ABOVE: E F R BALDERSON, H COX, S B MCLAREN, R C EDMUNDS, G F PAUL
LEFT TO RIGHT: C M NEILD, J W MCWHAE, D K ARMSTRONG, W A KIRKLAND, R M MCMILLAN.
Somme in 1916. He was killed at Ypres on 21 June, aged 33.
LEONARD ARTHUR HORSFALL( 1889) had become a magistrate in South Africa by the outbreak of war, and though in his 40s, enlisted as a gunner in the South African Army. Near Bullecourt, on 23 July 1917, the 43-year-old was killed instantly when a shell splinter struck him as he was serving ammunition.
EDWARD HARKNESS( 1878) was an experienced doctor in Gippsland. Keen to contribute to the war effort, he enlisted in 1916 and practised medicine at the Royal Park and Maribyrnong army camps. There he contracted pneumonia and pleurisy, which, after nearly two months, proved fatal to the 55-year-old on 2 August.
DONALD KEITH( known as Keith) ARMSTRONG( 1913) was a boarder and a Prefect in 1912 and 1913. He left his father’ s farm to enlist in 1916 and was allotted to the artillery. On 6 August 1917, the explosion of a nearby German shell buried Keith and several others in their gunpit. The 20-year-old dug himself out, and was helping to carry a wounded man to safety when a shell struck the stretcher, killing Keith and two others. Keith’ s father generously funded a scholarship for boarders at Scotch.
ALEXANDER MURRAY was nearly twice Keith’ s age at his death eight days later. Alex taught mathematics at Scotch in 1907-1908. He enlisted in Scotland, and at the time of his death at Ypres was a Captain in the Scottish Horse.
WILLIAM JOHNSTONE( Bill) KNOX( 1904) who died on 20 August, was discussed in the February 2017 issue of Great Scot.
WILLIAM JOHN( Bill) MOUNTAIN( 1908) was a 24-year-old draftsman on enlisting in
February 1916. He was an artillery driver on the Western Front from March 1917. The 26-year-old and two others were killed by a direct hit from enemy shelling at Ypres on 24 August 1917.
STANLEY KEITH MUIR( 1901) served on Gallipoli with the Light Horse, but after being evacuated to England with illness, transferred to the British Army and then the Royal Flying Corps. He returned to Egypt as an instructor to an Australian squadron. In December 1916, he shot down a Fokker monoplane, probably the first aerial victory achieved by the Australian Flying Corps. For this and other successful sorties he received a Military Cross. By August he was in England, where this outstanding pilot was killed in an accident on 12 September, aged 25.
ROLAND TRAVERS WOODVILLE( 1874) claimed to be 44, but was actually 51. Assigned to the Medical Corps and sent to England, he contracted meningitis eight days after arriving, and died on 13 September.
WILLIAM ANGUS KIRKLAND( 1913) enlisted with three other Old Boys in the 5th Battalion in 1914. He landed with them at Gallipoli on 25 April, and was the only survivor of the four. He was wounded in May, survived Lone Pine and was evacuated ill. He returned to the battalion amid the Pozieres fighting and was promoted to Corporal. In November 1916, he was evacuated with‘ shell shock’.
After working with the Pay Corps, by June 1917 he was back with the 5th Battalion in France. He was promoted to Sergeant, and during the Ypres offensive of 20 September was seen leading his platoon after its officer was wounded. A shell fractured both Will’ s legs and he was stretchered
away, joking about another‘ Blighty’. He died that day, aged 23.
JOHN ANDREW MACDONALD( 1897) was a tall, powerfully built pearl fisherman who before the war had saved several men from a capsized boat. In July 1917 he reached the 28th Battalion in France, and his contribution on the first day of the Australians’ fighting in the Menin Road battle is mentioned in Bean’ s official history. John helped to capture a German pillbox on 20 September, but was killed later that day.
RONALD MALCOLM MCMILLAN( 1913) was an outstanding athlete at Scotch. He left school in 1913 and enlisted at 18 in 1914. Ron was wounded at Gallipoli and evacuated to England. He returned to the 6th Battalion in France, where this well-built, lively and popular young man was soon promoted to lieutenant. On 21 September at Ypres a shell landed in a trench, killing him and several others. He was buried where he fell, as it was too dangerous to carry the shattered 21-year-old’ s body back. DR MARK JOHNSTON – HEAD OF HISTORY
More details about all other Scotch Collegians killed in World War I can be found on the Scotch website, under‘ WWI Commemorative Website’ on the lower right of the home page.
www. scotch. vic. edu. au Great Scot 9