MENZIES, Cecil William
| Service Numbers: | Not yet discovered |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 31 August 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 2nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Moss Vale, New South Wales, Australia, 27 August 1889 |
| Home Town: | Newcastle, Hunter Region, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Railway Officer |
| Died: | Killed In Action, Belgium, 22 September 1917, aged 28 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Baulkham Hills William Thompson Masonic School War Memorial, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Menin Gate Memorial (Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing of the Ypres Salient), Sydney United Grand Lodge Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 31 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 2nd Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Oct 1916: | Involvement 2nd Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: '' | |
| 7 Oct 1916: | Embarked 2nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ceramic, Sydney | |
| 10 Aug 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 2nd Infantry Battalion, Promoted in France. | |
| 22 Sep 1917: | Involvement Lieutenant, 2nd Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: awm_unit: 2 Battalion awm_rank: Lieutenant awm_died_date: 1917-09-22 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by John Oakes
Cecil William MENZIES, was born on 27th August 1889 at Moss Vale. He first worked for the NSW Government Railways as a temporary junior porter in the Traffic Branch in the Newcastle District from 6th May 1905. Between that date and 1st July 1907, he was discharged seven times, and described as being ‘On & Off’ also seven times. From that date in 1907 he was described as permanent, initially as a gatekeeper at Lisarow, then a junior porter at Fassifern (June 1908) and Honeysuckle Point (August 1909). In May 1910 he was a junior clerk at Waratah, for he was still not 21-years-old. In January 1911 he was still a junior clerk, even though he was now 21. In March he became a night officer in the Newcastle District and at the end of that year a stationmaster’s clerk at Singleton. In July 1912 he was a 7th class clerk. In 1913 he was a night officer again on the Newcastle Relief.
He remained in this position until his release from duty to join the Expeditionary Forces on 31st July 1915. He enlisted in the AIF on that same day at Newcastle. As he was not married, he gave his father, Andrew Menzies, who was living at Beamish Street Campsie, as his next of kin
He was allotted to the 21st Reinforcements to the 2nd Australian Infantry Battalion. Menzies embarked HMAT ‘Ceramic’ at Sydney on 7th October 1916. His rank on that day is shown as 2nd Lieutenant. In the fifteen months between enlistment and departure from Australia Menzies must have been identified as having the potential to be an officer and given the training required. He reached Plymouth (England) on 21st November 1916. In January 1917 he was admitted to Fargo Military Hospital with tonsilitis. He was discharged ten days later and taken on the strength of the 1st Training Battalion. Here he qualified 1st class at the 8th Rifle Course held at the School of Musketry, Tidworth, and had a fair working knowledge of the Lewis Gun.
On 1st May 1917 he proceeded overseas to France and joined the 2nd Battalion on 10 May. On 10th August he was promoted to Lieutenant.
A month later on 22nd September 1917 he was posted missing but this was soon changed to killed in action. He was killed by shell fire as his unit was being relieved at Polygon Wood, Ypres. Pte. A Martin (6368) stated:
‘Mr. Menzies was killed coming out of Polygon Wood, Ypres. It was about 2 a.m. A shell wounded him and he called out “I’m hit”. We all scattered in the excitement and jumped into a sap. A moment after a shell landed and blew him to pieces. I do not think there was much left to bury. I think it was buried on the spot’.
Menzies has no known grave and is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Belgium.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.