Chanel James McCalman

Died 1 Aug 1944

Service number: WWII 463443 AWMM
Also known as: Mac AWMM
Armed force / branch: Army AWMM
Last rank: Lance Corporal/Military Gardiner, W. (2019). Ake ake kia kaha e! 28 (Maori) Battalion, B Company Gardiner, W. (2019). Ake ake kia kaha e!
War: World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM

Chanel James McCalman — Portrait, Weekly News - This image may be subject to copyright

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Biographical information

Chanel McCalman was the son of Frank and Margaret Jane McCalman; husband of Eileen McCalman, of Seatoun, Wellington, New Zealand

"I don't know how many people know we had a full Pakeha fighting with us in Italy. He was Lance-Corporal C.J. McCalman - 'Mac' as he was called by all - who joined us during the Sangro action.

He actually belonged to 27 Battalion, but was frustrated by the fact that it saw very little real action - so he went AWOL (absent without leave), joined 28 Battalion and saw action with B company at Sangro and Orsogna.

To avoid him being charged as AWOL or as a deserter, Monty Wikiriwhi applied to have him transferred to the battalion and this was duly done.

Mac soon became very adept at Homai and other hand games and could out-cheat most of us. He was built like a front row All-Black, and going into action was always loaded down like a pack-horse - food, ammunition, weapons, cooking utensils, you name it, Mac carried it!

He always carried a 'Benghazi burner' and base, a billy and pot for tea and fowls, and a frying pan for pancakes. You can imagine the clanking of this collection going into action! But we only had to stop for a few minutes and Mac had a cup of tea ready, a chook on the boil, and his masterpeice pikelets.

He always had a supply of flour, egg powder, milk powder, a tin of fruit salts (in lieu of baking powder) and a tin of butter, and - given sufficient time - the platoon would soon be sitting down to hot pikelets covered in butter and jam and a cup of hot tea.

On our long marches and going into battle, you would find Mac carrying not only his own heavy load but also packs or heavy weapons belonging to some of the smaller members of the platoon.

A wonderful mate and soldier, respected by all who knew him, Mac served with the battalion from the Sangro to the final stages of the advance on Florence. On August 1, 1944, he and several other members of his platoon received a direct hit and were killed." - Aubrey Balzer (275754), War Time Memories, N.Z.R.S.A AWMM

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Chanel James McCalman