Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Medals: 1914/1915 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

The First World War Embarkation Rolls he is named as James William McKechnie

The Register (Adelaide, SA: 1901 - 1929) Thursday 19 August 1915

PTE. J. W. McKECHNIE.

News has been received in Adelaide that Pte. J. W. McKechnie (eldest son of Mr. H. H. McKechnie, of Blackwood), of the 9th Australian Light Horse, was wounded at a recent engagement in the Dardanelles.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article59413144 (nla.gov.au)

The Register (Adelaide, SA: 1901 - 1929) Saturday 16 October 1915

How the Turks Failed.

Tpr. J. W. McKechnie, of the 9th Light   Horse, in a recent letter, writes: — "On the night of June 28 we made a moonlight 'hurrah' attack. The troops cheered and yelled, then put their bayonets up so that they showed over the parapet, and, being moonlight, the Turks thought we were   going to charge, and started pouring in. machine gun and rifle fire. This was all we wanted, as they would Waste thousands of rounds of ammunition before they stopped. On the next day things were quiet, but about 9 p.m. the Turks started moving with artillery, machine gun, and rifle fire. We were in a sap leading from our main fire trench down to the edge of a high cliff, and 30 yards from their trenches. The sap was supposed to be unknown to the enemy. Although we did not think this was so, after events proved that it was. Their fire continued until 11.30, and then quietened. About 12.15 word was passed that they were coming, and we were all on the quivive. Suddenly there was a shot from lower down the sap, which was only about 4 ft. 6 in. deep— and as if this was the signal, all along the line rang out "Allah! Allah! Allah!" the Turkish war cry. Immediately matters became busy. The night was cloudy, but a quarter-moon gave just enough light to make darkness visible. With two others I was standing at the mouth of a tunnel leading from the sap to the Turkish lines, and owing to the undergrowth on the sides our vision was limited to about 10 yards. Along a track leading past the top of the tunnel we were expecting to see the enemy coming, as they would give   their position away easier if they had to force their way through the undergrowth to the men in the main trench, who by this time were, many of them, up on the parapet. In a very few minutes, I had twice emptied my magazine (10 cartridges), and the men lower down the trench were compelled to come up owing to superior, numbers of Turks, who had intended attacking farther along the line, coming suddenly upon them. Despite the short time before we were driven to the top of the sap, a great number of Turks received their coup de grace, as it was absolutely at point-blank range, and the foe got such a surprise that they hardly fired a shot. When things got quieter the order was 'Bomb throwers in front and clear the sap!' As I happened to be one of those individuals, I made my way on, and, with a mate with a bayonet in front and another bomb thrower and reinforcements be- hind, to fill up the sap, started off. By this time it was quite dark. We could hear the Turks lower down jabbering away to themselves, and so had some idea where they were. Before we had gone far we came across a body in the bottom of the sap. It proved to be one of our own men— the only one of the 9th who was killed. There were plenty of dead Turks on the sides. There is a lot said about the Turks running away from the bayonet. Although this is often the case, it is not always so, as this incident will show. We were advancing down the sap, throwing bombs, we heard a cry in front, "Allah! Allah! Mercy! Mercy!" and found a Turk in the bottom of the sap, just about done, for both his legs had been blown off by a bomb. He had discarded his rifle, belt, and pouches, and stacked them in a corner of the sap, and then, with two haversacks on, each containing 20 bombs, had started to come up, evidently intending to give us some of our own back again. This Turk must have realized the danger   he was running into, as he had been throwing bombs for half an hour. They made several more attacks before daylight, but these were half-hearted, and easily repulsed. When daylight came all who had not been killed or badly wounded had returned to their own trenches, although we got several who had stopped too long and were sneaking back. For some time we were busy getting their dead into the trenches and taking them to the rear for burial. The total casualties were on our flank 10, while it is estimated the Turks lost 250 in killed alone. They had evidently intended driving us into the sea, as most had all their gear, including three or four day rations, and bags with their kits in. It came out in orders afterwards that this was a special attack, ordered by Gen. Enver Pasha, who had just arrived from Constantinople; but I'm afraid it did not please him too well."

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article59616196 (nla.gov.au)

The Register (Adelaide, SA: 1901 - 1929) Saturday 2 October 1915

A Little One's Sympathy.  

Pte. J. W. McKechnie, who is still in the Ghezireh Hospital, in his latest letter, tells a pretty story, which shows how even the children of South Australia can help the men who are doing the Empire's work. He writes: — "On Friday the matron came into the ward, and asked if there was a South Australian there. I held up my hand, and she gave me a jug cover, one of those gauze things with beads round the edge. She told me that a little girl 6 years old had made it and sent it over for 'One of our brave South Australian boys.' We don't use many milk jugs here, but I shall always keep it as a memento. The little girl did not send her name with it. I wish she had so that I could have sent a word to her." In another letter Pte. McKechnie has asked that an Adelaide paper should mention the incident so that the little girl would know that her gift had reached a South Australian soldier.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article59618162 (nla.gov.au)