Regimental number | 3182 |
Place of birth | Ariah Park, New South Wales |
School | Ariah Park Public School, New South Wales |
Religion | Presbyterian |
Occupation | Motor mechanic |
Address | Oakwood, Ariah Park, Temora, New South Wales |
Marital status | Single |
Age at embarkation | 23 |
Height | 5' 10.5" |
Weight | 168 lbs |
Next of kin | Mother, Mrs E McKay, Oakwood, Ariah Park, Temora, New South Wales |
Previous military service | Nil |
Enlistment date | |
Place of enlistment | Holsworthy, New South Wales |
Rank on enlistment | Private |
Unit name | 20th Battalion, 7th Reinforcement |
AWM Embarkation Roll number | 23/37/2 |
Embarkation details | Unit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A29 Suevic on |
Rank from Nominal Roll | Private |
Unit from Nominal Roll | 14th Machine Gun Company |
Fate | Killed in Action |
Place of death or wounding | Fleurbaix, France (Battle of Fromelles) |
Age at death | 23 |
Age at death from cemetery records | 23 |
Place of burial | No known grave |
Commemoration details | V.C. Corner (Panel No 23), Australian Cemetery Memorial, Fromelles, France |
Panel number, Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial | 178 |
Miscellaneous information from cemetery records | Parents: Robert and Emily McKAY, Oakwood, Ariah Park, New South Wales |
Other details |
War service: Egypt, Western Front Allotted to and proceeded to join 56th Bn, Tel el Kebir, 16 February 1916. Transferred to 14th Machine Gun Company, 10 March 1916. Detached to School of Instruction, Zeitoun, 1 April 1916; rejoined unit, Ferry Post, 23 april 1916. Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 19 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 25 June 1916. Reported missing, 20 July 1916. Court of Enquiry, held in the field, 14 September 1917, pronounced fate as 'Killed in Action, 20 July 1916'. Note, Red Cross File No 1920511: 'No trace Germany. Cert. by Capt. Mills. 10.10.19.' Statement, 2699 Pte J. KELLY, 24 August 1916: 'I knew McKay and the man on his gun. Pte Alf. Howard, who was the next man to McKay on the gun, told Pte. Jackson, who told me, that McKay was killed on the 19th. July last at Fleurbaix.' Second statement, 5366 Pte J.T. FIRMAN, 14th Machine Gun Company (patient, 5th Southern General Hospital, Portsmouth, England), 5 December 1916: 'Informant states that on July 20th at Fromelles, France, Cpl. told me that Mackay (sic) was killed by a shell just behind him as they were retreating with the gun.' Third statement, 2641 Pte J. EVANS, 14th Machine Gun Company (patient, Kitchener's Hospital, Brighton, England), 13 December 1916: 'Informant states that on 19th July at Fromelles he saw McKay killed by a sniper whilst he was in the German lines, with his machine gun, his body was left there.' Fourth statement, Corporal H.C. HOWARD, 14th Machine Gun Company, 28 December 1916: 'The morning of the 20th of July last when we had a raid, he and I were together all the time; we were over in the German lines and when the order came that we had to retire to our own front line, we came back as far as the German front line together, but I got into the sap leading across No Man's Land first and he stood up on the parapet, and said he would hop down in a minute. Well, I walked about 50 yards away from him and looked back, and he was missing, but just where I had left him a shell had fallen - right on the spot where he was standing, so I can assure you that he must have been blown to pieces. He was never taken prisoner because he was too near to be taken, and besides there were many men that we had left back further in the German lines, why they came back about half an hour after I did. You can rest assured that Pte. F.W. McKay met his death on the 20th July 1916, fighting for his country.' Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal |
Sources | NAA: B2455, McKAY Francis Walter
Red Cross File No 1920511 |