The AIF Project

War service: Egypt, Western Front

Allotted to and proceeded to join 57th Battery, Tel el Kebir, 23 February 1916; transferred to 59th Battery, 15 March 1916. Transferred to 5th Divisional Artillery, 17 August 1916, and mustered as Gunner.

Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 17 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 21 June 1916.

Taken on strength, 25th Field Artllery Brigade, 9 July 1916.

Wounded in action, 16 July 1916 (gun shot wound, left leg), and admitted to 5th [8th?] Field Ambulance; transferred to 2nd Casualty Clearing Station, 17 July 1916, and thence by Ambulance Train to HS 'St Denis', and transferred to England, 19 July 1916. Admitted to East Leeds Hospital, 20 July 1916 (gun shot wound, left calf: severe); transferred to 3rd Auxiliary Hospital, Dartford, 12 October 1916 (wound: severe); marched into No 2 Command Depot, Weymouth, from Dartford, 12 November 1916. Granted furlough, 15 November 1916, to report to Australian Depot, Wareham, 29 November 1916.

Admitted to Wareham Hospital, 31 December 1916 (seriously ill: pneumonia); discharged to Depot, 24 January 1917.

Marched into Reserve Brigade Australian Artillery, Larkhill, 16 May 1917.

Proceeded overseas to France, 23 July 1917; attached for duty to 10th Light Trench Mortar Battery, in the field, 28 July 1917.

On leave to England, 4 January 1918; found guilty, London, of failing to salute an officer: awarded forfeiture of 3 days' pay; rejoined unit from leave, 20 January 1918.

Detached to Trench Mortar School, 24 February 1918; rejoined unit from detachment, 14 March 1918.

Admitted to No 1 Field Ambulance, 16 April 1918, and transferred same day to 20th Casualty Clearing Station; to Ambulance Train No 20, 18 April 1918, and admitted to 3rd General Hospital, Rouen, 19 April 1918 (trench fever); to No 2 convalescent Depot, 27 April 1918; to Base Depot, Havre, 29 April 1918; rejoined unit, in the field, 10 May 1918.

Killed in action, 27 September 1918. OC, 10th LTMB, reported that Rennie 'received wounds in the stomach through enemy shell fire, causing instantaneous death, on the night of 27.9.18. He was buried in Military Cemetery, St Emilie (Australian Section), Allotment 3) by Presbyterian Capt-Chaplain of 10th Australian Infantry Brigade.'

[Nominal Roll states fate as 'deceased'.]

Base Records wrote to mother, 1 July 1930, to inform her that 'the Imperial War Graves Commission have been unable to acquite the site of Ste. Emilie British Cemetery in France, and in the circumstances it will be necessary to remove these graves to Templeux Le Guerard British Cemetery, an established military burial ground in the vicinity of Ste. Emilie.'