Andrew Charles McKINNON

Regimental number323
Place of birthCreswick, Victoria
ReligionPresbyterian
OccupationFarmer
AddressKingston PO, Kingston, Victoria
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation28
Height5' 9.5"
Weight158 lbs
Next of kinAndrew McKinnon, Kingston PO, Kingston, Victoria
Previous military serviceServed for 1 year in the Citizen Military Forces (Area 71B),
Enlistment date18 August 1914
Place of enlistmentBallarat, Victoria
Rank on enlistmentPrivate
Unit name8th Battalion, C Company
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/25/1
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board Transport A24 Benalla on 19 October 1914
Regimental number from Nominal RollCommissioned
Rank from Nominal Roll2nd Lieutenant
Unit from Nominal Roll60th Battalion
Recommendations (Medals and Awards)

Mention in Despatches


Awarded, and promulgated, 'London Gazette', Supplement, No. 29455 (28 January 1916); 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 44 (6 April 1916).

FateKilled in Action 19 July 1916
Place of burialNo known grave
Commemoration detailsV.C. Corner (Panel No 18), Australian Cemetery Memorial, Fromelles, France
Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
170
Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records
Parents: Andrew and Mary McKINNON. Native of Kingston, Victoria
Family/military connectionsSister: Staff Nurse Annie McKINNON, Australian Army Nursing Service, effective abroad (still overseas); Brother: 7553 Pte Norman McKINNON, 8th Bn, returned to Australia, 13 July 1919.
Other details

War service: Egypt, Gallipoli, Western Front

Embarked Alexandria to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, Gallipoli, 5 April 1915.

Promoted Corporal, 12 May 1915; Sergeant, 13 August 1915.

Admitted to 2nd Field Ambulance, Anzac, 22 August 1915 (diarrhoea), and transferred same day to 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station; to Mudros, 22 August 1915, and admitted to 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station (gun shot wound, left hand); to 2nd Australian General Hospital, Ghezireh, 30 August 1915; to Mena House Hospital, 5 September 1915 (shrapnel wound, right knee [?]); to Convalescent Camp, Helouan, 11 October 1915; discharged, fit for active service, 15 October 1915.

Admitted to No 2 Stationary Hospital, Mudros, 29 October 1915 (venereal disease: syphilis); discharged to duty, 6 November 1915; total period of treatment for venereal disease: 9 days.

Rejoined 8th Bn, Lemnos, 7 November 1915.

Disembarked Alexandria, 7 January 1916 (general Gallipoli evacuation).

Admitted to 2nd Field Ambulance, Tel el Kebir, 14 January 1916 (defective eyes); transferred to 2nd Casualty Clearing Station, 15 January 1916; dischargedto Overseas Base, and rejoined Bn, Tel el Kebir, 23 January 1916.

Tried by Court Martial, 15 February 1916, on charge of when on Active Service, drunkenness in that he at Tel el Kebir at about 2300 on 23 January 1916, after 'Lights Out' was sounded, was drunk: found Not Guilty.

Mentioned in Despatches.

Transferred to, and taken on strength of, 60th Bn, 24 February 1916.

Promoted 2nd Lieutenant, 15 June 1916.

Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 18 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 29 June 1916.

Reported missing, 19 July 1916.

Now, 29 June 1917, on statement of 3182 Corporal E. MITCHELL, 60th Bn, declared 'Killed in Action, 19 July 1916'.

Note, Red Cross File No 1930912: 'No trace Germany[.] cert. by Capt. Mills 10-1-19.'

Statement, 1733 Pte V.P. MACKEY, C Company, 60th Bn, 4 August 1916: 'I was lying in front of our parapet on July 19th at Fleurbaix by the barbed wire. A whole lot of men in D Coy as they came back told me Lt. McKinnon had been killed. Evidently they had passed him on the way back.'

Second statement, 2579 Pte A.McK. BOSWELL, 60th Bn (patient, St John's Hospital, Hastings, England), 7 August 1916: 'Informant states that on the above date on the La Basses front Lieut McKinnon was wounded shortly after getting over the parapaet and Informant saw his body lying on the ground when he advanced.'

Third statement, 4477 Pte J.P. DUNN, 60th Bn (patient, 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Harefield, England), 11 August 1916: 'Lieut. McKinnon was hit by Machine Gun shortly after in the charge. I tried to bind him up, but was no use - he was dead. I was wounded and did not get back till the following night. When informant himself left none of the dead had been buried.'

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
SourcesNAA: B2455, McKINNON Andrew Charles
Red Cross File No 1930912