Historical information
John Henry Lockett OAM (22 January 1891 – 25 May 2002) was the oldest man ever in Australia when he died aged 111 years, 123 days. As one of the last surviving veterans of World War I, he was acclaimed as a national hero during the last decade of his life. Lockett was born in the small Victorian town of Waanyarra, near Bendigo. He left school aged nine to work on a local farm. Later, he worked for his uncles in the Mallee. On 24 March 1916, he travelled to Mildura to enlist in the Australian Imperial Force. He served in France with the 38th Battalion, earning promotion to sergeant and was discharged on 20 September 1919. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Lockett
After the war, Jack returned to The Mallee and selected a 640 acres (260 ha) block of land in Linga, Victoria, deciding to make his living as a farmer. In 1923, he married Maybell Ingwerson and they had four children together. In 1963, the couple retired to Bendigo, leaving the farmland (which now covered more than 130,000 acres (53,000 ha), in the care of their children and grandchildren.
In 1998to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War One the French Government awarded the Chevalier (Knight) Legion of Honour to all surviving Allied veterans who had fought in France
Physical description
A certificate on cream coloured thick paper with black printing. A decorative scroll with leaves and berries and RF is around the border.
Printed text
REPUBLIQU FRANCAISE
HONNEUR PATRIE
LE PRESIDENT DE LA REPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE
GRAND MAITRE DE L'ORDE NATIONAL DE LA LOGION D'HONNEUR
nomme par decret de ce dour, Monsieur John, Henry LOCKETT
Ancien Combattant australien de la Premiere Guerre Mondiale
CHEVALIER DE LA LEGION D'HONNEUR
Fait a Paris, le 1er Octobre 1998
Scelle du sceau de I'Ordre sous le n' 253 LHE 98
Le Secretaire General adjiont
singed F. SISNE
Par le president de la Republique
LE GRAND CHANCELIER DE LA LEGION D' HONNEUR
signed General DOUIN
Also included is two A4 pages description of Jack Lockett's life and War Record compiled by Alan Holmes, President of Bendigo Sub Branch Returned Servies League of Australia and a letter (now laminated) from the French Ambassy signed Dominque Girard
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