MCDONALD, James Glen
| Service Number: | 1732 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 25 May 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 19th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Stockton, New South Wales, Australia, 27 February 1891 |
| Home Town: | Abermain, Cessnock, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Carpenter |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 7 April 1918, aged 27 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Cessnock Abermain Comforts Fund Pictorial Honour Roll, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 25 May 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1732, 19th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Jun 1915: | Embarked Private, 1732, 19th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Kanowna embarkation_ship_number: A61 public_note: '' | |
| 7 Apr 1918: | Involvement Lieutenant, 1732, 19th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1732 awm_unit: 19 Battalion awm_rank: Lieutenant awm_died_date: 1918-04-07 |
Remembering James "Glen" McDonald
Born in Stockton NSW on 27th February 1891 and growing up in Abermain NSW, James “Glen” McDonald was the second of 11 children born to James and Anna McDonald.
A carpenter by trade, Glen enlisted with the AIF at Liverpool on 20th May 1915 where he was allocated to the 2nd Reinforcements of the 19th Infantry Battalion in the 5th Infantry Brigade.
After a period of training at Liverpool Camp, Glen left Australia on 19 June 1915 on the Kanowa, bound for Egypt, and was then deployed to Gallipoli in August 1915, where he remained until the AIF withdrawal on 19th December 1915.
From January to March 1916, he was part of the Suez Canal Defence Zone and during this time was promoted to Corporal on 24th January 1916.
Deployed to France at the end of March 1916, Glen participated in the front line in the Bois Grenier Section and in Pozieres.
In September 1916, he was promoted to Acting Sergeant followed quickly with a promotion to Sergeant on 31 October 1916. He then undertook training at Oxford with a subsequent promotion to 2nd Lieutenant on 31 March 1917. Further time was spent in France and in September 1917, Glen was promoted to Lieutenant.
Glen then moved to Belgium where he was wounded in action on 9th October 1917 at Poelcappelle, with a severe chest wound caused by a high explosive artillery shell fragment. Evacuated to England, he was recovered by February 1918 and rejoined the 19th Battalion in France.
Participating in an attack on Hangard Wood on 7th April 1918 as part of the 19th Battalion B Company (along with his Captain Clarence Wallach and Lieutenants Leslie Bignell and Percy Storkey), Glen made the ultimate sacrifice and was killed in action by machine gun, along with Bignell and many members of B Company. Wallach was severely wounded and died from his wounds a month later. For his efforts in this attack, Percy Storkey was awarded the Victoria Cross. Sadly, Glen’s body could not be recovered and he is one of the 17,000 to 18,000 Australian soldiers killed on the Western Front with no known grave.
Remembered by his parents, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews and subsequent generations of the McDonald family, Glen is also memorialised at Villers Bretonneux in France, the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, The Abermain War Memorial in NSW and at the Abermain RSL Club.
We honour your memory Glen McDonald.
Submitted 1 February 2026 by Alexandra Busselmaier
Your service and sacrifice remembered always.
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