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McGregor-F-R-Pte--444

Page history last edited by Lenore Frost 9 years, 1 month ago

Volunteers of Essendon and Flemington, 1914-1918

 

Pte Frederick Roy McGregor, who served as Lachlan Colin McGregor. 

AWM Collection http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/H06033

 

McGregor L C H    Pte    444    Lachlan Colin             7 Inf Bn    21    Hairdresser    Single    Pres       

Address:    Essendon, Elder Pde, 43, "Lachlan" 

Next of Kin:    McGregor, J, father, Elder Pde, Essendon   

Enlisted:    21 Aug 1914       

Embarked:     A20 Hororata 19 Oct 1914   

 

The soldier enrolled as Lachlan Colin McGregor, but it is stated on his Attestation form that his correct name was Frederick Roy McGregor.  He was widely known as "Roy" and apparently signed his will 'L C H McGregor, "Roy" '  He was promoted to Lance Sergeant on 6/9/1916.

 

Relatives on Active Service:

McGregor-C-H-L-Pte-51  brother

 

Date of Death:  07/09/1916

CWGC: "Son of L. and Isabel McGregor, of "Lachlan", 43, Elder Parade, Essendon, Victoria, Australia".

BEDFORD HOUSE CEMETERY

 

Private F. R. McGregor,

 

reported wounded, in the youngest son of Mr. L. McGregor, of Elder parade, Essendon. With his brother, Private L. C. H. McGregor, he joined the 7th Battalion of the First Expeditionary Force.

 

CAREERS OF THE FALLEN. (1915, May 20). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 10. Retrieved February 14, 2015, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article154954230

 

Essendon Gazette 2 Sep 1915

OUR SOLDIERS

The following are extracts from a letter from Pte. R. McGregor, of Essendon:·-

 

Mastapha Hospital Alexandria,

Egypt. June 2nd, 1915.

 

We’ve been away from Mena six weeks now. We were at Lemnos lsland for two weeks, and then we went to meet   the Turks at Gallipoli, and I assure you they gave us a warm welcome; in fact, it  was that warm that it burnt. My reception was a bullet in the back, needless to say I swore like an Australian. We were barely 100 yds. from the shore when the Turks opened fire, and, by jingo, they did pepper us; the water around our little boat was literally boiling. But luckily for us their shooting was teribly bad; but, as it was, we lost 18 out of 25 men in our boat alone, so you can imagine what it was like; but the boys took it  without a murmur, though everyone was hit in some place or other. Well, we at last touched the beach and jumped out of the boats, and got under cover——opened fire. Altogether there  was only 150 of us landed at this particular spot, I assure you it hurt to see my mates shot down before my eyes, but I've got used to seeing dead men now; I take no notice of them. By the time this letter reaches you, l’ll be back in the firing line, doing my bit with the boys. After we started advancing we had a lot of trouble with snipers. They were picking our best men off all day long, and I’m hanged if we could sight them, they were that well concealed. At last an Indian got one. He was walking along, and he sighted a puff of smoke coming from under a bush. He rushed over, pulled the bush away, made a swipe with his knife, and got him. Oh, they are great fighters, are the Indians; they are as cool as cucumbers; take absolutely no notice of the shrapnel, etc. They will do the Australians to fight alongside.

 

OUR SOLDIERS. (1915, September 2). The Essendon Gazette and Keilor, Bulla and Broadmeadows Reporter (Moonee Ponds, Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 6 Edition: Morning.. Retrieved January 16, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74589960

 

Essendon Gazette 14 Oct 1915

 

OUR SOLDIERS

Corporal Roy McGregor writes to his mother from Anzac, Gallipoli.  He explains that Anzac is made up of the initials of Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. On 5th August he left Brown's Hill, for Lone Pine, a new position that had just been taken, unfortunately at a great cost. He described the stench arising from the dead bodies as very unpleasant. They even had to walk over corpses at times. The enemy are handy with bombs, and the Australians are also adept at this mode of warfare. In come (sic) places the enemy's trenches are only 7 yards away, only a barricade of sandbags separating the combatants.

 

Lance-Corporal L. C. H. McGregor, in writing from the trenches to his mother at Essendon, on 11/8/15, says: "Things are quiet now, but during the past few days the Turks have had some "hurry up." Our chaps attacked, and took three lines of trenches. We are having very decent weather. The days are not so hot. It was great to hear all the guns firing the other night, a beautiful sight watching the shells bursting on the hill. The Turks must have had a terrible time."

 

On 14/8/15, another epistle came, and Lance Corporal McGregor writes: "This is Saturday afternoon, but I won't be playing football with Keilor to-day."

 

Jim Anderson captained the Keilor Football Club.  He is pictured here, standing in his football gear, far right, in 1912.  He is the largest player in the team.   Roy McGregor seems to have been a member of this club.  Photo courtesy of Bev Armstrong.

 

The lad seated on the far left may be Roy

McGregor.

 

Continuing, he says: "After a spell, in which we were doing no tiling, our guns opened with a heavy bombardment, and an infantry brigade attacked and captured three rows of Turkish trenches and held them. A large number of men were lost; but the Turks must have lost five times as many, as the captured trenches were full of dead bodies. Our fellows captured 8 machine guns and 1,000,000 rounds of ammunition. The Turks counter-attacked, throwing a number of bombs; but our fellows stuck to their costly-gained trenches. I must tell you of the bombardment which started on Saturday, continuing at intervals till Wednesday. It was great to hear the big shells going over us. Besides all our land guns, there were monitors and warships firing. I felt glad I was not in the Turks' place; they must have had terrible losses. Their return fire was very poor. Our artillery observers knew where most of their guns were, and our artillery blew the most of them out of existence."

 

In a letter to his father, dated 14/8/15, he says that the strain is telling on some of the lads who had been, at the time of writing, over 16 weeks in the trenches, and were in much need of a rest. When they come out of the trenches, there are fatigue duties to do. "Often when we put our periscopes above the trenches, the Turks fire at them and we wave a miss when they fail to hit them. The trenches are so close that they often hit. We have got the Turks very "jumpy" lately. They often open up a heavy fire through the night, throw up flares; but we never fire a shot, and they don't know what we are doing. We all wish they would attack, for we would give them a terrible time."

Another letter from Lance Corporal McGregor, dated 22/8/15, has come to hand, and he writes: "Things are very quiet and the weather is getting cooler. We had another bombardment, and then an attack on the left. Three or four lines of trenches were taken, and held. I went round to see the trenches which our troops had taken, and the stench was dreadful. The trenches were full of dead, and everyone had to walk over them. These were all buried. The Sunday night the 7th went into the trenches, the Turks tried to get them back; but our fellows hung on like glue. The Turks attacked heavily with bombs, and our boys replied until their supply of bombs ran out, when they had to depend on their rifles. In three hours our battalion had 380 casualties, mostly wounded; but they hung on, and when the Turks attacked with the bayonet, our boys repulsed them the three times. The 7th were given great praise for the way they stuck to the trenches. General was in the trenches when the Turks attacked, and he called out to the boys to stick out to the last man, and they did stick. Our Colonel* is a great soldier. He said at Moonee Ponds station when we were lined up to go to St. Kilda barracks on the morning of our march out to camp, that he would never ask a man to go where he would not go himself. He has been true to his word, and the battalion would go anywhere with him. The reinforcements take to him straight away."

 

OUR SOLDIERS. (1915, October 14). The Essendon Gazette and Keilor, Bulla and Broadmeadows Reporter (Moonee Ponds, Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 4 Edition: Morning.. Retrieved January 16, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74590395

 

Colonel H E "Pompey" Elliott

 

Mentioned in this correspondence:

Anderson-J-G-Driver-2204-England-1916

 

War Service Commemorated

Essendon Town Hall (R)

Aberfeldie Bowls Club Great War Honour Board

Patriotic Concert 1914

“Send off to the Essendon Boys” (R )     

Essendon Gazette Roll of Honour killed (R)

 

 

Died on Service

 

McGREGOR.- Killed in action, in France, on

4th September, Sergeant L C (Roy), youngest

beloved son of Mr and Mrs L McGregor, Elder

parade, Essendon.

Duty nobly done.      

One of the Anzac heroes.

Family Notices. (1916, October 14). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 11.

Retrieved January 16, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1596293

 

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