeant F R Blake, stated: '[he was] a Section bomber at battle of Broodseinde. Battle began at 6am and at about 6.15am I saw Private Gilbert fall severely wounded in the right thigh and buttock. I lifted him into a shell hole where he would be in comparative safety and them pressed on. I believe the wound was done by MG [machine gun] bullets. I learned later in the day that the stretcher bearers had picked him up early in the day and that he had passed through the dressing stations and was cheerful'.

This commemorative plaque was sent to his widow, Mary, in 1923.