MACKAY, Angus
| Service Number: | 2486 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 30 April 1915, Seymour, Vic. |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 57th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Bendigo, Victoria, Australia, 1897 |
| Home Town: | Bendigo, Greater Bendigo, Victoria |
| Schooling: | St Andrews College Bendigo/Wesley College Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Journalist |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 19 August 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
Rue-du-Bois Military Cemetery, Fleurbaix Plot I, Row G, Grave No. 17 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Bendigo Great War Roll of Honor, Bendigo St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church Honor Roll, Bendigo St. Andrews Presbyterian Church "They Died That We May Live" Roll of Honor, Bendigo St. John's Presbyterian Church Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 30 Apr 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2486, 5th Infantry Battalion, Seymour, Vic. | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Jul 1915: | Involvement Private, 2486, 5th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '8' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Demosthenes embarkation_ship_number: A64 public_note: '' | |
| 16 Jul 1915: | Embarked Private, 2486, 5th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Demosthenes, Melbourne | |
| 3 Nov 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2486, 5th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 17 Mar 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 57th Infantry Battalion, Egypt | |
| 19 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2486, 57th Infantry Battalion, Fromelles (Fleurbaix) | |
| 19 Aug 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2486, 57th Infantry Battalion, Fromelles (Fleurbaix) | |
| 19 Aug 1916: | Involvement Private, 2486, 57th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2486 awm_unit: 57 Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1916-08-19 |
Private Angus MacKay
From Meg Swann:
103 years ago today, 19/08/1916, our family lost Corporal William Quade SN 1155, 57th Bn. I was so pleased to fulfil a 50 year promise to my beautiful grandfather that I would one day find and visit him, and that I did in June. He was dearly loved, always remembered and will never be forgotten RIP.
Also remembered those who died with him:
Captain Frank Walter Harris SN 67, 57th Bn
2nd Lt Charles Clifford Denham St Pinnock SN 518, 57th Bn
Cpl William Roy Locke SN 3989, 57th Bn
Private Angus MacKay SN 2486, 57th Bn
Private Charles Coad SN 3485, 57th Bn
Private Frederick William Cook SN 4459, 57th Bn
Private Robert Samuel Crawford SN 3486, 57th Bn
Private William Charles Frederick Penna SN 3583, 57th Bn
Private Edmond O'Donnell SN 4559, 57th Bn
Submitted 22 August 2019 by Evan Evans
Biography contributed by Robert Wight
Commemorated in Bendigo Cemetery, Victoria.
Parents: Angus (18 August 1864-26 November 1951; bu. Bendigo) and Marion Pringle (16 August 1868-31 May 1930; bu. Bendigo) MACKAY, 93 Forest Street, Bendigo, Victoria
Biography contributed by Larna Malone
Angus Mackay was born in Bendigo, the elder son of Angus and Marion Pringle Mackay, of 93 Forest St Bendigo. His father was one of the proprietors of the Bendigo Advertiser, and Angus was himself a Journalist with the Bendigo Advertiser. He was educated at St Andrews College, Bendigo, and at Wesley College, Melbourne. He volunteered on 22.4.15 aged 18 years and 3 months. He was 5’ 10½” in height, with a dark complexion, brown eyes and medium coloured hair. He joined on the same day as ‘Ross’ Freeman, and they entered Signalling School together on 30.4.15. They were later appointed as signallers to the same unit. On 4.7.15 Angus Mackay was appointed to the 7th Reinforcements for the 5th Battalion, and allotted Service No. 2486. He subscribed for service on 7.7.15 at Seymour and this date is given as his official commencement of service. He embarked for overseas on 16.7.15.
He joined the 5th Battalion in camp at Lemnos Island on 3.11.15 and was posted to Headquarters Signallers. After this rest period on Lemnos the battalion returned to Anzac, landing on 16th November. They moved into the front line the following day. Later in the month, whilst on his way back from collecting water in Shrapnel Gully, Angus Mackay was hit in the left temple by a piece of shrapnel. “His hat was well back on his head with a clean white bandage round his forehead and a big splodge of blood showing through. . . . . . He got it dressed and only lost one shift on the phone over it. His chief regret later was that he thought there would be no scar.” (G. R. Freeman: Journal)
The battalion was relieved on 18.12.15 and evacuated from Anzac. After a spell on Lemnos the battalion embarked for Egypt. During February the Australian force was re-organized, with the addition of new battalions. Each new battalion comprised half Gallipoli veterans, and half fresh reinforcements from Australia. Angus Mackay was one of the core of veterans to transfer from the 5th Battalion to the newly formed 57th Battalion. (17.2.16) He embarked for France with the 57th Battalion, and disembarked at Marseilles on 17.6.16.
The Battalion arrived in France in time to participate in the Battle of Fromelles on 19 July, 1916. The 57th Battalion was allocated a supporting role and suffered relatively light casualties but had to hold the line over the following period.
Angus Mackay was Killed in Action on 19.8.16. The Battalion War Diary records that the Battalion was in the front line at Rue-Du-Bois. During the day preparations were made for a raid on the enemy trenches to take place at 10.40 p.m. Two “telephonists” were to precede the raiding party by 45 minutes, carrying telephones and laying wire to a position in No Man’s Land. They were then to follow the raiding party to a position close up against the enemy parapet and remain in communication. They were to retreat with the raiding party. About halfway across No Man’s Land they encountered an enemy barrage, resulting in casualties. [paraphrase : 57th Battalion War Diary. August 1916.]
In October the Bendigo Advertiser published a letter written by ‘Ross’ Freeman in which he reported that Angus had met his death under particularly unfortunate and distressing circumstances. He had volunteered to take the place of another man who was indisposed. While engaged with others in this task he was wounded in the leg and head. [Bendigo Advertiser. 20 Oct 1916. ]
In his Journal, George Ross Freeman adds that Angus Mackay had reached the Lying In position when he was hit by one of the Allies’ Trench mortars. He was carried into the Australian lines and was hit and killed by a German shell. He added that “It was our Brigades first raid in France and things were not then brought to a fine art as they were later.” [G. R. Freeman: Journal. The Soldiers Memorial Institute Military Museum, Bendigo]
He was buried in the Rue-du-Bois Military Cemetery, Fleurbaix, France. ( I G 17) Fleurbaix is approximately 5 kilometres s-w of Armentieres. The inscription on his gravestone reads:
“THIS IS
A FINER RESTING PLACE
THAN EVEN
IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY.”
“The Men Listed on the Roll of Honour, St John’s Presbyterian Church, Bendigo”: Larna Malone
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