Sydney Chadwick McDonald

Sydney Chadwick McDonald

Ancestry.com
Personal Information
Date of Birth	25 Sep 1899
Place of Birth	Dublin, Ireland
Death	14 Jul 1975, aged 75
Place of Death	West Heidelberg, Victoria
Age at Enlistment	19 years old (actual age 16)
Description	5'6½" (1.69m) tall ; 147 lbs 66.678 kg ; ruddy complexion ; brown eyes ; dark brown hair
Occupation	Farm hand
Religion	Presbyterian
Address	Kelmscott, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Mother , Mrs Elizabeth Agnes McDonald
Military Information
Reg Number	2101
Date of Enlistment	20 Sep 1915
Rank	Driver
Unit/Formation	10th Light Horse Regiment, 14th Reinforcement, transferred to 24th FAB, and then 28th Battalion
Date of Embarkation	16 Feb 1916 ‒ 13 Mar 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A69 Warilda
Date of Return	16 Jun 1919 ‒ 24 Jul 1919
Ship Returned On	RMS Ormonde
Fate	Returned to Australia
Monument	none currently
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

War Service

Entering camp on 20 Sep 1915, it was not until 12 Feb 1916, just before he sailed to Egypt, that he was allocated to the 14th reinforcement draft for the 10th Light Horse Regiment. He had previously trained with the 20th Depot Company, the 4th Depot Squadron and the 5th Depot Squadron.

Soon after arrival in Egypt, Syd was transferred to Artillery at Heliopolis on 1 Apr 1916 where he mustered as a Gunner with 4th Division Ammunition Column. Within 2 months he became a temporary Driver, and after arriving in France on the SS Oriana on 13 June, Syd was taken on strength by the 24th Field Artillery (Howitzer) Brigade from the 4th Division Ammunition Column, and posted to the 12th Field Artillery Brigade's 112th Field Artillery (Howitzer) Battery.

In late Jan 1917 after a reorganisation of artillery he was shifted to the 12th Field Artillery Brigade, but remained in the 112th Battery. In Jul 1917 he was charged with: 1) At Steenwerck on 23 Jun 1917 when ordered by Lt Col J. Atkinson to halt, he failed to do so; 2)Disobedience of GRO 430 in that he at Steenwerck on 23 Jun 1917 galloped a horse on a paved road. His punishment was 14 days Field Punishment No.2 (see notes) and a fine of £3/10/- ($7). Three months later on 3 Oct 1917 he was charged with having a light burning after sundown. For this he was awarded another 14 days Field Punishment No.2 (see notes). On 26 Oct 1917 he reported ill to the 3rd Field Ambulance with dermatitis, sent on to the 17th Casualty Clearing Station where on 21 Oct 1917 he was placed on Ambulance Train No. 20 for admission to the 3rd General Hospital in Le Tréport on 22 Oct 1917. Sydney was evacuated to the UK on 29 Jan 1918 aboard HMHS Panama and was admitted to the Royal Victorian Military Hospital.

He spent from 30 Jan - 25 Mar 1918 in the Royal Victoria Hospital and 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital from 26 - 28 Mar 1918. Granted furlough, while on leave he was admitted to the King George Hospital in Dublin with a septic knee. On 2 May 1918 he was transferred to the 2nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital. On 17 May 1918 Syd was admitted with Venereal Disease to the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital at Bulford for four days and didn't return to France until 27 Sep 1918 via Folkestone. When he did so it was as a reinforcement for the 28th Battalion which took him on strength on 4 Oct 1918. Sick again by 13 Nov 1918 he was seen by the 12th Casualty Clearing Station and transferred on 17 Nov 1918 by Ambulance Train No.14 to Le Tréport where he entered the 3rd General Hospital. On 23 Nov 1918 he was transferred to No. 1 Australian Convalescent Depot with influenza. Released to the base depot on 3 Jan 1919, on 12 Jan 1919 he was charged with having on 10 Jan 1919 been drunk, and with being in town without a leave pass. He was also AWOL from 9:30pm until 10:30pm on 10 Jan 1919. The penalty awarded was a forfeiture of 10 day's pay. Sydney rejoined the 28th Battalion in France on 17 Jan 1919, but on 25 Mar 1919 was moved back to England to prepare for the voyage home. He was discharged by the 5th Military District on 15 Sep 1919.

Post War

In 1921 Sydney married Iris Polkinghorne in Fremantle. Iris was no longer with Sydney from the early 1930s, and in 1936, an Iris McDonald married Walter Robinson in the Murchison, so it would appear that Iris and Sydney had been divorced.

Electoral Roll entries: 1925 a telephone employee living at Perth road, Albany; 1930 - 31 in Richmond street Cue with Iris, a linesman; 1934 alone at Kulin; 1936 - 1937 at 115 Brandon street, South Perth; 1943 a linesman at Mundiwindi; 1949 an estimating foreman at 30 Forrest street, North Perth; 1954 - 1958 at 327 Pier street, line inspector; and then no occupation later in the year; 1963 a pensioner at 10 Crossland street, Carnarvon; 1972 at 89 Rennie crescent, Hilton.

During WW2 Sydney enlisted in the Citizen's Military Forces with regimental N0 W76996 in Carnarvon.

In 1972 the 10th Light Horse Association wrote to the Military authorities on his behalf seeking replacement copies of his medals, and there is a note of file showing a connection to 53061 Sergeant S.C. McDonald of 103 Signals Squadron, Lavarack Barracks, Townsville.

Notes

Field punishment could be awarded by a court martial or a commanding officer for any offence committed on active service. There were two categories of field punishment. Field punishment No. 2 consisted of heavy labouring duties, and several hours a day shackled . All offenders awarded field punishment would march with their unit, carry their arms and accoutrements, perform all their military duties as well as extra fatigue duties, and be treated as defaulters.

Memorialised at Karrakatta

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Virtual War Memorial