Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From Gallipoli

Lieutenant Colonel Walter Ramsay McNicoll, 6th Battalion Australian Infantry, was injured on 1st May 1915 when a Royal Marine from the Deal Battalion attacked him, convinced he was a spy. He was briefing Lieutenant Colonel Richard Nelson Bendshye, R.M.L.I., officer commanding Deal Battalion, Royal Naval Division, at the time. Bendshye was shot and killed; McNicoll received bayonet wounds.

He made no mention of the incident but McNicoll alluded to 'spyitis' affecting many men at the time in a letter written from hospital while he recovered from wounds sustained on 8th May 1915.

“COLONEL McNICOL, D.S.O.

“I saw one splendid officer jump up on the parapet to lead his men on. Immediately he sank\back against a tree stump, as if breathless.

“Are you hit, sir?” asked someone.

“Oh, yes, but I think it's slight,” he panted.

“Two men tore open his shirt, and found it was a flesh wound on the shoulder. He just took a breath, jumped up again as if nothing had happened, and said, “Come along, men.” He blew his whistle and led the battalion on. They would follow him through anything. He had not gone 200 yards when he was hit again.”

“Such is the description given by Captain Bean, in his description of the wonderful Australian charge at Krithia, of the wounds sustained by Colonel McNicol, D.S.O., of the 6th Battalion. The writer was condemned to anonymity, and many of his Australian readers may not know that the officer referred to was the gallant Victorian officer referred to was the gallant Victorian who gained his D.S.O. on the day of the landing at Gaba Tepe by services which practically amounted to saving the whole situation on the right of the line.

“Colonel McNicol is now lying in haspital [sic] in England (writes the “Argus” correspondent), preparing for a third operation, two attempts to remove the bullet that struck him on Krithia slopes having proved unsuccessful. The hospital specialists hold out strong hopes that the third operation will end the trouble, but after 15 weeks of ceaseless pain the colonel was in no condition to submit to any longer newspaper interview. Nevertheless, he recalled some of his experiences of the trying fortnight during which he upheld the honor of Australia so splendidly.

“The men who were with me on that first Sunday,” he said, “were, as you know, everybody's men. They were good men, but in strange conditions, and led by strangers. The air was full of rumors, and most of them were suffering badly from spyitis. That is a complaint that makes the bravest men nervous.

“There was talk of retiring, and a statement that an order to that effect had been issued. We were out on the third ridge, and the position was certainly a very shaky one. But retiring would make it no better; rather worse, in fact. So I shouted a little and blew on a whistle I had; and, if they had not stayed, the position on the right flank would have been much endandangered. [sic]

“The next two days were days of ceaseless work. On the Thursday after Sunday's landing I was ordered by General Birdwood to take a little sleep. I pointed out that it was not possible, as I had lost so many officers, including my major, adjutant, and sergeant-major. 'But you must sleep.' he declared: 'I'll see to the rest of it.' And then I got my first sleep on Gallipoli, though not much of it.

“The men got their first spell from the trenches on Sunday, or a week after landing. They were relieved by some naval men from a marine brigade; but it was not much of a rest for me.

“May 4 saw a fruitless attack on Gaba Tepe. in which we lost heavily; and on May 5 we were taken on trawlers to join in the general attack on Krithia. Our first night was spent in what was called a 'rest camp' where a number of men were killed in their sleep by shrapnel bullets. The big guns at Chanak. on the Asiatic shore of the Narrows, were belting shrapnel right into the alleged rest camp. Some memory of that sort is associated with all my attempts at rest on Gallipoli.

“We lay in reserve for two days, and then, as all the world knows, the 2nd Brigade was called upon to charge up the open slopes of Krithia. They went 700 yards before they stopped, though I myself did not get to the end of that journey. They beat the New Zealanders on their left by a good 200 yards, while the British on our right did not reach the position till the next day. And that was the end ot my fighting in Gallipoli.”

“Colonel McNicol had just received a letter from General Birdwood, congratulating him, in terms of the most unaffected sincerity on the distinction that had been conferred upon him, and expressing the confident hope that he would return to yet greater honor that undoubtedly awaited him. A letter to the same effect from General Walker proved in what genuine esteem and respect the gallant colonel of the 6th Battalion is held by the British officers with whom he has co-operated.” [1]

[1] 'Kyneton Guardian' (Victoria), 21st September 1915.

AWM Summary (see "boots" picture)

Pair of other ranks leather boots worn by Lieutenant Colonel Walter Ramsay McNicoll during the period from the landing on 25 April until his wounding during the Second Battle of Krithia on 8 May 1915. McNicoll, born 27 May 1877 at Emerald Hill, Melbourne, trained as a teacher and became founding principal of Geelong High School in 1911. He was an active member of the militia from 1905, when he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 5 Australian Infantry. Promoted to lieutenant on 27 August 1907 and captain on 16 January 1911, McNicoll was transferred to the 60 Infantry Battalion in July 1912 where he was promoted to major, and was later transferred to the 70th Infantry in December 1913.

On 28 August 1914, McNicoll was appointed to the AIF as second-in-command of 7 Infantry Battalion, with the rank of major; and later to command the 6 Battalion as a lieutenant colonel in early April 1915. He led 6 Battalion for the landing at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915 and found himself commanding the scattered units of both 6 and 7 Battalions after 7 Battalion's commander, Lieutenant Colonel Harold 'Pompey' Elliott was wounded in the ankle. After advancing to the Razorback, he and his troops were forced to fall back on Bolton's Ridge, where McNicoll directed the defence over the following few days.

Shortly after the lines had been consolidated, 6 Battalion was relieved by 12 (Deal) Battalion of the Royal Marines on 29 April. Whilst making a hand-over inspection of the position a few days later, on 1 May, McNicoll's dishevelled appearance unnerved a young marine who shot at him. The bullet missed but killed their own commander, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Bendyshe. Pandemonium broke out and men started firing. Three other men were shot and McNicoll had to defend himself from being bayonetted from several directions, suffering only mild wounds, but his notebooks and revolver were removed and he was bound and blindfolded as a spy. Only when 6 Battalion's adjutant recognised him and freed him as he was being removed from the trench was he taken down to the beach and treated by Naval Division doctors. He was able to return to duty two days later.

On 3 May, as part of 2 Brigade, 6 Battalion was transferred to the southern Cape Helles section of the Peninsula, where the Brigade was ordered to assault the town of Krithia in a poorly planned and fruitless operation on 8 May. The areas forward of the town were strongly held by Turkish defenders and the attackers were forced to advance across open ground in daylight, constantly losing men as they moved forward. Most of the officers and NCOs of each battalion were casualties, with 6 Battalion losing 365 men in a matter of an hour. McNicoll was slightly wounded as he rose from a trench but still moved forward, before being hit in the stomach by a bullet some 200 metres further on. He was recovered after dark by stretcher bearers after his position had been noted by historian Charles Bean during the attack, and evacuated to Alexandria. The bullet was removed from near his hip in England on 13 August 1915 and kept with some pride by McNicoll in an paper envelope labelled 'The Bullet Krithia May 8th 1915'. This is held in the Memorial's collection under accession number REL/08579, while the medical tag attached to him for his evacuation, describing his wound, is held under number PR83/145.

For 'repeatedly exhibiting gallantry and skill in the command of his Battalion' during the first few days of the Gallipoli Campaign, McNicoll was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in June 1915. He was invalided back to Australia in late 1915, but was judged well enough to be appointed to command the 10th Infantry Brigade on 10 February 1916, in which position he remained until the end of the war.

All officers in the AIF were issued with and wore other ranks uniforms and boots when involved in operations, and these ankle boots are typical of this general issue. Made in 1913, they were worn by Walter McNicoll throughout his Gallipoli service, from 25 April until his wounding on 8 May. They have never been cleaned and still bear the scars of his action there and the dust and dirt of the Peninsula. The Australian War Records Section notes that these boots were 'taken off by ward orderly on Hospital Ship 'Guildford Castle' on May 11th and not worn since'.

Wikitree Biography

Brigadier General Sir Walter McNicoll KBE CB CMG DSO VD was an Australian teacher, soldier, and colonial administrator.

Walter Ramsay McNicoll was born on 27th May 1877 at Emerald Hill, Victoria, Australia. He was the only son and eldest of three children of William Walter McNicoll and Ellen Ramsay.[1] He enlisted in the Victorian Militia Force about 1895.

Walter trained as a teacher in the Victorian Education Department and at Melbourne University. He held posts in various country schools in Victoria, leading eventually to founding principal of Geelong High School in 1911.

On 10th June 1905, he married fellow school teacher, Hildur Jarlsberg, daughter of Oscar Wedel Jarlsberg, a Norwegian migrant.[2] They had five sons:

Major General Ronald Ramsay McNicoll (1906-96)
Vice Admiral Sir Alan Wedel Ramsay McNicoll (1908-87)
Colin Wedel Ramsay McNicoll (1909-21)
Frederick Oscar Ramsay McNicoll (1910-89)
David Ramsay (aka Jack Meander) McNicoll (1914-2000), a well known Sydney-based journalist.
Walter McNicoll KBE CB CMG is an Anzac who served in World War One.

At the outbreak of the First World War Walter transferred to the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) where he was placed in command, as a Lieutenant Colonel, of the 6th Battalion, 2nd Australian Brigade.[3][4] He was awarded the Volunteer Officer's Decoration about this time for twenty years service in the militia.
B'GEN Sir Walter McNicoll KBE CB CMG was Wounded in Action at Gallipoli during The Great War.

On 8th May at Gallipoli, he was seriously wounded during an infantry charge. He was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB), awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) and Mentioned in Despatches twice for his role in the 6th. Following a year's recuperation in Melbourne, McNicoll was promoted to Brigadier General and given command of the 10th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Division. From December 1916 to the armistice nearly two years later, the brigade was part of numerous actions on the Western Front, including Messines, Ypres, the Somme, and Amiens. He was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) and awarded the Belgian Croix de Guerre for his service with 10th Brigade.

After the war McNicoll returned to teaching, as founding principal of what is now the Argyl School in Goulburn, in southern New South Wales. A son, Colin, died here in 1921, eight years of age.

In 1931 he stood for and won the seat of Werriwa in the federal parliament. He resigned towards the end of his first three-year term, however, when he was appointed Administrator of the Mandated Territory of New Guinea. He served in that position from 1934 up to the time of the Japanese invasion in 1942. He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) for his work organising relief efforts after the 1937 volcanic eruption that nearly destroyed the territory's capital, Rabaul.

His four surviving sons each served Australia during the Second World War, each one coming home safely.

Sir Walter passed away on 24th December 1947 at Paddington, New South Wales.[5]

Sources
McNicoll, Ronald McNicoll, Sir Walter Ramsay (1877–1947). Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University,
published first in hardcopy 1986, accessed online 11 Jun 2018.
Wikipedia:_Walter_McNicoll; accessed 10 Jun 2018.
↑ Victoria Birth Index #8817/1877
↑ Victoria Marriage Index #2224/1905
↑ Australian_War_Memorial_Nominal_Roll; accessed 10 Jun 2018
↑ Australian_War_Memorial_Unit_record; accessed 10 Jun 2018
↑ New South Wales Death Index #23787/1947