MCPHEE, Wallace
| Service Number: | 30301 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 5 September 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Gunner |
| Last Unit: | 1st Field Artillery Brigade |
| Born: | Sydney New South Wales, Australia, July 1897 |
| Home Town: | Glebe, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Sydney Technical High School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Signal Fitter |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 4 October 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" The Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial (Panel 7), Belgium , Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Glebe Roll of Honor, Glebe War Memorial, Sydney Technical High School WW1 Roll Of Honour, Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 5 Sep 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Gunner, 30301, 5th Divisional Ammunition Column | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Nov 1916: | Involvement Gunner, 30301, 5th Divisional Ammunition Column, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '22' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Benalla embarkation_ship_number: A24 public_note: '' | |
| 9 Nov 1916: | Embarked Gunner, 30301, 5th Divisional Ammunition Column, HMAT Benalla, Sydney | |
| 4 Aug 1917: | Transferred AIF WW1, Gunner, 1st Field Artillery Brigade | |
| 4 Oct 1917: | Involvement Gunner, 30301, 1st Field Artillery Brigade, Third Ypres, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 30301 awm_unit: 1st Australian Field Artillery Brigade awm_rank: Gunner awm_died_date: 1917-10-04 |
Help us honour Wallace McPhee's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
Gnr McPhee was attempting to move to a forward Observation post near Stirling Castle in the direction of Polygon Wood, when he was wounded by shrapnel in the knee. He took cover in a concrete pill box or shell hole.
Extensive witness reports in the NAA Attestation papers.
Biography contributed by Sydney Technical High School
Wallace McPhee was born in July 1897 in Surry Hills, Sydney, to Alexander and Sarah Ann McPhee. He grew up in Glebe, where the family lived in Leichhardt Street. Wallace attended Wyrallah Public School and was remembered as a popular student who excelled at swimming and diving competitions. He later studied at Sydney Technical High School, graduating in 1915. After leaving school, he began work as an electrical fitter and completed a three-year apprenticeship with the New South Wales Government Railways.
On 5 September 1916, at the age of 19, McPhee enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force. He embarked from Sydney four days later aboard HMAT Benalla with the 5th Divisional Ammunition Column. His role was to supply artillery units with ammunition, a dangerous task often carried out close to the front lines. On 4 August 1917, McPhee was transferred to the 1st Field Artillery Brigade as a gunner, which brought him directly into front-line action.
With his new unit, McPhee took part in several major battles on the Western Front, including the Battle of Menin Road and the Battle of Polygon Wood. In October 1917 he fought in the Third Battle of Ypres, also known as the Passchendaele campaign. On 4 October, during the Battle of Broodseinde, he was wounded in action and later declared killed in action. He was 20 years old.
McPhee’s parents were notified of their son’s death in late 1917. In 1922, his father signed the official form acknowledging receipt of the memorial plaque issued in honour of his sacrifice.
Today, Gunner Wallace McPhee is remembered on the Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra and on the Virtual War Memorial of Australia. His story reflects the courage and sacrifice of the many young Australians who left school, family, and promising futures to serve in the First World War.
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