Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

John Cameron Mackenzie was born in Scotland in 1887 and enlisted in June 26th 1915. He was a farmer and labourer from Apple Tree Creek near Childers in Queensland
Service number: 2374
Rank: Private
Roll title: 26 Infantry Battalion - 1 to 8 Reinforcements (June 1915 - January 1916) Date of embarkation: 5 October 1915
Place of embarkation: Brisbane
Ship embarked on: HMAT Warilda
Ship number: A69
Date of death: 1 May 1918
Place of death: France
Cause of death: Killed in action
Cemetery or memorial details: Le Peuplier Military Cemetery, Caestre, France Source: AWM145 Roll of Honour cards, 1914-1918 War, Army
John Mackenzie joined the main 26th Battalion training group and was consequently allocated to the 12th Battalion on the 1st March 1916 and proceeded oveseas on HMAT Warilda to Alexandrina in Egypt. He trained here and finally with the 12th Battalion returned to France at Marseille on April 1916 .He was involved in bitter trench warfare during the next 2 years. He would have taken part in battles at Poziers,Ypres and the Somme.
On the 11th May 1917 he was wounded in action. After spending time at a hospital in Rouen and leave held in England he returned to Belgium and was promoted to Lance Corporal on the 6th October 1917. He suffered trench fever and again was repatriated to England for a time before returning once again to Belgium and returned to his unit on the 27th April 1918. Just 4 days later on the 1st May in operations around Caestra as part of the allied offensive he was killed while resting at Borre North siding when a shell landed on a hut and killed 14 men .He was buried at Le Peuplier Cemetery.