Donald Mac RAE

RAE, Donald Mac

Service Number: 4761
Enlisted: 28 December 1915
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 19th Infantry Battalion
Born: Coolamon, Riverina, New South Wales, Australia, 4 June 1896
Home Town: Glenorie, Hornsby Shire, New South Wales
Schooling: Glenorie Public School & Middle Dural Public School, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation: Labourer
Died: Enteric Fever, Dumfries Infirmary, Scotland, United Kingdom, 15 January 1919, aged 22 years
Cemetery: Dumfries Cemetery
Plot A of B, Grave No. 289
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Glenorie WWI Honour Roll, Glenorie War Memorial, Norwest Mitchell Remembers Roll of Honour
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World War 1 Service

28 Dec 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4761, 20th Infantry Battalion
13 Apr 1916: Involvement Private, 4761, 20th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: ''
13 Apr 1916: Embarked Private, 4761, 20th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ceramic, Sydney
26 Feb 1917: Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 4761, 20th Infantry Battalion, SW to chest wall
12 Nov 1917: Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 5th Light Trench Mortar Battery
12 Apr 1918: Imprisoned Pte Donald Mac Rae was repatriated & arrived in Hull, England on 11th December, 1918
15 Jan 1919: Involvement Private, 4761, 19th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 4761 awm_unit: 19 Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1919-01-15
Date unknown: Involvement 4761, 5th Light Trench Mortar Battery

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Biography contributed by Evan Evans

The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK

Died on this date - 15th January........Private Donald Mac Rae was born at Coolamon, NSW in 1896. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 28th December, 1915 as a 19 year old Labourer from Glenorie, NSW.

Private Rae was sent to England for further training & joined the 20th Battalion at the War Front on 7th October, 1916.
Private Rae was wounded in action in France on 26th February, 1917 then invalided to England where he was admitted to Middlesex War Hospital at Napsbury, England on 4th March, 1917 with shrapnel wounds to chest wall.

Private Rae was discharged to furlo on 1st June, 1917 then transferred to No. 3 Command Depot at Hurdcott, Wiltshire on 29th June, 1917. He rejoined 20th Battalion in France on 15th October, 1917.

Private Rae was transferred to 5th Light Trench Mortar Battery in France on 12th November, 1917. He was transferred to 19th Battalion on 13th January, 1918 but remained attached for duty with 5th Light Trench Mortar Battery.

Private Rae was reported as missing in action in France on 12th April, 1918. A Court of Enquiry was held on 23rd April, 1918 he was listed as “Missing, believed prisoner of War 12/4/18.”

Private Donald Mac Rae was repatriated & arrived in Hull, England on 11th December, 1918. He was granted leave from 13th December, 1918 & was to report to Headquarters on 15th January, 1919.
Private Donald Mac Rae died at 6.45 pm on 15th January, 1919 at Dumfries Infirmary, Scotland from Enteric Fever (14 days). He was buried in Dumfries Cemetery, Dumfries, Scotland where 1 other WW1 Australian is buried.
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/dumfries.html

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Biography contributed by Faithe Jones

Son of Arthur and Annie Rae, of "Tres Bon", View St., Marrickville, New South Wales, Australia.

THROUGH FIRE, WOUNDS, PRISON CAME SAFELY THEN GAZING HOMEWARD DIED

Private Donald Rae, the news of whose death was received last Friday, was the third son of ex- Senator Rae. He had been a prisoner of war in Germany  for eight months, and had on his release arrived in London on December 11. His parents and their family were looking forward to his early return with the fondest hopes and expectations. Donald Rae was in his 23rd year. He enlisted in December, 1915, along with his elder brother, William, who was  killed in action on August 8 last, and they had served together in the same battalion. In March, 1917, Donald was severely wounded in the chest, pieces of shrapnel passing between the lungs and heart, and narrowly missing both vital spots. He was sent to England, and quickly recovered, but his parents believe that the results of this wound probably made him an easier victim to the disease, which carried him off soon after regaining his freedom.
When returning to the firing line, by a strange coincidence, he met his brother William, who had been wounded earlier, on the wharf at Dover, and they  returned to the trenches together.
Donald Rae held the unique distinction at one time of being the youngest Trades Unionist in the world, having been presented at his birth by the late  Donald Macdonell, after whom he was named, with a membership ticket in the A.W.U.  His membership was kept up until an amendment of the law  prohibited Union membership to persons under 16 years of age. Later on, when working in the Albury district, he rejoined the Union, and was a  member of the Victoria Riverina Branch up to the time of his death.
For some time he was in the employ of that life-long Unionist and Laborite, Mr. Moses Wright, of Lankey's Creek, near Germanton (now Holbrook).  While there, inheriting a taste for politics, he became secretary of the Lankey's Creek P.L.L. while only a lad. Later on he returned to his parents' home  at Glenorie, and was secretary of the local School of Arts until his enlistment.
There is still another brother, Gunner Charles Rae, on active service somewhere abroad, but he has not been heard from since the armistice was signed. The deceased, Donald Rae, recorded his first vote for the Federal elections of 1917 while in a convalescent hospital in England, and both he and his deceased brother William voted 'No' on the conscription referendum, and expressed some opinions on that subject which were not permitted publication in Australia.
General sympathy win be felt for the parents and the other members of the family at this second heavy and entirely unexpected blow which has  stricken their home, and robbed Australia of a worthy young citizen and a genial, lovable character. 

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