Jack Conrad Bazzard was born at Tenterden, Kent, in 1918. As a boy he was a good all-round sportsman and excelled at boxing. His ambition to be a journalist was thwarted by the outbreak of the Second World War and he was commissioned into the Kent Yeomanry. He served with the regiment through the campaigns in Belgium, France, Iraq and Western Desert until finally joining the Eighth Army in Italy in early 1944. The next nine months saw the Kent Yeomanry involved in heavy fighting, as the Eighth Army pushed north towards Rome, crossing the rivers Volturno, Tiber, until by early December 1944, it was nearing the River Lamone.
At this time the Kent Yeomanry was supporting the 25th Indian Brigade. One of the brigades infantry units, the 3/1st Punjab Regiment was supported by 385 Battery. On 12th December 1944 Jack found himself in command of an Observation Post (OP) Party that was tasked to support a night attack on an enemy position known as Pergola Ridge. After receiving orders from Captain Keith Rae, Jack and his OP Party went forward with one of the Punjabi’s forward platoons.