Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Early Life

Donald (Don) Yates was born on the 27th of February 1893 at Mt Barker, SA, the son of Thomas Yates and Annie Cleggett (SA Birth Registration 332/517). Don’s father, Thomas, was a well-known auctioneer. He was a stock dealer in the firm, Richardson and Yates, at Mt Barker. In June 1899 he became a partner with John Livingstone (auctioneer and parliamentarian) at Mt Gambier. In 1903, the business was sold to Elder, Smith & Co Ltd and Thomas continued as the Manager of the firm at Mt Gambier. In July 1908, Thomas was promoted to a head office position at Elder, Smith & Co. Ltd. in Adelaide, SA.

Don’s younger siblings were Bessie (b 31 March 1902), Mollie (b 1907) and Colin (b 6 March 1909). The family were based at Mt Gambier .

Education

Don commenced his education at Mt Gambier, and he passed the Primary Examinations in October 1903. He also completed his Junior Examinations in December 1904 and December 1905. In December 1906, Don completed the Junior Commercial Examinations, however some of his examination papers went missing and it was not until May 1907, having resat the examinations in a special sitting, that Don was awarded passes in Commercial Arithmetic, Book-keeping, English literature, Commercial Correspondence and Commercial Geography.

In December 1907, Don passed four Senior Examinations and was probably still at Mr Gambier at that stage. Don then attended the Hahndorf College where he passed six Senior Public examinations in December 1908. Don went on to complete his secondary education at St Peters College (SPSC), Adelaide (1909-1911).

In his Higher Public Examinations, he achieved high honours in 1910 and was awarded the Angas Engineering Exhibition which he deferred for one year. He stayed an additional year at SPSC to complete 5 subjects, achieving honours in 4 of them. In 1912, he took up the Exhibition to attend Adelaide University.

While at St Peter’s, Don was a Senior Cadet for 4 years and his main sports were rowing and athletics. Donald was outstanding in both and was stroke for the 1st Eight which won the Henley-on Yarra event in Melbourne in November 1911. In athletics, he won the Half-Mile and was third in the Mile event at the St Peter’s Sports in 1911.

Adelaide University

Don attended Adelaide University and The School of Mines from 1912 to 1915, graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1915 and completing the required subjects to qualify for a Fellowship in Mining Engineering from the School of Mines (Conferred 1919).

After the 1st World War, he returned to complete his Bachelor of Engineering 1919 (BSc 1915 - Surrendered).

University Sport

Boat
Don continued with his rowing and was an active member of the Adelaide University Boat Club from 1912 – 1915. He was stroke for the 1913 Intervarsity Eight and Stroke and Captain of the 1914 Intervarsity Eight. Don was awarded a Blue for Boat in 1913.

Football
Although he is not recorded as playing First Eighteen football at SPSC, a Yates is listed as playing football for the AUFC B Team in 1915. After examination of the list of students for 1915, he is the only Yates in the entire faculty lists (either students proceeding to a degree or the non-graduating type or associates). Having been an athlete and rower, it is probably not surprising that he may have been recruited to cover the loss of players who had already enlisted.

Marriage

Don became engaged to Norah Crowe of North Adelaide in April 1915 and the couple married on the 29th of April 1916.

World War I

Don enlisted aged 22 years and eight months on the 29th of November 1915. He was initially described as an engineering student and his next-of-kin was his mother. When he married Norah Crowe, his record was altered to show her as his next-of-kin. His occupation was also updated at some stage to Mining Engineer in his service records. Don was 5’9½”, 175 lbs, with a fair complexion, hazel eyes and dark brown hair.

On the 5th of April 1916, Don received a commission in the Tunnelling Company after having served for 4 months in the AIF and attended the Engineers Officer School. He embarked as a 2nd Lieutenant with the 4th Tunnelling Company onboard the HMAT Warilda from Sydney on the 22nd of May 1916. After a month in England, he proceeded overseas to France on the 20th of August 1916. He was taken on the strength of the 1st Tunnelling Company on the 30th of September 1916. He served in France and Belgium.

Don was promoted to Lieutenant on the 1st of January 1917. By June 1917, Don had been awarded the Military Cross. “He displayed great courage and initiative on several occasions in organising parties to rescue men who had been buried” (London Gazette, 15 June 1917).

In June 1918, Norah left Australia en route for England to join her husband.

Don was appointed a Temporary Captain on the 10th of September 1918.

While still in Belgium, Don was reported to have contracted influenza on the 26th of February 1919. He appeared to be doing well but on the 7th of March 1919, Don was admitted to the 55th Casualty Clearing Station (British), which was said to be at Charleroi, Belgium at that date . He was dangerously ill with severe pneumonia and on the 21st of March 1919, he was transferred to the London General Hospital with severe pneumonia. Fortunately, he recovered from his illness and was promoted to Captain on the 4th of April 1919. A later medical report also states that Don had mumps while overseas.

From the 23rd of April 1919, Don was awarded a period of leave to study at the Royal College of Mines for three months. The study leave was cancelled from the 7th of July and Don was placed on leave until recalled.

Don departed on the 18th of July 1919, with his wife, Norah, onboard the Orsova and arrived back in Australia on the 3rd of September 1919. His appointment was terminated on the 18th of October 1919.

Post WWI Career and Family Life

By early 1920, Don and Norah had moved to Newcastle, NSW where he was the open-hearth superintendent for Broken Hill Proprietary Ltd (BHP). While in Newcastle, Don played golf and Norah holidayed in New Zealand on at least two occasions. The couple had two children, a daughter, Mary (b 16th October 1920, Newcastle) and a son, Thomas Morey Yates (b 27 Dec 1923, Mayfield NSW). His Christian name "Morey" was likely to honour the memory of his father's St Peter's College and University friend, Alan Morey MC, who had been with the Royal Flying Corps and was killed during the War.

In April 1927, they left Newcastle for Port Pirie, SA where Donald had received an appointment with Broken Hill Associated Smelters Pty Ltd. At Port Pirie, Don became coach of the local rowing club. The Port Pirie crew won the state junior eights under his coaching in February 1928. The Yates family lived at Senate Road, Port Pirie West. During the early to mid 1930’s Norah and the children usually took a house at Glenelg for the summer holidays.

By November 1934, Don was acting General Manager of the Port Pirie Smelters and in January 1935, he was appointed General Superintendent of the Smelters.

In February 1936, Don became the Chairman of the Pirie Football Association.

His entry in the Who’s Who: South Australian Centenary, 1936 (see document).

Norah Yates and her children had a holiday in England in 1936. They left Australia onboard the Moldava on the 27th of February 1936 and returned in late August 1936.

Mary Yates attended Primary School in Port Pirie, but later was a boarding house student at Walford House, where she passed her Leaving Examinations in 1937. She was head of the boarding house at Walford in 1938 and passed her Leaving Honours Examinations that year. In 1939, Mary commenced studying medicine at Adelaide University. She was a representative on the University Women’s Union.

In February 1937, Don became president of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Don was also on the Pirie Hospital Board.

Norah took Mary and Tom on a holiday to New Zealand in February 1938.

Don and Norah attended Melbourne Cup week in 1938 and in March 1939, Don met the Governor General (Lord Gowrie) when he visited Port Pirie.

World War II
The Yates family spent the Christmas of 1939 in Adelaide and then Don returned to Port Pirie while Norah, Mary and Tom holidayed at Encounter Bay.

Tom Yates attended St Peter’s College, Adelaide and was bow for the schools four in 1940. In May 1941, when only 17, Tom gained an A class pilot’s licence in nine days of training.

In August 1941, Mary moved to Victoria to work in a chemistry laboratory in the explosives and ammunition section. She returned to her medical studies in 1942. Mary completed fourth year medicine but does not appear to have graduated.

Lt. Colonel Donald Yates was the Officer Commanding the Volunteer Defence Corps, Northern Division during the early years of WWII. In September 1942, he was accepted for the AIF (Service Number SX22227). His WWII record has not yet been digitised. A newspaper report from the Port Pirie ‘Recorder’ gives details of his activities at Port Pirie from 1927 to 1942 (see below). The report stated that Don would revert to his former rank on enlistment. He was once again Captain Donald Yates of the Royal Engineers. Don and Norah moved to North Adelaide.
Don was awarded a knighthood the CMG (Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George) in the New-Years Honours List of 1943, and by May 1943, Don had been promoted to Major.

Tom Yates became a Pilot Officer in the RAAF, Service Number 417288 and later a Flight Lieutenant. He became engaged to Christobel Margaret Hunt, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W.R. Hunt of Mount Gambier in May 1943. The couple, however, do not appear to have married.

In November 1943, Mary became engaged to Capt. Hector Malcolm Allan, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. H.R. Allan of Bowral, NSW and they married quietly at St Peter’s College Chapel in early December 1943. More commonly known as Malcolm, Hector Malcolm Allan’s RAAF record is under the name Hector Roy Allan and it appears his full name was Hector Roy Malcolm Allan.

Sadly, for the Yates family, Don’s father Tom Yates passed away on the 36th of April 1945, aged 79 years.

Post WWII

After WWII, Don and Norah moved to Cockle Creek outside of Newcastle, NSW, where Don became manager of the Sulphide Corporation Ltd from early 1946. In 1948, he was appointed a director of the Hunter River Steamship Co. Ltd.

On the 8th of February 1951, Don’s mother, Annie Yates (nee Cleggett) passed away.

Tom Yates commenced studying medicine at Adelaide University after WWII. In February 1950, he became engaged to Christina, (Dorothy Christine), the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Mitchell, of Tusmore, SA. They married on the 20th of May 1950 at St Matthew’s Church, Marryatville. Tom’s parents come over from NSW for the wedding. The couple had a daughter, Prudence Dorothy Yates, who was born in January 1952. Tom gained his MBBS from Adelaide University in 1952.

Mary and Malcolm Allan were living in Watervale, SA from 1946 to 1950, where Malcolm managed his own vineyard. They had a daughter (Penny) and a son. In June 1950, they moved to the Coonawarra, SA where Malcolm was manager of Chateau Comaum (later purchased by Wynn’s). They then moved to Blackwood, SA and Malcolm had a position with the Department of Agriculture.

Don attended the 1952 ANZAC Day march at Newcastle on the 25th of April 1952.

Donald and Norah were still living in Newcastle in June 1954, when Norah came to South Australia to visit her sister. Mary and Malcolm were living at Blackwood, SA, at the time.

As most Australian newspapers are only available digitally to the 31st of December 1954, no further details are known of Don’s life until his death in 1960.

We could presume that Don retired, and he and Norah moved back to Adelaide.

Death

Donald Yates passed away on the 2nd of November 1960, aged 67. He was cremated and his ashes are at the RSL Wall 116, Niche H012, Centennial Park Cemetery Adelaide.

Norah Yates passed away on the 11th of December 1968, her last abode was at North Unley. Her ashes are interred with Donald’s at Centennial Park Cemetery, Adelaide.

Mary and Malcolm Allan moved to Western Australia and in 1958. Malcolm was a principal at Pinjarra (86 kms north of Perth, WA). By 1963 they were at Subiaco, WA. Malcolm passed away in 1966 and Mary in 2009.

Thomas Morey Yates went on to practice medicine at Mildura, Victoria. He passed away on the 22nd of April 1976, aged 52. He was cremated at Centennial Park Cemetery Adelaide.

Authors: EE (Beth) Filmer & Rob O'Shannassy

For the complete profile including photographs, newspaper articles, documents and sources prepared for the AUFC/AUCC WWI Memorial Project (in the period 2015-2019) please see the document attached.