Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

ALEXANDER McKENZIE (1895-1942) born at Brungle, son of Alexander and Alice McKenzie nee Jones. Alexander enlisted in the 1st AIF, as Private 836a, 36th Battalion C Company, Rifle Battalion, at Broadmeadow, near Newcastle on February 29th, 1916. The bulk of the recruits came from rifle clubs and was known as Carmichael's Thousand after their Captain, Ambrose Camichael. The battalion was part of the 9th Brigade, 3rd Australian Division. He embarked on HMAT 172 Beltana for Europe on May 13th, 1916, and training in England for four months, sailed from Southampton for France on November 22nd and moved into the trenches of the Western Front for the first time in December (Winter 1916-17). The battalion had to wait until the emphasis of British and Dominion operations switched to the Ypres Sector of Belgium in mid-1917 to take part in its first major battle; this was the battle of Messines, launched on 7 June. With the 9th Brigade held in reserve during the battle for Broodseinde Ridge on 4 October, the 36th's next major battle was around Passchendaele on the 12th. Heavy rain, though, had deluged the battlefield, and thick mud tugged at the advancing troops and fouled their weapons. The 36th secured its objective but with open flanks and ineffective artillery support, was forced to withdraw. For the next five months the 36th alternated between periods of rest, training, labouring, and service in the line. When the German Army launched its last great offensive in the spring of 1918, the battalion was part of the force deployed to defend the approaches to Amiens around Villers-Bretonneux. It took part in a counter-attack at Hangard Wood on 30 March, and helped to defeat a major drive on Villers-Bretonneux on 4 April. The fighting to defeat the German offensive had exacted a heavy toll upon the 3rd Division, and the 9th Brigade in particular. Reinforcements from Australia were dwindling and thus it was decided to disband one of the 9th Brigade's battalions to reinforce the other two. The 36th was the battalion selected. In what one of the battalion's officers called an unselfish act the 36th disbanded on 30 April 1918. Following the death of his corporal, Alexander was promoted to temporary corporal, in November and confirmed in the position on January 27th, 1918. He returned to Australia on June 12th, 1919 as Corporal McKenzie of the 33rd Battalion on board the Thermistocles. Alexander was involved in the the terrible tench warfare in France, Messine, Ypres, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poelcappele, Passchendaels, The Somme, Ancres, Mont St. Quentin, Hindenburg Lin, St Quentin Canal and Flanders - he suffered gas and artillery attacks and developed Trench Fever. Alexander McKenzie received the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
Then in WW2 he enlisted as Corporal N77620 at Paddington. He died on Active Service with the ACMG 16 Garrison Battalion, Hay, at Uralla General Military Hospital, Concord, and was buried at Rookwood Necropolis. His name is on the Tumut Honour Roll.