Regimental number | 7075 |
Place of birth | Sofala, New South Wales |
School | Rosehill Superior Public School, New South Wales |
Other training | Sydney Technical College, New South Wales |
Religion | Methodist |
Occupation | Clerk |
Address | Hudson Street, Granville, Sydney, New South Wales |
Marital status | Single |
Age at embarkation | 18 |
Height | 5' 5.25" |
Weight | 139 lbs |
Next of kin | Mother, Mrs E M McCabe, Hudson Street, Granville, Sydney, New South Wales |
Previous military service | Served in 20th Infantry Bn, Senior Cadets; still serving at time of AIF enlistment. |
Enlistment date | |
Date of enlistment from Nominal Roll | |
Rank on enlistment | Private |
Unit name | 2nd Battalion, 23rd Reinforcement |
AWM Embarkation Roll number | 23/19/3 |
Embarkation details | Unit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A24 Benalla on |
Rank from Nominal Roll | Private |
Unit from Nominal Roll | 2nd Battalion |
Fate | Killed in Action |
Age at death from cemetery records | 19 |
Place of burial | Buttes New British Cemetery (Plot XXIV, Row D, Grave No. 9), Polygon Wood, Zonnebeke, Belgium |
Panel number, Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial | 33 |
Miscellaneous information from cemetery records | Parents: James and Emily McCABE, Hudson Street, Granville, New South Wales |
Other details |
War service: Western Front Embarked sydney, 9 November 1916; disembarked Devonport, England, 9 January 1917. Proceeded overseas to France, 25 April 1917; taken on strength, 2nd Bn, in the field, 11 May 1917. Killed in action, Belgium, 22 September 1917. Note, Red Cross File No 1880708W: 'No trace Germany. Cert. by Capt. Mills 10-10-19.' Statement, 7055 Pte J.T. WILLIAMSON, C Company, 2nd Bn (patient, 56th General Hospital, France), 19 November 1917: 'McCabe belonged to B Company. He was the only man of the name I knew. He was a small fellow. It was behind our lines near Hooge that he was killed on September 22nd. The Germans were sending over gas shells at the time and McCabe had his gas helmet on. A shell exploded near him and partially buried him. He was suffocated before he could be got out, the gas helmet being responsible for this I think. [7077] Pte McKay, B. Coy (whose No. is either one below or one above McCabe's) told me of this. He and McCabe were great pals.' Second statement, 3697 Corporal E. BURT, 2nd Bn (patient, No 8 Stationary Hospital, Boulogne), 20 November 1917: 'The date [22 September 1917] but I forget the exact name of the place. He dug in too far, gas was coming over at the time and he put his gas helmet on. The shell fell and he was buried by the earth. When we dug him out he was dead, had been smothered. I buried him about 5 yards away from the trench where he was killed and put a rough cross up. I sent his full effects home to his mother whose address I forget but it was somewhere in N.S.W. He was about 5ft 5, fair, 19 years. This was his first time in the front line.' Third statement, 6774 Pte F.J. KING, B Company, 2nd Bn (patient, 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Dartford, England), 26 November 1917; 'I saw him killed at Ypres. He was buried by a shell that landed close to him. We dug him out but he was dead, having been evidentally [sic] been smothered as, in addition to being buried completely he had his gas helmet on. I knew him very well, he came from Granville N.S.W., and was the only man in the Coy. of that name. I saw his grave behind the trench at Ypres and it was marked with a cross bearing his number, name and unit.' Fourth statement, 3535 Pte A.L. HANSFORD, stretcher bearer, 2nd Bn, 4 December 1917; 'He was in B. Co. He was small, short, and about 20 or 21 years of age. He was in a trench between Glencourse Wood and Polygon Wood, about 22nd September. The ground was very sandy, and we had tunnelled under it to get extra cover. It fell in and buried him. He had his gas helmet on, and was suffocated before we could get him out. I was a stretcher bearer, and they called for us to dig him out. He was breathing his last when we got him out, and died almost at once. He was not buried by our Company. We were relieved that night.' Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal |
Sources | NAA: B2455, McCABE Frederick
Red Cross File No 1880708W |