Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

John McRae was born in Belair, South Australia, in December, 1889. He weighed one hundred and thirty pounds and was five feet and six inches tall. He had dark complexion with brown eyes and dark hair. It is likely that in his later years he moved to Orroroo, South Australia with his mother, Sophie McRae. In January, 1889 the Pekina irrigation scheme was in progress. At this point in time and later on the scheme required employees. When John moved to Orroroo he was an irrigationist, it is likely that John moved to Orroroo to work on the Pekina irrigation scheme in its later years of construction.

John waited two years before he enlisted for war on the 18th of February, 1916 in Orroroo, South Australia aged twenty-seven years. This could be because he may not have wanted to go to the war in the first place, but when men weren’t coming home, he felt as though he needed to do his duty so he enlisted two years later. John was a private when he went to his first battle in France to reinforce on the 23rd of September, 1916. He fought in the Bullecourt Battle on the 11th of April, 1917. During this battle, the 48th Battalion lost over three thousand men. John and the rest of the battalion captured the first two lines of trenches for several hours, but were then driven back. John was lucky to make it out of this battle alive.

John was lucky during this battle but fell sick with scabies on the 25th of May, 1917, which was a common ailment in the trenches. John left the hospital on the 6th of June, 1917. After he left the hospital, John was absent without leave on the 13th of June, 1917 but no disciplinary action was taken. However, there is no reason given as to why John was absent. John was then involved in many different battles after this. On the 5th of September, 1918, he was awarded the Military Medal for bravery. In the war, John started as a private but finished as a sergeant.

John returned to Australia on the 15th of July, 1919 on the ship, 'Beltana'.

Sadly, John died on the 25th of June, 1957 aged sixty eight in Western Australia. John was a lucky man to make it through war, and to live on for an extra thirty-eight years afterwards.

Bibliography

. (2017). 48th Australian Infantry Battalion. Available: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51488/. Last accessed 12th Jun 2017.

. (2016). Bullecourt France. Available: http://www.ww1westernfront.gov.au/bullecourt/what-happened-here.php. Last accessed 2nd 6th 2017.

University of New South Wales. (2016). Australian Commonwealth Military Force. Available: https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=205017. Last accessed 20th Jun 2017.

. (2017). Researching a Person. Available: https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/explore/people?utf8=%E2%9C%93&surname=Robertson&given_names=R.W&service_number=&commit=Search. Last accessed 26th Jun 2017.

. (2012). Afflictions suffered by soldiers during WWI. Available: http://www.centenaryww1orange.com.au/uncategorized/afflictions-suffered-by-soldiers-during-wwi/. Last accessed 3rd Aug 2017