MCCANN, George Arthur
| Service Number: | 1750 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 3 November 1915, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1) |
| Born: | Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, 1 January 1884 |
| Home Town: | Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Gravel Hill State School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Tram driver |
| Died: | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 February 1940, aged 56 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Cheltenham Memorial Park, Victoria, Australia |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 3 Nov 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1750, Melbourne, Victoria | |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Apr 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1750, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1), Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Aeneas embarkation_ship_number: A60 public_note: '' | |
| 17 Apr 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1750, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1), HMAT Aeneas, Fremantle |
George Arthur McCann
George Arthur, or Art as he was known, was the ninth and youngest child born to Moses and Johanna McCANN on the 1st January 1884 at Ballarat, Victoria.
Art commenced his education at the Gravel Hill State School, Bendigo in August, 1887 at the young age of three years and eight months old.
On the 15th December, 1910 Art entered the Victoria Police Force as a Constable from Bourke and was sent to the District Depot. On the 10th February, 1911 he was transferred from the Depot to Melbourne District, Russell Street, for foot duty.
After leaving the Police Force in September 1913, Art worked as a tram driver and then applied to enter the Army for service with the A.I.F. (W.W.1.) on the 22nd July, 1915. Art was accepted into the A.I.F. on the 3rd November, 1915 serving overseas with the 51st Battalion. On the 14th May, 1916 Art was admitted to Hospital Suez and on the 7th June, 1916 he left hospital and returned to Australia on the ship 'Ulysses'.
On returning to Australia Art was discharged from the army on the 11th June, 1917.
Art rejoined the Victoria Police Force on the 24th June, 1919. He served in the Melbourne District as part of the foot patrol stationed at Russell Street, before being transferred to Port Melbourne for duty as a watch-house keeper.
It was while at this post on the 18th September, 1919 that Art's superiors used remarks like 'highly commended for his "astuteness, tact and skill", displayed in connection with the Seamen's strike in 1919'.
Art left the Police Force in September 1925 and turned to working as a linesman.
Art married Olive Burnese BERTRAM in 1919 passing away on the 8th February, 1940, at the Austin Hospital, Melbourne at the age of fifty six.
Submitted 16 March 2017 by Sharyn Street
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