MCPHERSON, Duncan
| Service Numbers: | 150, 4565 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 23 July 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 13th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Geelong, Victoria, Australia, 30 January 1862 |
| Home Town: | Port Melbourne, Port Phillip, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Stevedore / Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 19 July 1916, aged 54 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, V.C. Corner Australian Cemetery Memorial |
Boxer Rebellion (China) Service
| 30 Jul 1900: | Involvement Royal Australian Navy, Able Seaman, 150, SS Salamis |
|---|
World War 1 Service
| 23 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4565, Depot Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Jul 1916: | Involvement Private, 4565, 54th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 4565 awm_unit: 54th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1916-07-19 | |
| 16 Dec 1916: | Involvement Private, 4565, 13th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Ballarat embarkation_ship_number: A70 public_note: '' | |
| 16 Dec 1916: | Embarked Private, 4565, 13th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ballarat, Sydney |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
AWM Summary
4565 Private (Pte) Duncan McPherson, 13th Battalion, of Port Melbourne, Vic. Pte McPherson had previously served as 150 Able Seaman (AB) McPherson, Victorian Naval Contingent, in the Boxer Uprising in China. AB McPherson embarked on SS Salamis on 30 July 1900 and returned to Australia in 25 April 1901 on board SS Chingtu. He later worked as a labourer and stevedore before enlisting in the First World War. According to family stories, when he enlisted he put his age down from 55 to 42, dyed his hair with boot polish, and named the fourth of his seven children as his eldest. Pte McPherson embarked with the 14th Reinforcements, 13th Battalion, from Sydney on HMAT Ballarat on 16 December 1915. Pte McPherson transferred to the 54th Battalion and was later killed in action at Fromelles, France, on 19 July 1916. His actual age at the time of his death was 56 years. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the VC Corner Australian Cemetery Memorial, Fromelles.
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