S2418
MCCORD, Donald Spence
| Service Number: | 1035 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 12 January 1915, Oaklands, SA |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 9th Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Mallala, Reeves Plains, SA, 16 April 1894 |
| Home Town: | Reeves Plains, Mallala, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Mallala Reeves Plains State School |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Millicent, South Australia, 30 November 1973, aged 79 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Millicent Cemetery, S.A. |
| Memorials: | Gawler Council Gawler Men Who Answered the Call WW1 Roll of Honor, Mallala Reeves Plains State School Old Scholars Honour Roll, Mallala Two Wells Pictorial Honour Roll 2 |
World War 1 Service
| 12 Jan 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 1035, 9th Light Horse Regiment, Oaklands, SA | |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Jun 1915: | Embarked Private, 1035, 9th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Kanowna embarkation_ship_number: A61 public_note: '' | |
| 24 Jun 1915: | Embarked Private, 1035, 9th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Kanowna, Adelaide | |
| 10 Oct 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 1035, 9th Light Horse Regiment | |
| 10 Jan 1920: | Involvement Lance Corporal, 1035, 9th Light Horse Regiment, Joined RSL |
Help us honour Donald Spence McCord's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Xavier Two Wells
Donald Spence McCord was born on April 16, 1894, in South Australia. He grew up at Mallala, Reeves Plains area with his father, John James McCord, and his mother, Maria Jemima Nee Dawkins. Donald was the youngest of six children, with one brother and five sisters.
He attended Mallala Reeves Plains State School, where he received a basic education that focused on writing, reading, and simple math. Like many children growing up in rural South Australia at the time, Donald balanced school with helping on the family farm. He learnt to care for animals, plants, harvest crops, and maintain the farmland alongside his father and brother.
On January 12, 1915, at the age of 20, Donald enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force as a private and was assigned to the 9th Australian Light Horse Regiment. His enlistment form shows that he wasn’t married, nor did he have any children at the time. Donald enlisted in Oaklands, South Australia, and began basic training shortly after joining. He later continued training in Mitcham before heading overseas with his regiment.
On 24th June 1915, Donald Spence McCord embarked for overseas service aboard the HMAT A10 Karroo from Adelaide, South Australia, to the peninsula of Turkey. He was part of the 9th Australian Light Horse Regiment, which was being sent to support the Gallipoli campaign.
Not long after this, he participated in the Sinai-Palestine campaign in 1916, where Australian troops fought against Ottoman forces at the Suez Canal and pushed them out of the Middle East. During this campaign, Donald and his regiment faced extreme heat, limited water and food, and long patrols that tested their strength. Unfortunately, in 1917, he suffered an accidental battlefield injury that caused septic sores on his left hand and was later diagnosed with Pyrexia (A high fever, often caused by infection) as a result.
After recovering from his illness, Donald returned to duty with his regiment. He was appointed of Lance Corporal on July 31st, 1918.
After serving for over four years in the Australian Imperial Force, Donald Spence McCord returned to Australia on August 10th, 1919. He had been away from home since 1915, serving in Gallipoli and the Middle East.
On 10 October 1919, Donald was discharged from the AIF.
After returning from the war, Donald returned to civilian life in South Australia. He returned to his original lifestyle as a farmer, working in the Mallala, Reeves Plains area. Donald eventually married Ella Grace McCord, and together they had two children, Gwenda Jean McCord (Birth date not recorded) and Donald Arthur McCord, born on 8 June 1921. Later in life, Donald moved to Millicent, South Australia, where he continued to live and work as a farmer.
On November 30th, 1973, in Millicent, South Australia, Donald Spence McCord passed away at the age of 79.
Donald Spence McCord is commemorated onmultiple memorials, such as the Gawler Council Men Who Answered the Call WW1 Roll of Honour, Mallala Reeves Plains State School Old Scholars Honour Roll, and the Mallala Two Wells pictorial Honour Roll 2.
Reference List:
1. Vwma.org.au. (2025). Donald Spence MCCORD. [online] Available at: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/193082.
2. Wikitree.com. (2024). Donald Spence McCord (1894-1973) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree. [online] Available at: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/McCord-5471
3. Awm.gov.au. (2025). Advanced Search | Australian War Memorial. [online] Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/advanced-search?query=Donald+Spence+McCord
Images:
4. Figure 1: Vwma.org.au. (2025). Donald Spence MCCORD. [online] Available at: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/193082
5. Figure 2: Nowandthen.org.au. (2020). Reeves Plains School - Mallala. [online] Available at: https://nowandthen.org.au/Reeves_Plains_School
6. Figure 3: Terrace, V. (2025). View digital copy. [online] Naa.gov.au. Available at: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=1940632
7. Figure 4: Birtwistlewiki.com.au. (2021). Available at: https://www.birtwistlewiki.com.au/images/6/63/HMAT_A10_Karroo_3.jpg
8. Figure 5: Terrace, V. (2025). View digital copy. [online] Naa.gov.au. Available at: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=1940632
9. Figure 6: anzacday.org.au. (n.d.). Medals - World War 1 - ANZAC Day Commemoration Committee. [online] Available at: https://anzacday.org.au/medals-world-war-1.
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