MCNAB, William Douglas
| Service Number: | 2003 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 15 June 1915, Hobart, Tas. |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 26th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Sheffield, Tasmania, Australia, 30 October 1892 |
| Home Town: | Burnie, Burnie, Tasmania |
| Schooling: | Currie State School, Tasmania, Australia |
| Occupation: | School Teacher |
| Died: | Queensland, Australia, 7 May 1956, aged 63 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane, Qld ANZ-8-14-35 |
| Memorials: | Currie King Island Great War Honour Roll, Currie State School Great War Honor Roll, Kentish Municipality Honour Roll Mural, Municipality of Kentish Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 15 Jun 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2003, 26th Infantry Battalion, Hobart, Tas. | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Sep 1915: | Involvement Private, 2003, 26th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: SS Makarini embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 10 Sep 1915: | Embarked Private, 2003, 26th Infantry Battalion, SS Makarini, Melbourne | |
| 5 Aug 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Corporal, 2003, 26th Infantry Battalion, France | |
| 23 Mar 1917: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 69th Infantry Battalion (WW1) | |
| 13 Aug 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 69th Infantry Battalion (WW1) | |
| 20 Oct 1917: | Transferred AIF WW1, Sergeant, 26th Infantry Battalion | |
| 1 Nov 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Sergeant, 2003, 26th Infantry Battalion, Gassed in France, evacuated to England. | |
| 9 Sep 1918: | Promoted AIF WW1, Company Sergeant Major, 26th Infantry Battalion, Rank was Temporary | |
| 19 Apr 1919: | Embarked AIF WW1, Sergeant, 2003, 26th Infantry Battalion, From England to Australia, arrived on 31 May 1919. | |
| 21 Aug 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Sergeant, 2003, 26th Infantry Battalion |
Help us honour William Douglas McNab's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Faithe Jones
Son of Archibald McNAB and Elizabeth McNAB nee EXCELL
Biography contributed by Evan Evans
From Australian Remembrance Army
Temporary Company Sergeant Major William Douglas McNab (Service No. 2003), an Australian World War One veteran, is among almost 800 previously unmarked WWI veterans’ graves in Lutwyche Cemetery we have now marked with plaques in recognition of their service for Australia.
We unveiled his plaque in Lutwyche Cemetery on 23 September 2023, along with a further 300 plaques on the previously unmarked graves of Australian World War One veterans:
See Australian Remembrance Army Facebook page
William Douglas McNab was born on 30 October 1892 in Sheffield, Tasmania, to Archibald McNab and Elizabeth McNab (née Excell).
Enlisting in the Australian Imperial Force at Hobart, Tasmania, on 15 June 1915 at the age of 22, McNab gave his occupation as a school teacher and named his father as next of kin. On 10 September 1915, he embarked from Melbourne for overseas service with the 26th Battalion aboard SS Makarini.
In August 1916, McNab was wounded in action, sustaining a gunshot wound to the leg that required evacuation from the front and hospital treatment. After recovering, he returned to duty but continued to face the dangers of trench warfare. On 1 November 1917, he again became a casualty, this time suffering from shell gas poisoning, reflecting the increasing use of chemical weapons during that stage of the war. His service record documents repeated movements between units and medical facilities in both France and England during his recovery.
The cumulative effects of these injuries ultimately rendered McNab medically unfit for further service. Returned to Australia in 1919, he was discharged from the Australian Imperial Force on medical grounds, bringing his wartime service to an end.
In 1920, McNab was granted Lot 28 at ‘Yambacoona Estate’ on King Island, comprising 164 acres under a soldier settlement scheme. By 1954, he was living in West End, Brisbane, and working as a clerk.
T/CSM William Douglas McNab died on 7 May 1956 aged 63, and was buried in Anzac Portion 8, Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane. He was unmarried with no known children.
After decades without recognition at his place of burial, his grave now bears a plaque commemorating his service to Australia — ensuring his name endures among those remembered for their duty and sacrifice. His identity and dignity have now been restored.
We have remembered him.
Lest We Forget
Click images to start slideshow.