MCLELLAN, Daniel Thomas
| Service Number: | 835 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 23 November 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 8th Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Violet Town, Victoria, 1889 |
| Home Town: | Violet Town, Strathbogie, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Violet Town State School |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Warragul, Victoria, 1968, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Warragul Cemetery, Victoria, Australia |
| Memorials: | Euroa Telegraph Park, Violet Town Honour Roll WW1, Violet Town Primary School Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 23 Nov 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Trooper, 835, 8th Light Horse Regiment | |
|---|---|---|
| 13 Apr 1915: | Involvement Private, 835, 8th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Wiltshire embarkation_ship_number: A18 public_note: '' | |
| 13 Apr 1915: | Embarked Private, 835, 8th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Wiltshire, Melbourne |
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McLELLAN Daniel Thomas 835 TPR
8th Light Horse Regiment
1889-1968
Daniel Thomas McLellan was the second son of James and Jane McLellan. There were three more sons and three daughters. He was ‘25 last July’ when he enlisted in November 1914.
Dan was drafted into the 8th Light Horse Regiment; for his initial training he would have been posted to camp at Seymour until his embarkation on HMAT Wiltshire on 13 April 1915.
The ship’s destination was Alexandria.
The 8th Light Horse Regiment under General Harry Chauvel embarked from Alexandria to land at Anzac Cove in May 1915 to be reinforcements at Monash Valley, Shrapnel Valley and Walker’s Ridge. Due to the rugged terrain, mounted horses were not used on the Peninsula and some of the Light Horse Regiments, including Dan’s were deployed as infantry. It was on 17 June at Walker’s Ridge two weeks after the landing, that he received a shrapnel wound to the right knee as well as gunshot wound to his neck. He was invalided out on HS Gascon to No 1 General Hospital at Heliopolis.
An article appearing in the Violet Town Sentinel dated 20 July 1915 states that ‘In the official list of wounded, published yesterday, appears the name of Pte DT McLellan, son of Mr James McLellan, Violet town. Nothing of course, is known as to the nature of the wound, but all hope that it is not serious and express sympathy with Mr McLellan in the misfortune that has happened to his brave lad.’
On 3 January 1916 Dan was invalided back to Australia aboard Ulysses for discharge. On 6 February the following article was printed in the Violet Town Sentinel – ‘RETURNED – Among the wounded soldiers who disembarked on Saturday at Melbourne is Pte DT McLellan of Violet Town who left with the 8th Light Horse and was wounded in the leg at Gallipoli.’
On 10 January 1923 in a Seventh Day Adventist Church in Windsor, Dan and Alice Lilian Emma Hall were married. Dan was 33 and Lilian was 10 years younger. They were to have one daughter. Dan and his family lived in Malvern while he worked as a tram conductor. Later they moved to a farm at Drouin, where, according to the electoral rolls they remained until about 1963 when they moved to Warragul. He was on a TPI pension for some years before his death in April 1967. His wife Alice lived until 1972. They are both buried in the Warragul Cemetery.
Dan’s gravestone bears the inscription ‘Trooper Daniel Thomas McLellan.’
Service Medals: 1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal
Honour Rolls: Main Honour Board, Memorial Hall, Violet Town
St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Violet Town
Violet Town SS
Copper Plaque affixed to wall of Memorial Hall
Tree No 41 - Schinus molle - pepper tree - was planted in 1917 by W Johnstone. It was still standing in 2013.
© 2016 Sheila Burnell