Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Wow – what a fun research project this man has turned out to be. So fortunate to find a 59 page document on Ancestry written by Mary Antonellini, known as Molly, the sister of H McDonald listed on the Wooroolin WW1 Honour Board.
Henry Arthur McDonald, known as Harry, was born on 3 Apr 1895 in Brooklyn, Pacific County, State of Washington, USA the son of James & Cora McDonald. His mother, Cora McDonald, died in 1903 at Idaho, USA when Henry was just 7 years old and his sister, Mary, known as Molly, 5 years. Their father remarried and in 1909 the family moved to New Zealand. After living in New Plymouth for a while they decided it was too cold and moved to Australia.
James and his family sharefarmed a property in Crows Nest, Qld. Whilst there Harry & his Dad had an argument and young Harry decided to go out on his own. A drought broke out and Harrys Dad and family left Crows Nest and moved to Redcliffe then Brisbane then Eight Mile Plains before seeing an advertisement in the paper where a man wanted a family to live on a farm and raise vegetables at Wooroolin.
In her story Molly states that they had to leave the farm owned by Mr Gallerger when he sold it. His wife had 2 sons from her previous marriage named Darcy and Horace.
The McDonald family now lived closer to Kingaroy at Jones Hill but it seems they paid the rent at Wooroolin!
WW1 was declared in Aug 1914 and Molly would have known several lads that enlisted in the AIF over the next few years. Molly had met 2 young American Sailors, Bill & Frank, whilst living at this farm. They enlisted in the AIF when Molly was about 19 and this extract is from her story:
“It was funny but when Frank and Bill joined the Army in the same tent was a young man named Harry McDonald.
So Frank asked him if he had a father named James McDonald and a sister named Molly, my nickname. He said yes but it was 5 years since he had seen or heard from us. As we had moved so much he did not know where we were.　So he wrote to father and said he had found out where we were. Just before he went overseas he came to see us, when he had leave. We were so happy to see each other. Harry told us how he had joined the Army.
Said one day a sergeant and two soldiers started a march called the Dungaree March. It was to recruit young men and he joined. Along the way there were church groups serving tea, cookies and sandwiches. The last stop they made was a place called Goodna.
They had a big dinner for the recruits and one of the girl met Harry and gave him her address. They lived only a few miles from camp. She went to see him and he went to her home and met her mother. She wrote us and while he was overseas she came to see us. All of us liked her. Her name was EIsie Hall.”

Harry McDonald was working in Boonah near Ipswich as a Chauffer when he enlisted in the AIF and gave his NOK as Guardian, Mr TH Gartside of Boonah. The March of the Dungarees was a snowball march in November 1915 in South-East Queensland, Australia, to recruit men into the Australian military during World War I at a time when enthusiasm to enlist had waned after the loss of life in the Gallipoli campaign. The march began at Warwick and followed the Southern railway line through Toowoomba, Laidley, and Ipswich to its destination in Brisbane.
After gaining contact with his family Harry changed his NOK to his father hence his name on our Wooroolin Honour Board.

Harry was assigned to 25th Battalion, 11th Reinforcement and his unit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT Star of Victoria on 31 March 1916.
Henry served in France for the whole of his service and his father was notified twice that Henry had been wounded. Whilst he was in the UK on Leave he was contacted by his stepmother’s cousins who looked after him per Molly’s story.
The 25th Battalion saw much action in both France & Belgium. World War I was a war of trenches. Over four years, both sides would launch attacks against the enemy’s trench lines, attacks that resulted in horrific casualties.
Henry returned to Australia on board the “Ypringa” on 7th July 1919 and was discharged on 21st Aug 1919.

Harry’s father and family returned to America in Nov 1919 but Harry decided to stay in Australia. He married Elsie Hall in 1921 and they lived in the Nundah area of Brisbane where Henry continued life driving vehicles.
During WW11 Henry enlisted in 2nd (QLD) Battalion Volunteer Defence Corps (VDC) and his records show his occupation was a Gatekeeper and Watchman. He was also a Heavy Truck Driver with a Boiler Ticket.
His son Eric Angus McDonald also enlisted in the AIF and served with 1 Qld L of C Area Bulk Issue Petrol & Oil Depot (BIPOD).
Henry Arthur McDonald died in 1962 but I have not located his burial place. He is remembered on the Wooroolin WW1 Honour Board and South Burnett Anzac Heroes Website.
Lest We forget