Alexander Macfarlane

Submitted by Mt Kembla Minin... on Mon, 17/10/2016 - 10:35

First Name:

Alexander

Last Name:

Macfarlane

Alternate Spelling:

McFarlane

Date Enlisted:

Tuesday, February 16, 1915

Rank at Enlistment:

Private

Rank at Discharge:

Private

Unit:

17th Battalion

Company:

Service:

Infantry

Awards:

Mention in Despatches

1914/1915 Star

British War Medal

Victory Medal

Details:

Alexander Macfarlane (Service No 1255) was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland around 1893.

At enlistment, Alexander was single, 22 years old, worked as a miner and lived Scarborough, N.S.W. and had served 4 years with the Scottish Rifles.

Alexander listed his uncle, John McGregor, of Hurstville, N.S.W. as next of kin.

He embarked from Sydney on HMAT A32 Themistocles with D Company, 17th Battalion, on 12th May 1915.

After Alexander served at Gallipoli he was sent to France, arriving on 23rd March 1916 and saw service on the Western Front.

On 29th April 1917 he was transferred to 2nd Division Signal Company and served with them for the rest of the war.

Alexander was returned to Australia in March 1919 and discharged on 26th July 1919.

The London Gazette of 11th July 1919 awarded and promulagated the Mention in Despatches Award to Alexander for being "mentioned in Sir Douglas Haig's despatch of 16/3/19' - NAA papers, p.8. This Award appeared in the Commonwealth Gazette No 124, 30th October 1919.

Sources:

NAA: B2455, MCFARLANE A