Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

An article in the Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser Friday 28 April 1916 about the opening of the Memerambi Rifle Club also included the unveiling of the Memerambi Roll of Honour by Mrs Ellwood. The Roll of Honour was in a glassed frame but has not yet been located One of the names in the newspaper article was “Hugh McLeod” and I have been trying to find him for ages. He has certainly given me the run around
I recently found “Wallace Hugh McLeod” on the electoral rolls living at Wooroolin as a Farmer from 1914 to 1921. “Wallace Hugh McDonald Bruce McLeod” enlisted in the AIF at Frasers Hill on 12 Aug 1915 SRN 2777 giving his father, JH McLeod, Dunvegan House, No 2 Beaconsfield Parade, Port Melbourne as his Next of Kin.
WH McLeod embarked from Sydney, NSW, on board HMAT A33 Ayrshire on 1 September 1915. He served at Gallipoli and was then sent to France where he was wounded on 11 Apr 1917, captured by the German Army then died of wounds on 2 days later.
A letter from his mother found in the “Red Cross Society Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau Files” finally confirmed that he is the correct man. Part of Mrs McLeod’s letter stated: He came from Kingaroy and enlisted in Brisbane. While in Egypt he had the grave of his uncle, General McLeod attended too. His Great Grandfathers were Colonel McDonald and Major McLeod, who both fought at Waterloo. Mrs McLeod signed her letter “Yours in great grief”
A little on the life of Hugh McLeod. Hugh was born at Boort, Victoria, the 3rd of 4 sons of John and Mary Ann McLeod. His father was a school teacher at Mt Beckwith, Clunes. He had arrived in Victoria in 1854 with his parents and was a special magistrate on Port Melbourne Bench and trustee of the Scottish Thistle Club of Victoria.
Hugh McLeod’s eldest brother, John, stayed in Victoria and he and 2 brothers moved to Qld in the early 1900’s.
• 1909 Hugh McLeod registered on electoral roll at Wondai (Labourer). By1914 he had moved to Wooroolin. (Farmer)
• 1913 Alexander McLeod Employment lived at Bluff, Capricornia, Queensland, Australia Night Officer for Qld Railways. Bluff - 95 km east of Emerald - Living with wife Florence Amy.
• 1915 Colin PD McLeod living at North Quay, Brisbane – Night Porter Qld railways
I just wish I could find a farm at Wooroolin/Memerambi registered to Hugh McLeod. During this research I learnt that Hugh McLeod was in the same unit as Percy Harold Iszlaub (Wondai) and Ernest Tate Jones (Tingoora).
Hugh McLeod is listed on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour and the Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial. I have added the link to Trove about the Memerambi Roll of Honour on the Virtual War Memorial site.