ALLAN, Maxwell Grant
| Service Number: | 5028 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 17 December 1915, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 32nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia , 29 November 1896 |
| Home Town: | Clare, Clare and Gilbert Valleys, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Sturt Street State School & Adelaide High School, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Grocers Assistant |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Lagnicourt, France, 20 May 1917, aged 20 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Adelaide High School Honour Board, Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Clare WW1 Memorial Arch, Prospect Roll of Honour A-G WWI Board, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France) |
World War 1 Service
| 17 Dec 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Adelaide, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 25 Mar 1916: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Private, 5028, 10th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Shropshire embarkation_ship_number: A9 public_note: '' |
|
| 25 Mar 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 5028, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Shropshire, Adelaide | |
| 13 Oct 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 5028, 32nd Infantry Battalion, German Withdrawal to Hindenburg Line and Outpost Villages | |
| 20 Oct 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 5028, 32nd Infantry Battalion | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement 32nd Infantry Battalion, Fromelles (Fleurbaix) | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement 10th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières |
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General
Nickname “Darkie Allan” or "Machine Gun", because of his initials.
Son of Maxwell Grant Davidson Allan and Mother Esther Allan (nee Barrett).
living at 78 Pulsford Road, Prospect, and later 5 Eliza Street, Gilberton.
Described on enlisting as 18 years 8 months old; single; 5' 8 1/2" tall; 147 lbs;
medium complexion; grey eyes; dark hair; Church of Christ.
**Although stated on his enlistment papers that:-
he was brought up by his guardian Aunt Annie D Allan, from infancy.
**His father stated on 14/8/1921 he had always lived with his mother Esther Allan.
Previous Service
2 years in the 75th Battalion, Senior Cadets
1 year in the Citizen Military Forces.
Service
17/12/1915 Enlisted in Adelaide, South Australia
A Company, 2nd Depot Battalion, Adelaide
1/1/1916 Transferred to 16th reinforcements, 10th Infantry Battalion
25/3/1916 Embarked from Port Melbourne on board HMAT A9 Shropshire
as a Private with the 16th Reinforcements, 10th Battalion
10/4/1916 He was taken on strength into the 16th reinforcements, 10th Battalion at sea
9/8/1916 He proceeded overseas, ex Perham Downs, from 3rd Training Battalion
11/8/1916 Marched in to Etaples, France
13/10/1916 Taken on strength into 32nd Battalion, allotted regimental No. 5028A
26/12/1916 Detached to *Lewis Gun Course
7/1/1917 Rejoined 32nd Battalion
26/4/1917 Promoted to Lance Corporal, with 32nd Battalion
20/5/1917 Killed in action - Eye witness accounts record that he was killed
by a bursting shell in the 32nd Battalions trenches.
buried in: North of Lagnicourt, near Benulincourt (Somme, northern France)
6 miles north east of Bapaume, France
His remains were later exumed and buried but his grave was subsequently lost.
*The Lewis Gun had quickly emerged as tactical game changer as it introduced a new concept on the tactical battlefield. It was a light machine gun and could easily be carried and operated by one man, although it generally had a two man crew with the second man carrying extra ammunition in drum magazines which clipped on top of the gun and contained 37 rounds of ammunition. These guns provided high volumes of fire, under the cover of which groups of infantry could manouevre to get within bombing range of the enemy; this tactic is called "fire and movement"and has been a fundamental tenet of Australian Army tactics ever since.
Extracts of eye witness accounts are detailed below and in an attached image.
They had been in the trenches, holding a line (it was about 3pm). Fritz (the Germans) put over a barrage of shells. Max was surrounded by other unit members (A good friend and unit member L/Corp L Coad, Private A H Jeffery and Sgt Ponton). Max was killed outright by a shell in the trench at Lagnicourt, near Benulincourt (Somme, northern France). He was buried the same night behind their position, about 200 yards out of Lagnicourt village, in a soldier’s cemetery on the east and a cross was made and put up on his grave.
What is of interest is that the letter concerning Max's death attached as an image was written by the acting Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) of the Battalion, Sergeant (later Lieutenant) John Ponton. He was acting as a Platoon Commander and Max Allan was one of his soldiers - and one he held in high regard. Of particular interest is the fact that his correspondent is "Vera Deakin" - she was none other than the founder of the Red Cross service that investigated the Missing. She was the youngest daughter of the former Australian Prime Minister, Alfred Deakin.
His name is Commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial
MR 26; Part I; A-B Villers-Bretonneux, Villers-Bretonneux Area, France.
His name is located at panel 119 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, ACT.
Medals
British War medal (34163); Victory medal (33981); Memorial Plaque and Scroll (325028)
Sourced and submitted by Julianne T Ryan. Lest we forget. August 2014
Click images to start slideshow.