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Keith was born at Hamley Bridge, a railway interchange sited at the junction of the Light and Gilbert Rivers. He arrived on the 14th March 1911 to Anne Sophia and Hugh McLean. Keith was one of six children, with three sisters, and two brothers, Donald and Colin. The year after his birth, the family moved from ‘Sunnybank’ at Mount Pleasant where his father had resided for over 30 years, to permanently live in Kapunda. There, Hugh built a reputation for his quality milking shorthorns which regularly won prizes at Shows held in the surrounding districts.
As a student at the local Kapunda School, eleven-year-old Keith displayed his artistic skills, winning the Grade V award for his four pastel drawings from nature. This came just months after he was fortunate to escape with just two broken ribs when he was leading a horse which reared and struck him in the side, resulting in the injury.
Keith was 18 when his 64-year-old father, died at Kapunda in 1930. His mother, Ann returned to Mt Pleasant for a while, until her death almost six years later, aged 60. By that time Keith was living in the suburb of St Peters working as a motor driver and had also acquired useful skills as an electric welder. His brother, Colin, by this time had joined the Australian Navy.
Keith married Saddleworth girl, Edith Eleanor Frost, the fifth daughter of farmer, Joseph Frost who was strongly involved in the local community through serving on the Balaklava District Council and the Midland Agricultural Society.
With the outbreak of WWII, aged 29 Keith enlisted on the 2nd July ’40 as SX7564 and was allocated to the newly formed 2/48th Battalion. Together with other new enlistees, his early days were spent in the cold of the Pavilions, now part of the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds, before he headed back to the more familiar hills location at Woodside for preliminary training.
A short pre-embarkation leave followed before Keith embarked on the Stratheden for the Middle East, on the 7th November 1940. Early that month, Keith was appointed Acting Lance Corporal prior to disembarking on the 17th December. A few months training in Cyrenaica followed before Ron was heading to Tobruk at the start of April 1941 as a newly promoted Corporal. Conditions there were quite a challenge with dust, flies, heat, minimal water supplies and constant bombardment creating frustrations. Little did Keith know that his involvement would later be recognised as one of the highly respected Rats of Tobruk.
As always, the men’s thoughts turned to home and when precious local newspapers were posted to them, despite being ‘old’ news, each article was devoured. Keith wrote to the local Kapunda Herald with his letter being published in July ’41. He shared that:—"While in the trenches in the Western Desert, I was handed a copy of the Kapunda Herald, and must say I was delighted to see the names of so many of my old school pals who are serving abroad. As most of my life and happiest days were spent with these boys, I thought I would just let you know I was in it too. I have had a strenuous time lately, but feel very proud indeed of our boys, who have stood up to it, and have done a really wonderful job. My younger brother, Colin, is a Leading Seaman in the Royal Australian Navy, and has been actively serving in the Mediterranean. So I'm sure he, too, would like to see his name with his old pals. I hope that the old town is still getting plenty of response from the boys so as to reinforce us."
Unfortunately, Keith’s own physical health resulted in him being adjudged as ‘Permanently unfit for Service’ at the end of July that year and by September he was returning to Australia on the New Zealand Hospital ship, via Fremantle.
The injured men were later met at the Mitcham railway station where a number were interviewed by reporters for the Advertiser. They gathered stories of Private Clarence Hackett, SX2448 who risked his life dashing across open country to get aid for his wounded Lieutenant David Syme SX4856, an action that earned Clarence the Military Medal. Others told of being under sustained fire by mortar and sheltering behind a dirt wall, about 16 inches high, not daring to raise their heads for fear of a sniper’s fire. Keith and Ron Gepp SX7884 also from the 2/48th were amongst this group of injured soldiers who were then driven by members of the Red Cross, to units at Wayville. There, the soldiers were given breakfast before being medically examined.
Newspapers were keen to support those fighting abroad and those who returned with a range of injuries. The September issue of the News carried a photo of some of the invalided men who were returning from the Middle East, including Keith. He had been hospitalised at Wayville, then Northern Hospital in mid-December ’41 being treated for an inflammatory disease of the skin, called Psoriasis.
In October that year, the Chronicle circulated a photo, which again included Keith, at Wayville as a returned soldier receiving pay and a leave pass. Unfortunately, that month, rumours, innuendo and untruths so frustrated to Keith that he wrote to the editor of the Advertiser on the 21st.
TOBRUK SOLDIER'S PLEA “To the Editor Sir—Having recently returned from the Tobruk theatre of war, I have been astounded to learn of the people's ignorance of the reason we retreated from Benghazi. These gallant lads rightly feel very bitter towards employers and employees who allow strikes to interfere with Australia's war effort, and each minute of work lost in a factory today might cost thousands of lives. The campaign in Libya, when our army had to retreat to the Egyptian border, and our boys were encircled in Tobruk was lost, not in Libya, but here in this country. After the battles of Greece and Crete, Australian soldiers received mail from home and read the news of the political situation. The men were rightly stirred and upset, as by this time all had learned to respect the very thorough and solid organisation of the Hun. Our boys said that if Australia could not give up trivialities, it was not worth fighting for. These men have given up their independence, their home life, their freedom and all chance of promotion in civil life by enlisting, and I feel sure that, unless Australia can compose her political differences and pull together, the morale of our boys is going to be affected very seriously. Our boys in Tobruk have, been marvellous against very great odds, and I can confidently say that, with Australia solidly behind them and giving them the equipment they need, Jerry will never reach Tobruk. The light-heartedness of many people and of our militia has astounded me, and as this war has to be won overseas, I would suggest that, to stimulate recruiting and to create satisfaction abroad, munition and essential workers should be put on a wage equal to that paid the AIF. Militia privileges should be restricted, and so that the public would recognise them more easily, they could be dressed in this conspicuous blue suit that we returned men are asked to wear. They surely must be made to realise the responsibility which should be theirs, as surely they must know that this is the greatest country of all and something worth fighting for.
I am, Sir, &c., CORPORAL K. C. McLEAN. Saddleworth.”
The following month, November, Keith wrote a second letter which the Kapunda Herald published. This also gave a very personal insight into the conditions in the Middle East and stressed the importance of those at home to provide essential equipment. His praise for the Navy was also heartfelt. ‘Corp. Keith McLean, who was recently invalided home from the Near East, in a letter to the editor of the Herald, tells of the heroic stand the Australian troops are putting up at Tobruk and other places in Libya.’
‘He writes:— “After having taken a very prominent part in the Benghazi Handicap, in which the Hun gave up a very exciting race, we eventually, after many thrills, got in first and took up our well prepared positions, which the Italians had previously occupied around Tobruk. I spent several months in this area, and cannot speak too highly of the boys, who, against very great odds have so heroically beaten back every effort the Hun has made to pierce our defences and can confidently say that if Australia can settle down and keep up supplies, that these lads will never be shifted. The summer has been extremely hot, but we always had the satisfaction of knowing that we could take it better than the Hun, and believe me, we did, and today our lads are looking extremely tanned and fit. Ours was the first South Australian battalion to contact the enemy and have held a particularly important sector in the Tobruk defences with the greatest of success. Patrolling has played a great part in keeping the enemy in check. Patrols go out nightly, and all men take their turn. They do marvellous work finding their way across the trackless barren country in the dark, seeking information and engaging the enemy. We were encircled early in April, and the only line of communication is by sea. The area we are protecting is approximately 150 square miles of particularly barren, sandy country. Water is very restricted, and the allowance when I left was 1½ pints daily for all purposes. Aerial bombardments are very regular, and as the enemy's long-range guns have plastered the town for over six months, practically everything has been battered, but the spirit of the boys. The harbour is just littered with sunken shipping, many of which were sunk when we first chased the Ityes out of Libya. The boys of the Navy, who keep up our supplies and take out our sick and wounded, have our greatest admiration, because it is only on rare occasions that they are not dive-bombed. A great spirit of comradeship exists amongst the boys over there, and I only wish that the same spirit existed in Australia, so that differences, politically and in our factories, would be forgotten, so that those brave lads fighting for the freedom of us all, would have all the equipment they need, which, up to date, has been so conspicuous by its absence. I am looking forward to a trip to Kapunda again shortly, and if there is anything I can do to assist those brave lads I have left behind, well, you can be assured that I will do it.”
With peace finally being declared, Keith and Edith enjoyed time with their growing family of four children, John, Douglas, Janet and Heather.
Aged 78, Keith died on the 24th March 1990 with his ashes being placed in the RSL Wall at Centennial Park Cemetery, 124 Niche F 013. His wife, Edith lived to be 86 and died in April 2002. Her ashes are now also at Centennial Park cemetery in Rose bed 9 Position C120.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.