MCDONALD, Francis John
| Service Number: | 4608 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 17 August 1915, Enlisted at Goulburn. |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 1st Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Bombala, New South Wales, Australia, 6 July 1890 |
| Home Town: | Nimmitabel, Cooma-Monaro, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Trainee Locomotive Driver |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 21 July 1916, aged 26 years |
| Cemetery: |
Pozières British Cemetery |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Goulburn District Railway Employees Great War Honour Roll, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 17 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4608, 1st Infantry Battalion, Enlisted at Goulburn. | |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Jan 1916: | Involvement Private, 4608, 1st Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: RMS Osterley embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 15 Jan 1916: | Embarked Private, 4608, 1st Infantry Battalion, RMS Osterley, Sydney |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by John Oakes
Francis John MCDONALD, (Service Number 4608) was born on 6th July 1890 at Bombala. He commenced work as a casual cleaner (The first rung in the career path of locomotive driver) at Goulburn Locomotive Depot on 22nd December 1913. It was December 1915 before the position became permanent but by then he had joined the Expeditionary Forces for more than three months.
McDonald enlisted at Goulburn on 17th August 1915. He claimed to be the cleaner that he was and being unmarried gave his father, Alexander, living at Big Bog, Nimmitabel as his next of kin. He was allotted to the 14th Reinforcement to the 1st Battalion. He embarked RMS ‘Osterley’ on 15th January 1916 at Sydney. He may have become ill on the voyage because there is an entry in his file of ‘discharged to duty ex Govt Hospital, Suez 21//2/16.’ He was eventually taken on the strength of the Battalion at Serapeum (Egypt) on 17h March and embarked to join the British Expeditionary Force at Alexandria on 22nd March. He reached Marseilles on 28th March 1916.
He was killed in action in France on 21st July 1916 and buried in a trench behind Casualty Corner Cemetery NW of Contalmaison 3⅛ miles ENE of Albert. This temporary grave was located after the war and the remains exhumed and re-interred in Pozières British Cemetery, France.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Rolland notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.