Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Archibald James McCorkindale (aka McSewell) # 2653 9th Battalion

One cannot help but suspect that there is a hidden mystery surrounding Archie McSewell as he gave his name at enlistment. His sister, Miss Isabella (Sometimes Isabell) McCorkindale was the person to whom all correspondence was addressed although upon enlistment Archie gave his next of kin as Mr John Brown of Coorparoo. It is possible that Archie gave a different surname, and fictitious next of kin in order to conceal his enlistment. His name appears on the Coorparoo Roll of Honour as McCorkindale and also on the Roll of Honour of the Coorparoo Methodist Church.

In any event, Archibald McSewell stated he was born in Glasgow, lived at Tyalgum NSW and was a store assistant aged 26 years. He enlisted on 13 May 1915, just as the news of the Gallipoli landings were being reported in the press and it is likely this was his reason for enlisting. Archie was drafted into the 8th reinforcements for the 9th Battalion which was at the time engaged in heavy fighting at Gallipoli. He was appointed Corporal before embarking on the “Kyarra” from Brisbane on 16th August 1915 and arrived at Mudros Harbour on the Island of Lemnos, some 50 kilometres from Gallipoli, on 18th November 1915, whereupon he reverted to the rank of private. It is unclear whether Archie actually set foot on Gallipoli because his records indicate he was in hospital on Lemnos in December 1915 with paratyphoid fever.

Once Gallipoli was evacuated, Archie was transferred by hospital ship to Alexandria where he spent until the end of January 1916 convalescing. Upon rejoining the 9th battalion, he was promoted to Lance Corporal and arrived in Marseilles on 3rd April 1916. In July 1916, Haig (Supreme British Commander on the Western Front) launched the Somme offensive. Casualties were enormous but Haig was determined to keep up the pressure. Three of the four Australian divisions in France were deployed to the Somme. (The other division, the 5th had already suffered a mauling at Fromelles). The Australians were to go into their first major action at Pozieres and the 9th Battalion as part of the 1st Division would be first into the line. As part of the assault attempting to take the village of Pozieres on 23 July 1916, Archibald McSewell was killed. The battle for Pozieres would continue for another three weeks by which time all hope of locating the body of Archibald was lost.

Like the other 11,000 Australians killed in the Somme battles with no known grave, Archibald McSewell (Now listed as McCorkindale) is listed on the panels of the Australian National Memorial at Villers Bretonneux. After Archibald’s name had appeared in the casualty lists in Australian newspapers, a Miss L. Watkins of Cessnock NSW wrote to Base Records requesting details of Archibald’s next of kin. Was Miss Watkins a former sweetheart? Base records replied advising that details of soldier’s next of kin could not be given without good reason, and Miss Watkins had not stated any. There is no record of further correspondence.

Also MLC Life Assurance wrote requesting copies of a death certificate and curiously requesting confirmation of the deceased’s full name, age and description. It would seem that the confusion over the surname and perhaps discrepancy regarding true age etc was causing the MLC some concern. Finally Base Records wrote to Isabella McCorkindale (who had by the time of Archibald’s death been listed as next of kin and was receiving an allotment of 4 shillings a day from his pay) enquiring into the existence of living relatives so that medals could be awarded. Isabella replied that both parents were dead, that Archibald had no brothers, and she was the eldest sister. The medals were duly sent to Isabella at Rutherglen, Coorparoo. There was no further mention of Uncle John Brown.

Today just outside the village of Pozieres, half way between Albert and Bapaume are the remains of a windmill and German blockhouse. The windmill provides a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside. On the site of the windmill is a commemorative stone which reads:

“The ruin of the Pozieres windmill which lies here was the centre of the struggle on this part of the Somme Battlefield in July and August 1916. It was captured by Australian troops who fell more thickly on this ridge than on any other battlefields of the war.”