Commemoration of Sergeant Lewis McGee VC.For nearly eighty years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time grave of 456 Sergeant Lewis McGee Lewis McGee VC (13 May 1888 -13 October 1917) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. of the 40th (Tasmanian) Battalion who was killed in action on 12 October 1917 showed that he had died a day later. Australian publications recorded that he was killed on the 12th but his grave in Belgium showed 13 October 1917. It was only in 1998, after Patricia Downs, a relative of Lewis McGee, noticed the day difference between the Australian records and the date on his grave that the discrepancy was corrected. (1) Lewis McGee (1888-1917) Lewis McGee was born at Campbell Town, Tasmania Campbell Town is a town in Tasmania, Australia, located on the Midland Highway. It was originally one of the four garrison towns linking Hobart and Launceston. Today, it acts as the only major rest area on the Midland Highway, with superior toilets, a park, a large car park and a on 13 May 1888. His mother died when he was aged seven and the family shortly afterwards af·ter·ward also af·ter·wards adv. At a later time; subsequently. afterwards or afterward Adverb later [Old English æfterweard] Adv. 1. moved to a property near Avoca. He became an enthusiastic cyclist and after an apprenticeship was employed as an engine-driver at the nearby Storey's Creek and Royal George Royal George, British naval vessel that sank on Aug. 29, 1782, while undergoing repairs at Spithead. Its commander, Admiral Richard Kempenfelt, and about 800 sailors and visitors were drowned. mines. (2) He married Eileen Rose Bailey on 15 November 1914 and they had one daughter, Natasha. He enlisted in the 40th Battalion, a unit of the 3rd Australian Division under Major General John Monash General Sir John Monash GCMG, KCB, VD (27 June 1865 – 8 October 1931) was an Australian military commander of the First World War. Early life Monash was born in Dudley Street[1] , on 1 March 1916. After initial training at Claremont camp near Hobart he sailed with the 40th to England to finish their training. On 12 January 1917, six weeks after the 40th Battalion moved from England to Armentieres, France, he was promoted Sergeant. The Victoria Cross Lewis McGee was awarded the Victoria Cross for most conspicuous bravery Bravery See also Heroism. Achilles foremost Greek hero of Trojan War; brave and formidable warrior. [Gk. Hist.: NCE, 12] Adrastus courageous Indian prince; Rinaldo’s enemy. [Ital. Lit. on 4 October 1917 during the Battle of Broodseinde Ridge in Belgium. The award was gazetted on 26 November 1917 with the following citation. For most conspicuous bravery when, in the advance to the final objective, Sergeant McGee led his platoon with great dash and bravery, though strongly opposed, and under heavy shell fire. His platoon was suffering severely and the advance of the company was stopped by machine-gun fire from a `pill-box' post. Single-handed, Sergeant McGee rushed the post armed only with a revolver. He shot some of the crew and captured the rest, and thus enabled the advance to proceed. He reorganised the remnants of his platoon and was foremost in the remainder of the advance, and during consolidation of the position he did splendid work. This non-commissioned officer's coolness and bravery were conspicuous, and contributed largely to the success of the company's operation. Sergeant McGee was subsequently killed in action. (3) Lewis McGee never learnt of his award having being killed eight days later in the 2nd Battle of Passchendaele. He was buried in the Tyne Cot Tyne Cot Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery and Memorial to the Missing is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) burial ground for the dead of World War I located in the Ypres Salient on the Western Front. Cemetery. 40th Battalion War Diary The 40th Battalion War Diary records the Victoria Cross recommendation for Sergeant McGee. That recommendation is worded slightly differently to the citation published in the London Gazette The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the United Kingdom government, and the most important among such official journals in the UK, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published. . The last line of the citation specifically states that Lewis McGee was killed in action on 12 October 1917. (4) There is an after action report included in the 40th Battalion War Diary as an appendix to the October 1917 War Diary. The narrative of the operation on 12 October 1917 is written by Lt William Leslie William Leslie was a rugby league player in the New South Wales Rugby League's foundation season of 1908. Leslie played for the Eastern Suburbs club. References
At 9 pm on 11 October 1917 B Company fell in for the approach march which was completed successfully by 3.30 am, 12 October 1917. On the way the enemy shelled the area lightly with high explosive and gas shells (the latter from the smell I took to be mustard gas). There were no casualties on the approach march. From 3.10 am to 5.25 am on 12 October 1917 we lay in rear of the platoons of C Company on the sunken road. The enemy shelled our position constantly with high explosive but most of the shells fell behind us about 4 fell short. There were no casualties in the company. At 5.25 am 12 October 1917 our barrage opened and we advanced. Within the first 500 feet the 37th, 38th and 40th Battalions appeared to be telescoped units one another. This was mainly due, in my opinion, (I) to the rear battalions moving off too soon after them (II) one of the leading battalions being held up by enemy machine gun fire. When we reached the first wood the hostile machine gun fire became very concentrated from out front and I led such of the company as were with me round to the left flank of the wood. A machine-gun then opened on us from the left (apparently on the NZ sector on the other side of Ravebeek). My company sergeant major was shot through the head and three other NCOs were killed, numbers of men fell apparently hit by machine-gun bullets and the remainder of us coming around Augustus Wood and entering it from the west. We captured the pill box and sent back about 20 prisoners. (6) Lewis McGee was acting Company Sergeant Major A Company Sergeant Major (CSM) is the senior non-commissioned soldier of a company in the armies of many Commonwealth countries, responsible for standards and discipline. In combat, his prime responsibility is the supply of ammunition to the company. on 12 October 1917. This report supports the fact that he was killed shortly after the attack began at 5.25 am on 12 October 1917. The date of 12 October 1917 is also supported by entries in the diary of the Official Historian. C E W Bean's Diary The diary of the Official Historian, C E W Bean, general editor and the author of the first six volumes of the Official History, including the 1917 volume, is held by the Australian War Memorial The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of all its armed forces and supporting organizations who have died or participated in the wars of the Commonwealth of Australia. The memorial includes an extensive national military museum. . Bean mentions both the act of valour for which Lewis McGee was awarded the Victoria Cross and the circumstances relating to relating to relate prep → concernant relating to relate prep → bezüglich +gen, mit Bezug auf +acc his death. He records in his diary: Sgt McGee, B Company During the advance (probably at Hamburg (7)) finding a machine-gun firing over a concrete structure and holding up the attack walked straight up to the pillbox and shot the machine gunner through the head with his revolver. McGee was on every wiring party B Company ever put out at Armentieres from the very start. He was in every stunt. He went after and settled another machine-gun by organising a small bombing party and getting the gun. These machine-guns were holding up the advance. He was recommended for VC and commission. On October 12 he was with Lt Garrard, OC B Company, near Augustine Wood when machine-guns from there got onto them. The whole of headquarters, all signallers and most of the runners, except Garrard who was left alone. It was there that McGee acting Company Sergeant Major was shot through the head and killed. (8) VC Presentation The Victoria Cross awarded to Sergeant McGee was presented to his widow, Mrs Eileen Rose McGee by the Governor-General of Australia The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative of Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth. , Sir R Munro Ferguson, on 4 April 1918. The letter, dated 13 December 1917, that requested he make a formal presentation of the award included a citation. The citation, similar to the citation that appeared in the 40th Battalion War Diary stated that Lewis McGee was killed in action on 12 October 1917. (9) Australian publications A number of Australian publications including C E W Bean in The AIF AIF Annual Information Form AIF Apoptosis-Inducing Factor AIF Agence Intergouvernementale de la Francophonie (French: Intergovernmental Agency for Francophony) AIF Australian Imperial Force in France 1917, (10) Lionel Wigmore in They dared mightily might·i·ly adv. 1. In a mighty manner; powerfully. 2. To a great degree; greatly. Adv. 1. mightily - powerfully or vigorously; "he strove mightily to achieve a better position in life" 2. (11) and Quentin Beresford the author of McGee's Australian Dictionary of Biography The Australian Dictionary of Biography (ADB) is a multi-volume project published by Melbourne University Press. The ADB project has been operating since 1957 with staff located at the Research School of Social Sciences at the Australian National University. entry state that Lewis McGee was killed on 12 October 1917. (12) A photo of the original grave marker for Sergeant McGee is held by the Australian War Memorial. The photo clearly shows that this states that he was killed in action on 12 October 1917. (13) 13 October 1917 Although published Australian references and the original grave marker of Lewis McGee state that he was killed on 12 October 1917, his permanent grave marker for eighty years showed that his date of death was 13 October 1917. The date 13 October 1917 appears throughout his Army file which is available from WWI WWI abbr. World War I WWI World War One Personnel Records at the National Archives of Australia The National Archives of Australia is a body established by the Government of Australia for the purpose of preserving Commonwealth Government records. It is an Executive Agency of the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts and reports to the Minister for . Army Form B2090A indicates Lewis McGee was killed in action in Belgium on 13 October 1917. This form is dated 28 November 1917 and cites as authority Army Form B213 dated 20 October 1917 which was made by the Commanding Officer of the 40th Battalion AIF. (14) Unfortunately Form B213 does not appear to have survived. Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is a joint governmental organisation responsible for marking and maintaining the graves of members of the Commonwealth of Nations' military forces that died in the two world wars, to build memorials to those with no known grave, On 14 May 1998, a submission was presented to Air Vice Marshal Beck, Director, Office of Australian War Graves The Office of Australian War Graves (OAWG) is a branch within the Australian Department of Veterans' Affairs and was formed on January 1 1975. The OAWG acts as Australian agent for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). , drawing to his attention that the date of death on the grave of Lewis McGee VC seemed to be incorrect. The submission included a copy of the photo of the grave marker and copies of the original documents from National Archives of Australia and the Australian War Memorial. Air Vice Marshal Beck forwarded the submission to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission responded two weeks later with the decision that they would amend Sergeant McGee's date of death to 12 October 1917. They advised that the Commonwealth War Graves A war grave is a place where war dead are buried. It may contain either a combatant or a civilian. Although the victim does not need to die directly from enemy action, the main reason for calling a grave a war grave is that the death occurred as a result of active service by the database had already been amended and that arrangements would be made to amend the headstone. A new headstone was erected in 1999 which finally showed the correct date of death for Sergeant Lewis McGee VC as 12 October 1917.
In Memory of
LEWIS McGEE VC
Sergeant
456
40th Bn., Australian Infantry, A.I.F
who died on
Friday, 12th October 1917. Age 29.
Citation: An extract from "The London Gazette"
No. 30400, dated 23rd Nov., 1917,
records the following: "For most conspicuous
bravery when, in the advance to the final
objective, Serjt. McGee led his platoon with
great dash and bravery, though strongly
opposed, and under heavy shell fire. His
platoon was suffering severely and the
advance of the Company was stopped by
machine gun fire from a `Pill-box' post.
Single-handed Serjt. McGee rushed the post
armed only with a revolver. He shot some of
the crew and captured the rest, and thus
enabled the advance to proceed. He
re-organised the remnants of his platoon and
was foremost in the remainder of the advance,
and during consolidation of the position he
did splendid work. This Non-commissioned
Officer's coolness and bravery were
conspicuous and contributed largely to the
success of the Company's operations. Serjt
McGee was subsequently killed in action."
Additional Information: Son of John and Mary McGee, of Ross,
Tasmania; husband of Eileen Rose
McGee, of Avoca, Tasmania.
Commemorative Information
Cemetery: TYNE COT CEMETERY, Zonnebeke,
West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
Grave Reference/ XX. D. I.
Panel Number:
Location: Tyne Cot Cemetery is located 9 kilometres
north east of leper town centre, on the
Tynecotstraat, a road leading from the
Zonnebeekseweg (N332).
The present GWGC database entry showing 12 October 1917 (1) At http://www.pcug.org.au/~pdownes/dps/mcgee.htm Patricia Downs has dedicated a page to the memory of her relative, Lewis McGee. (2) Lionel Wigmore, They dared mightily, Australian War Memorial, 1963, pp.106-108. Spohn, Martin. `Victoria Cross: Story of a Tasmanian Lewis McGee and his medals', Arms & Militaria mil·i·tar·i·a pl.n. Objects, such as weapons and uniforms, that are connected with warfare or military service and are usually collected for their historical interest. Collector No. 1, pp.47-50. His attestation The act of attending the execution of a document and bearing witness to its authenticity, by signing one's name to it to affirm that it is genuine. The certification by a custodian of records that a copy of an original document is a true copy that is demonstrated by his or her papers states he did an apprenticeship. (3) The London Gazette 26 November 1917, p.12329 reprinted in the Commonwealth Gazette, 7 March 1918, p.401. This was the first of two Victoria Crosses awarded to members of the 40th Battalion. The other was to Sgt P C Statton at Amiens, France, on 12 August 1918. (4) AWM 4 Roll 76 War Diary 40th Battalion AIF. (5) Lt Garrard was awarded the Military Cross for his actions on 12/13 October 1917. The award was announced in the London Gazette of 18 April 1918 and the citation `For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He showed great determination and resource when in command of his company under heavy fire, and afterwards in charge of a section of the brigade line of consolidation' was published a week later. (6) Op cit Op Cit Opere Citato (Latin: In the Work Mentioned) War Diary 40th Battalion AIF. (7) According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. F C Green the author of The Fortieth: A record of the 40th battalion AIF (Hobart 1922) Hamburg Hamburg, city, Germany Hamburg (häm`b  rkh), officially Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg (Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg), city (1994 pop. Redoubt re·doubt n. 1. A small, often temporary defensive fortification. 2. A reinforcing earthwork or breastwork within a permanent rampart. 3. A protected place of refuge or defense. consisted of a double pill-box partly surrounded by a moat. (8) 3 DRL DRL Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (US State Department) DRL Daytime Running Lights DRL Department of Regulation and Licensing (real estate) DRL Dr Reddy's Laboratories 606 Item 174, pp12-15. (9) National Archives of Australia CRS CRS Course CRS Certified Residential Specialist (real estate certification) CRS Central Reservation System CRS Can't Remember Stuff (polite form) CRS Cost Reduction Strategy CRS Consumer Relations Specialist A6661 Item No. 85. (10) C E W Bean. The AIF in France 1917 at page 865. (11) Op cit Wigmore pp. 106-108. (12) Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 9, pp.267-268. (13) AWM Negative No. P0735/23/05 (14) National Archives of Australia, WWI Personal Records, 456 Sergeant Lewis McGee. |
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