MCMILLAN, John
| Service Number: | 1699 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 3 January 1916, Qld Mounted Infantry 3 years |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 46th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Neilston, Renfrewshire, Scotland,, January 1876 |
| Home Town: | Southport, Gold Coast, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Bootmaker |
| Died: | Cerebral degeneration, cerebral haemorrhage and exhaustion, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 1 August 1937 |
| Cemetery: |
Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane, Qld Monumental General Portion 5 |
| Memorials: | Southport Shire Council Roll of Honour, Southport War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 3 Jan 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1699, 47th Infantry Battalion, Qld Mounted Infantry 3 years | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Apr 1916: | Involvement Private, 1699, 47th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: SS Hawkes Bay embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 20 Apr 1916: | Embarked Private, 1699, 47th Infantry Battalion, SS Hawkes Bay, Sydney | |
| 24 Feb 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 1699, 46th Infantry Battalion, 1st MD, medically unfit |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
From Australian Remembrance Army
Australian World War One veteran Private John McMillan (Service No. 1699), is among almost 800 previously unmarked WWI veterans’ graves in Lutwyche Cemetery we have now marked with plaques in recognition of their service for Australia.
We unveiled his plaque in Lutwyche Cemetery on 16 May 2026, along with a further 185 plaques on the previously unmarked graves of Australian World War One veterans:
See Australian Remembrance Army Facebook page
John McMillan was born in 1876 in Neilston, Renfrewshire, Scotland, to Robert McMillan and Catherine McMillan, née McDonald.
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force at Brisbane, on 3 January 1916, stating his occupation as bootmaker and nominating his wife, Mrs Emily McMillan of Nerang Street, Southport, Queensland, as his next of kin. On 20 April 1916, he embarked for overseas service from Sydney, New South Wales, aboard the SS Hawkes Bay.
After arriving overseas, Private McMillan proceeded to France and served with the 46th Battalion. In August 1916, he was wounded in action in France, suffering a gunshot/shrapnel wound to the upper extremities, including his right arm. He was admitted to the 3rd Casualty Clearing Station and the 2nd Australian General Hospital, before being transferred to England aboard the hospital ship St Denis on 12 August 1916 and admitted to the 5th Southern General Hospital. He was discharged from hospital to Headquarters in October 1916, and in December proceeded overseas again to France.
Private McMillan continued to serve until 1918, when his health deteriorated. On 12 October 1918, he was evacuated on account of a breakdown, and on 31 October 1918 he was transferred from France to England. His records note premature senility as the reason for his return to Australia. He returned to Australia on the H.T. Somerset, embarking in December 1918 and disembarking in January 1919. He was discharged from the Australian Imperial Force in February 1919.
Following his return to Australia, John McMillan is recorded as living in Queensland and working as a boot repairer.
Private John McMillan died on 1 August 1937 from cerebral degeneration, cerebral haemorrhage and exhaustion, aged 68, and was buried in Monumental General Portion 5, Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane.
John and Emily had six children, five of whom were living at the time of his death: Lucy, Robert, Jane, George and Frederick. One son had predeceased him.
After decades without recognition at his place of burial, his grave now bears a plaque commemorating his service to Australia — ensuring his name endures among those remembered for their duty and sacrifice. His identity and dignity have now been restored.
We have remembered him.
Lest We Forget
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