The AIF Project

John Dickson McCALL

Regimental number5618
Place of birthThornhill, Scotland
ReligionPresbyterian
OccupationStation overseer
Addressc/o Woodlands, Narromine, New South Wales
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation29
Next of kinMother, Mrs Isobel McCall, Dunaverly, Bank Street, Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland
Previous military serviceNil
Enlistment date6 October 1915
Place of enlistmentDubbo, New South Wales
Rank on enlistmentPrivate
Unit name20th Battalion, 15th Reinforcement
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/37/3
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A14 Euripides on 9 September 1916
Rank from Nominal RollLance Corporal
Unit from Nominal Roll20th Battalion
FateKilled in Action 25 March 1917
Place of burialCanadian Cemetery No 2 (Plot 12, Row D, Grave No 9), Neuville-St Vaast, Pas de Calais, France
Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
91
Other details

War service: Western Front

Embarked Sydney, 9 September 1916; disembarked Plymouth, England, 26 October 1916.

Proceeded overseas to France, 13 December 1916; joined 20th Bn, in the field, 26 January 1917.

Appointed Lance Corporal, 8 February 1917.

Reported missing, believed killed by the explosion of a mine, 25 March 1917.

Court of Enquiry, 13 October 1917, concluded: 'Killed in action, 25 March 1917'.

Statement, Red Cross File, 4520 Corporal L.H. SPARKS, 20th Bn (patient, St John's Hospital), 7 May 1917: 'He was on the Town Major's staff and after they had taken up their quarters at the Town Hall, Bapaume, about two days, it was blown up and he was killed. We returned there a few days later. I do not know if his body was recovered but if so his grave would be in the Bapaume cemetery. He was Scotch, short, sandy, 25-28.'

Second statement, 5411 Pte C.G. SMITHEN, C Company, 20th Bn, 20 May 1917; 'They [McCALL, 5293 AKHURST, 5424 A.E. BEATTIE] were killed by an explostion of a mine underneath the Town Hall at Bethune and were buried there. Their bodies were never recovered.'

Originally listed as 'No known grave'; remains discovered in 1930.

Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal
SourcesNAA: B2455, McCALL John Dickson
Red Cross File No 1880902S

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