MCKAY, Archibald James
| Service Number: | 4826 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 15 September 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 53rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Parkes, New South Wales, Australia, 18 May 1892 |
| Home Town: | Sydney, City of Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Railway Signalman |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 19 July 1916, aged 24 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Remembered at VC Corner Australian Memorial, Fromelles, France. |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Dubbo Memorial Drive & Rose Garden, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, V.C. Corner Australian Cemetery Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 15 Sep 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4826 | |
|---|---|---|
| 8 Mar 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4826, 1st Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Star of England embarkation_ship_number: A15 public_note: '' | |
| 8 Mar 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 4826, 1st Infantry Battalion, HMAT Star of England, Sydney | |
| 19 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4826, 53rd Infantry Battalion, Fromelles (Fleurbaix), --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 4826 awm_unit: 53rd Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1916-07-19 |
Help us honour Archibald James McKay's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by John Oakes
Archibald McKAY (Service Number 4826) was born on 18th May 1892 at Parkes. He first worked for the NSW Government Railways as a probationer in the Traffic Branch in the Eskbank (Lithgow) district from 9th December 1909. A year later he became a junior porter and upon attaining 21 years he became a porter. On 1st June 1914 he progressed further to become an 8th class signalman. It was from this role that he was granted leave to join the Expeditionary Forces on 15th August 1915.
He enlisted at Warwick Farm on 15th September 1915, giving his re-married mother, Mrs John Sheridan, who was living in Dubbo, as his next of kin. He was allotted to the 15th Reinforcements to the 1st Battalion. He embarked HMAT ‘Star of England’ at Sydney on 8th March 1916 but was taken on the strength of the 53rd Battalion, not the 1st Battalion, at Tel-el-Kebir (Egypt) on 21st April. After a couple of months more training he embarked ‘Royal George’ at Alexandria for passage to join the British Expeditionary Force in France through Marseilles where he disembarked on 28th June.
On 28th July 1916 McKay was posted as being missing since 19th July 1916 – the Battle of Fromelles. A Court of Enquiry held on 2nd September 1916 ruled that he had in fact been killed in action that night.
Corporal A G Lambert (2309) responded to a request for information about McKay and E A Slate (4870):
‘Both these men were in my Machine Gun Section in the fight at Bois Grenier on the 19/7. A shell fell on our parapet and knocked us all out, gun and all, killing all the party, six of us. Both were very decent fellows and were liked by their mates. I knew them well.’
Cpl J J Pritchard stated:
‘I saw McKay killed instantly by a bullet about 11.30 on the night of July 19th ’16. I was quite close to him at the time. It was in the captured German trenches at Fleurbaix, soon after the “hop-over”. We had to evacuate the positions later. He was not buried then and I don’t know if he was ever buried.’
McKay has no known grave and in remembered at the VC Corner Australian Memorial, Fromelles, France.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
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