Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

William Henry McGuarr enlisted in the A.I.F. on 15 January 1916, with 20 Battalion A.I.F. He served on the Western Front.

William Henry McGuarr was born in Sydney in 1891, the third child of Dairy Farmer Richard McGuarr (1851-1933) and Elizabeth McGuarr (nee Marsh) (1857-1936). He signed up just before his 25th birthday on 15 January 1916. At enlistment, his stated occupation was Dairy Farm labourer. His older brother, Richard James McGuarr, a Dairy Farmer, had already joined up, having enlisted on 5 October 1915. At the time of William’s enlistment, Richard was still in Australia, however he would sail from Australia on board HMAT A54 Runic just five days later. Perhaps this upcoming departure of his brother had driven William to enlist. Richard would disembark in Alexandria on 26 February 1916 and be Taken on Strength (TOS) as part of the reinforcements of the newly formed 55 Battalion, which was created as part of the doubling in size of the A.I.F. William would embark for the war, five months later, from Sydney aboard HMAT A31 Ajana on 5 July 1916. Below is a photo on the day of departure from Melbourne (3 days later) with family and friends seeing the men off to the war aboard Ajana.

Whilst William was at sea, his brother Richard would be reported missing on 20 July 1916 during the Battle of Fromelles, just one day into the Battalion’s first battle.
William arrived in England on 1 September 1916. A few days after William arrived in England, his father would write a letter to the Army asking for news of his missing older son.
William’s father Richard was still writing for information regarding his eldest son when William arrived in England 1 September 1916. Richard’s mother would still be seeking word of her son as late as 10 February 1917.

On 9 November 1916, William wrote a letter to the Bristol Red Cross Enquiry Office seeking information on his missing brother.
William was TOS from the 5th Training Battalion having arrived at Rollestone.

On 2 December 1916, he was sent from 5th Training Battalion to the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital at Bulford suffering from VD. He would spend 82 days there.

Richard James McGuarr would finally have his status changed from Missing in Action on 20 July 1916 to Killed in Action on that date on 4 April 1917. According to 2677 Pte. O. Hodgson he had been seen on the morning of 20 July 1916 lying desperately wounded between the German and Australian lines at Fromelles where he had been “badly hit about the body, particularly in the stomach, that he must have died almost immediately after they left him.”

William proceeded to France on 22 May 1917 arriving at Etaples on 23 May. He was marched out to 20 Battalion on 8 June 1917 and joined the Battalion on 10 June 1917.

On 16 June 1917, the 5th Infantry Brigade Unit Diary recorded the following;
“Very hot day, visited by DAQMG 2nd Australian Division in morning. Brigade Training continued. Cricket matches between various unit teams of the Brigade in the afternoon.”

The Australian War Memorial has a photo of the men of the 20th Battalion which won the 5th Brigade Cricket Competition. In the front row is Private McGuarr.

At the start of September, 1917, 20 Battalion was in Arques training and resting. On the morning of 12 September, the Battalion moved out for Steenvoorde, arriving there at 5.10pm. The unit diary reports that “the people were found to be unfriendly, showing their spirit by a very patient disinclination to allow the troops to use water or in fact to assist them in any way.” On 13 September the Battalion marched out for Rickebusch leaving Steenvoorde at 6.10am and arriving at 4.30pm where the Battalion camped in a duck boarded camp where they stayed overnight to rest moving out at 3pm on the 14th to shelters in the banks of the canal that skirted the western edge of Ypres. Over the next four days, the Battalion company commanders sent out working parties towards the front lines, while the remainder of the Battalion rested and prepared for an attack. On 18 September 1917, 20 Battalion moved forward into the walls of Ypres for final preparations before the attack went in. At 5pm on the 19th, the Battalion moved forward for the attack with an officer and 25 men being sent to join a tunnelling company as a temporary attachment.

On 20 September, the unit diary reports that “battalion attacked and took its objective” and “repelled a counterattack”. This brief description had been part of the Battle for Menin Road.

Below is a Record of Events from the Unit Diary of the attack in which McGuarr was wounded.

At 11:45 PM on the night of 19/ 20 September, the battalion had assembled on the reverse slope of the Bellewarde Ridge and sent forward guides to the tapes marking the jumping off line.

At 12:25 AM, D Company moved forward and took up position on the jumping off line. The other companies quickly followed, and by 4:45 AM the battalion had assumed order of battle and lay in shell holes waiting for the time for attack.

At 5:35 AM, just before our barrage opened, the enemy was observed to open fire on the right flank Brigade, and at 5:37 AM he commenced shelling our frontline. D Company immediately went forward and the remaining companies followed.
At 5:40 AM our barrage came down just ahead of the moving companies and the attack commenced. Up to this point there had been few casualties. The enemy barrage now closed down heavily on the Westhoek Ridge, but only lightly on the forward slope.

By 6:05 AM the enemy barrage had died very noticeably and his light guns operated spasmodically.

At 6:11 AM a single set of three red flares would be seen to go up showing that the first objective had been reached, and four minutes later red ground flares were seen beyond the line of the first objective.

The companies were now seen forward of the first objective, rapidly digging in while our barrage had halted on the crest of the ridge above.

At 6:19 AM the enemy barrage thickened and settled on the crest and forward slope of Westhoek Ridge. The first batch of six prisoners came up the slope at 6:23 AM, and they were rapidly followed by others. The enemy now began to send up pairs of white flares and at 6:44 AM sent up white bouquets on our direct front and left flank. 3 minutes later his barrage on the Westhoek Ridge ceased.
At 6:54 AM more white bouquets were sent up by the enemy, and four minutes later his barrage re commenced lightly lower down the forward slope of Westhoek Ridge. News was now received that the battalion had slight casualties and was digging in forward of the objective, and also that Major A.K. Hosking MC had been killed early in the attack. The shelling of the forward slope and Hanabeek Wood increased a few minutes later, and it was seen that the enemy's heavies were now falling into the wood.

The enemy barrage dropped to intermittent shelling at 7:05 AM and became erratic.

By 7:24 AM our barrage had crept over the ridge above Hanabeek Wood, and our men were seen to go over the ridge in excellent formation. A runner now brought word from Captain Barlow that the objective had been gained and that he was digging in.

At 8:30 AM advice was received that a counterattack Division at Moorslede was on the move and preparation was made to meet it. For several hours shelling continued intermittently and heavy shelling on the slope beyond Hanabeek Wood, from time to time began to bring casualties and forced the companies to move further forward towards the crest of the hill.

At 3:45 PM Battalion headquarters was moved forward to some concrete shelters near the Southeastern edge of Hanabeek Wood.
At 6:05 PM enemy shelling began to increase, and by 6.10 PM had developed into a heavy barrage along the Hanabeek Water Course. Shortly after our SOS was seen above the ridge and our barrage came down in reply at 6:13 PM. Heavy shelling continued for 45 minutes when the enemy barrage began to weaken.
From 6:45 PM enemy shelling became intermittent, but our barrage continued until 8:30 PM and died down at 8:45 PM.

The night of 20/21 was quiet and intermittent shelling throughout the following day did not prevent the work of clearing up after the operation.

It was probable that during this attack, that McGuarr was wounded in action receiving a gunshot wound to the right elbow. His Service Papers list the evacuation chain as he was passed back wounded from the front line.

Initially, after receiving the gunshot wound to his right elbow he was picked up by the 6th Field Ambulance Brigade, then taken to the 10th Casualty Clearing Station before being passed back to the 11th General Hospital at Camiers. All of this happened on 20 September 1917. McGuarr stayed at 11 GH for five days.

The wound was serious enough that he was embarked for England aboard the hospital ship Ville-de-Liege on 25 September 1917 where he was then admitted to 1st Birmingham War Hospital in Rednal.

The September 1917 Unit History held by the Australian War Memorial, contains the After Action Report for “Hannabeek Wood”.

The battalion, after a considerable rest in the Bapaume and Amiens areas, moved to Arques near St Omer and entered into heavy training, evidently in anticipation of an action.

About 9 September the first intimation of an approaching action was received in the form of various maps and detailed intelligence which came to hand from GHQ. These were the forerunners of a flood of intelligence communications consisting of skilfully prepared maps showing enemy dispositions, enemy order of battle and offensive preparations, and aeroplane photographs of the whole front taken from all angles and very carefully marked to show all enemy positions.

From now onward to the date of the attack, the intelligence corps seems to have devoted every effort to clearly defining the nature of any opposition and a probable employment of the enemy forces during an attack. Thus it was that every man in the Battalion was enabled to study thoroughly the ground to be operated over, and to gauge the weight of the task that lay before the Battalion. So far did the intelligence efforts go that a complete model of the battlefront was made beforehand to scale and Officers and NCOs were enabled to see and study the ground over which they were going to move. The value of this unique type of training was afterwards demonstrated when, in the actual attack, leaders state they knew exactly their positions without having to make laborious reference to maps and bearings, on the battlefield.

On the morning of 11 September 1917, the C.O. Lieutenant Colonel A.W. Ralston, DSO, proceeded to the frontline to look over the position. The Battalion battlefront was then definitely known to be immediately east of Ypres.
On the morning of 12 September the Battalion proceeded to Steenvoorde, and next day went on to the Dickebusch area, camping there for a night, and preceding the following day to shelters in the canal bank that skirts the western edge of Ypres. This area showed that immense preparations were being made for action and the artillery, present in force, was exceedingly active. Working parties were now sent into the forward area, and the first casualty casualties that the battalion had had for some months were registered in the next few days.
Early on the morning of the 15th, the four company commanders and the Intelligence Officer went forward to the frontline and reconnoitred the position, and preparation of Brigade Dumps was begun. On the 17th intelligence data became a deluge and first orders were received preparatory to moving into the line. The following day the Battalion moved into the walls of Ypres and final positions were made. Major WJR Scott, DSO left for liaison work with the 9th British Division on our left, and Lieutenant SC Calderwood, MC took up similar position with the 7th Brigade, on our right. Considerable satisfaction was evinced by the troops when they learned that the left flank regiment was Scottish.
At 5:00 PM on the 19th, the Battalion began to move forward by sections and deployed into attack formation on the rear slope of the Westhoek Ridge. Battalion HQ moved into a blockhouse on the crest of the Westhoek Ridge, where 19 Battalion headquarters were already established. About 8:00 PM the weather broke and it was feared that rain might mar the attack. By 11:45 PM the battalion cold and wet, but in high spirits was ready to move forward to the jumping off line which had been taped some 300 yards forward on the forward slope of the Westhoek Ridge. A few minutes later they quietly moved forward by companies and took up their position. This was done without discovery, and the battalion lay down in shell holes and pieces of shattered trench waiting for the eventful moment to come. How quietly this movement was conducted is shown by the fact that a strong enemy patrol moved along the line of outposts, only 150 yards distant, without detecting any unusual preceding.

The weather now cleared considerably and any fears of rain handicapping our efforts were dissipated. The order of battle, reading from right to left, was A. B. C. and D. companies. Zero hour was 5:40 AM.

At 5:35 AM the enemy began to show the right brigade, having evidently detected some movement there. 2 minutes later he began to shell our frontline position causing some casualties in D company. Captain HB Barlow, officer commanding of D company immediately moved forward and was quickly followed by other companies. It was now that left Tennant Rs Yvette MC was killed. His popularity was demonstrated by the immediate gravitation of his men towards the point at which he led.

At 5:40 AM our barrage came down just ahead of the moving companies. From Battalion headquarters on the right ridge behind a perfect panorama of the whole battle was seen, every movement of the advancing waves being closely watched. The enemy barrage now came down very heavily on the Westhoek Ridge, but the advancing troops moved down towards Hannabeek water course were being only lightly shelled. A few casualties occurred, and short work was made of the Blockhouses before reaching the marshy ground in and about Hannabeek Wood. Several machine guns that might have impeded progress were dealt with in fine style by our men who were much too quick on the tail of the barrage to allow these to be brought into action. One gun indeed, in a concrete dressing station near the south eastern corner of Hannabeek Wood, was brought into play, notwithstanding the fact that the Red Cross flag was shown at the door. The crew succeeded in riddling one of our corporals, who was rushing the position, but they were quickly despatched by the men in rear. To the left a few machine guns had already fallen into our hands, being in block houses together with their cruise and had not ventured out in face of our barrage.

As the barrage moved across the Hannabeek water course, machine guns in Hannabeek wood came into action and our front wave became slightly disorganised. Major AK Hosking MC quickly rallied the men in his immediate vicinity and was moving forward with them towards the wood when he was killed by a piece of shell.

Many stirring deeds were the order of the moment, but the beserk spirit of Sergeant D. Poole, DCM appears to have stood out alone, no less than five machine guns in Hannabeek Wood falling to him. He was the leading spirit in the clearing of the would and it was unfortunate that shortly afterwards are wound sent him from the line.

After clearing Hannabeek Wood, the Battalion was scattered and considerably mixed, but was quickly taken in hand by the officers remaining and consolidation was commenced on the line of the first objective, about 80 yards forward of Hannabeek Wood. It was now found that the melee in the water course had cost us the following officers;
Captain Broadbent MC
Lieutenant Browning MC
Lieutenant CE Cameron
Lieutenant McColl
2nd Lieutenant Anthon
2nd Lieutenant Wilkins
2nd Lieutenant Low

Captain Broadbent, 2/Lt Anthon and Lieutenant Browning very gallantly carried on with the consolidation, but shortly after Captain Broadbent had to retire. This was shortly after 6:00 AM when a set of three red flares showing that the first objective had fallen into our hands were seen about that line.
In the meantime, our artillery had begun to have its effect and by 6:05 AM the enemy barrage had died very noticeably and the light guns operated spasmodically. At 6:19 AM, however, the enemy barrage again thickened and settled on the crest and forward slope of Westhoek Ridge. Through this barrage came the first batch of half a dozen dejected and very badly scared prisoners. They were rapidly followed by others who brought with them the first trophies of the action. They carried the machine guns which they had such a short time before being operating.

At 6:44 AM the enemy began to send up white bouquets and a few minutes later his barrage ceased. At 6:54 however, his barrage re commenced lightly down the forward slope of Westhoek Ridge and it was observed that his heavies were falling in Hannabeen Wood and on the first objective. It was here that Captain Bolton was badly winded and put out of action. Captain Barlow now took command of the forward line. Casualties were coming very quickly and it was imperative that the Battalion should be moved out of a very destructive fire. His quick action and intuitive grasp of the needs of the situation saved the Battalion from an exceedingly heavy casualty list. The casualties up to this point was slight but this heavy shelling had added considerably to them.

At 7:05 AM the enemy barrage again dropped and his shelling became intermittent and appeared to have lost its precision. By 7:24 AM our barrage had crept over the ridge above the Hannabeek Wood and 18 Battalion was seen to go over the Ridge in excellent formation, taking not only the second objective but also the third - that allotted to 17 Battalion with him went many of 20 Battalion and it was Sergeant Bateson of D Company who made for Anzac House and planted the Battalion flag there on.
At 8:30 AM advice was received the counterattack division at Moorslede was on the move and immediately preparations were made to meet it. The counterattack, however did not develop until evening. A couple of hours later, 2nd Lieutenant Anthon had to retire.

At 3:45 PM Battalion headquarters moved forward to the enemy aid post near the southern edge of Hannabeek Wood. It was now found that the Battalion had taken in the course of its operations a 10 centimetre Howitzer, which had become bogged in the Hannabeek water course, 16 machine guns, 2 “Cranatenwerfer”, a trench searchlight, 2 spring rocket throwers, and 30 sets of armour, something in the nature of body shields in one piece to protect the shoulders and front of the body. Also, a large store of pineapple bombs, and many rifles, flares, and other trench stores were captured.

At 6:05 PM the enemy's shelling which had been scattered an not continuous began to increase and developed into a heavy barrage heralding the expected counterattack full stop shortly after our SOS was seen above the ridge and by 6:13 PM our artillery had begun to land.

After 35 minutes, the enemy barrage began to rapidly weaken, but our guns continued to pour a tremendous weight of metal over until 8:30 PM when the continuous bellowing of our guns died down to the growl and mutter of the ordinary night’s occasional shelling. This counter attack failed to develop.
The enemy now evidently began to move his guns into new positions for the night was quite and an occasional burst of shelling through the following day seemed to denote that some of his guns had been moved, but did not effect the work of clearing up which was busily carried on all that day. At about 10:00 AM 2nd Lieutenant Tennant GC Cameron was wounded in the head and had to retire from the lines.

All through the operations the conduct of the stretcher-bearers, runners and signallers was pre-eminent and the intrepid style in which they carried out their work proved that the calibre of these men had not deteriorated. No praise could be too high for the men who went through those heavy barrages time and time again without thought for rest or sustenance.



On 10 January 1918 he Returned to Australia, the wound having been significant enough for him to be sent home on HT Corinthic.

He was discharged as a consequence of medical unfitness on 17 May 1918 where he left his address for his pension as 89 Albany Rd. Stanmore. His pension was 20/- per fortnight granted from 18 May 1918, the day after his discharge.

His medal entitlement is listed in his Service Papers.

On 6 March, 1933 his name appeared in Dun’s Gazette as the Executor of his father Richard’s Will. His mother Elizabeth was living at 23 Botany Street, Waterloo in 1929. On 14 September 1947 he applied for a duplicate G.R.I Badge No. A94106. This was issued on 14 September 1948.
He died in Wollongong, NSW in 1968.