Donald Gordon McMillan
Born 22 May 1893 - Died 28 Sept 1918
- Service number
- WWI 2/59 AWMM
- Also known as
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Last rank
- WW1 Second Lieutenant AWMM New Zealand Field Artillery AWMM
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- Donald Gordon AWMM
- Surname
- McMillan AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- —
- Service number
- WWI 2/59 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
- —
- Religion
- Presbyterian, Christian AWMM
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 22 May 1893 Peter Dennis, UNSW Canberra
- Date of birth
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- Place of birth
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- Birth notes
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- Address before enlistment
- Unknown AWMM 89 Rintoul Street, Wellington, New Zealand AWMM
- Post war occupation
- —
- Next of kin
- John McMillan (father), 89 Rintoul Street, Wellington, New Zealand AWMM
- Relationship status
- Pre 15 Aug 1914 AWMM Single/WWI AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
- Campaign
- Samoa AWMM
- 1915-1916 AWMM Gallipoli AWMM
- 1914-1919 AWMM Western Front AWMM
- Aug 1914 AWMM Capture of Samoa, WW1 AWMM
- 1914-1919 AWMM Western Front AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Service number
- WWI 2/59 AWMM
- Military service
- —
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- —
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- Military Cross (MC) AWMM
1919 AWMM
London Gazette, 10 December 1919, p15398: 'On 27th September 1918 near Moeuvres, he went forward as forward observation officer and finding the infantry held up by machine gun fire on the bank of the Canal du Nord he gallantly organised sniping parties with Lewis guns and rifles, and with his own signallers did excellent work, shooting eight of the enemy including several machine gunners working the guns. Afterwards he pressed forward under heavy machine gun fire and sent back valuable information to the brigade. He has constantly done good work throughout the last month's strenuous fighting.' - 'London Gazette'- 10/12/1919 AWMM - 1914-1915 Star AWMM
- British War Medal (1914-1920) AWMM
- Victory Medal AWMM
- Military Cross (MC) AWMM
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- —
- Branch Trade Proficiency
- —
- Enlistment
- WW1 Unknown AWMM
- Age on enlistment
- —
- Occupation before enlistment
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Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW1 HMNZT 1 or HMNZT 2 AWMM Vessel was Moeraki or Monowai AWMM Gunner/Military AWMM New Zealand Field Artillery AWMM Samoan Advance Party AWMM
- WW1 HMNZT 24 or HMNZT 25 or HMNZT 26 AWMM Vessel was Maunganui or Tahiti or Aparima AWMM 5th Reinforcements AWMM
2nd Embarkation AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
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- Days interned
- —
- Liberation date
- —
- POW liberation details
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- Liberation Repatriation
- —
- POW serial number
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Medical history
- Medical notes
- Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- WW1 Second Lieutenant AWMM
New Zealand Field Artillery AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Donald McMillan was the son of John and Caroline Evelyn McMillan of 47 Roy Street, Wellington, New Zealand, formerly of Scotland.
Served in Samoa and at Gallipoli.
McMillan was originally buried at St Olle and was reburied in a grave on the north side of the Porte-de-Paris Cemetery. He is the only New Zealander buried in this cemetery.
Enlisted and taken on strength D Battery, New Zealand Field Artillery, Samoan Expeditionary Force, 8 August 1914.
Embarked Wellington and proceeded overseas for German Samoa, 14 August 1914; disembarked at Noumea, French New Caledonia, 21 August 1914; re-embarked that same day and remained on ship while expedition transports and escorting warships underwent coaling the next day. Samoan Expeditionary Force left Noumea on 23 August 1914.
Landed at Apia, German Samoa, with rest of D Battery, 30 August 1914.
Embarked from German Samoa for New Zealand, 12 March 1915. Arrived in New Zealand, 23 March 1915.
Transferred to 6th (Howitzer) Battery, New Zealand Field Artillery. Promoted to rank of Bombardier, 17 May 1915.
Embarked overseas for Egypt with 5th Reinforcements, 13 June 1915.
Appointed Acting Corporal, 30 November 1915: promoted Corporal, 22 January 1916.
Appointed Temporary Sergeant, 28 February 1916.
Embarked from Alexandria, Egypt, and proceeded overseas to France, April 1916.
Promoted Sergeant, 28 May 1916.
Marched in Cadet Unit for NZEF Commissions, France, 27 May 1917: Joined No 1 Officer Cadet School, Royal Field Artillery, St John's Wood, London, England, 8 June 1917.
Commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant.
Reported from Officer Cadet School and taken on strength, New Zealand Field Artillery Reserve Depot, Chadderton Camp, Royton, Lancashire,1917.
Marched out of New Zealand Field Artillery Reserve Depot, and proceeded overseas to France, 27 November 1917.
Arrived from Base Depot and posted to 5th Battery, 2nd (Army) Brigade, New Zealand Field Artillery, in the field, 16 March 1918.
Reported wounded, 18 April 1918: admitted to No 2 New Zealand General Hospital, Walton-on-Thames, England, 27 April 1918; transferred to New Zealand Officers' Convalescent Home, Brighton, 25 May 1918; to No 2 New Zealand General Hospital, Walton-on-Thames, 11 June 1918; discharged and taken on strength Headquarters, NZEF, London, 17 June 1918.
Marched in to New Zealand Field Artillery Reserve Depot, Ewshott Barracks, Fleet, Hampshire, 17 July 1918: available for service overseas, 22 July 1918.
Struck off strength New Zealand Field Artillery Reserve Depot, and proceeded overseas to France, 5 August 1918.
Taken on strength and posted to 6th (Howitzer) Battery, 2nd (Army) Brigade, New Zealand Field Artillery, 9 August 1918: joined unit in the field, 11 August 1918.
Killed in action, 28 September 1918.
Note on file: 'Buried isolated grave 10 yards from south side of Cantaing-Proville Road, 24 miles southwest of Cambrai' (report by 63rd (Royal Naval) Division, 8 October 1918).
Medals: Military Cross, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
Parents: John and Caroline Evelyn McMillan, 47 Roy Street, Wellington, formerly of Scotland. Native of Dunedin. AWMM - 2nd Lt McMillan was known by his second name, Gordon.Public - Donald Antony John - Direct descendant - 6 December 2016 - Family history.
- Donald McMillan was the son of John and Caroline Evelyn McMillan of 47 Roy Street, Wellington, New Zealand, formerly of Scotland.
About death
- Death
- 28 Sept 1918 AWMM
Age 25 AWMM - Date of death
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- Age at death
- —
- Place of death
- —
- Cause of death
- Killed in Action AWMM
- Death notes
- —
- Cemetery
- Porte-de-Paris Cemetery, Cambrai, France AWMM 7052 (privately owned grave) AWMM
- Cemetery name
- —
- Grave reference
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- Obituary
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- Memorial name
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- Memorial reference
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Memorial
- Memorial name
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Sources
- External links
- Military personnel file
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R10926568
Further Reference - Other military personnel file
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R7880443
Further Reference - A Street Near You record
https://astreetnearyou.org/person/566869/-
Further Reference - Commonwealth War Graves Commission Casualty record
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/566869
Further Reference
- Military personnel file
- References
- McDonald, W. (2013). Honours and Awards to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Great War, 1914-1918. (3rd ed.). Hamilton, N.Z.: Richard Stowers.
- New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1914-1919). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Volume I. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
Page No: 469 - NZEF Peter Dennis, UNSW Canberra
- Beattie, P.J. & Pomeroy, M. (2013-2020). Onward : portraits of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (vols 1-5). Auckland, New Zealand: Fair Dinkum Publications
Vol. 2: Includes portrait - Waite, F. (1919). The New Zealanders at Gallipoli. Auckland, N.Z.: Printed and published under Authority of the New Zealand Government by Whitcombe & Tombs.
- Byrne, J.R. (1922). New Zealand Artillery in the Field, 1914 - 18. Auckland, N.Z.: Whitcombe & Tombs.
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