Coming Soon.
MCNEILL, William
Personal Details
| Service Numbers: | 17429, Q227938 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 22 April 1926 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 9th (QLD) Battalion Volunteer Defence Corps (VDC) |
| Born: | Cambusnethan, Scotland, 8 November 1907 |
| Home Town: | Gatton, Lockyer Valley, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: |
Service History
World War 2 Service
| 22 Apr 1926: | Enlisted Royal Australian Navy, Able Seaman, 17429 | |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Jul 1934: | Discharged Royal Australian Navy, Able Seaman, 17429 | |
| 2 Feb 1942: | Involvement Private, Q227938, Page missing from Enlistment Register | |
| 2 Feb 1942: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, Q227938, 9th (QLD) Battalion Volunteer Defence Corps (VDC) | |
| 9 Feb 1945: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, Q227938, 9th (QLD) Battalion Volunteer Defence Corps (VDC) |
Personal Stories
William's Death
William McNeill was killed in an explosion at Redcliffe in Queensland on Sunday 10 July 1955. He and his wife Vera were sitting in their car on Redcliffe Parade when there was an explosion inside the car. William died in the ambulance on the way to hospital. Vera survived but was badly injured. She spent 3 weeks in hospital and lived for another 40 years before passing away at Redcliffe in 1995. The coroner's finding was that the explosion was accidental. There are multiple newspaper stories about the incident and the inquest file is in the collection at Queensland State Archives.
Submitted 2 May 2026 by Catherine Mahoney