MCKENZIE, William Arthur
| Service Numbers: | 250, 4993 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | Unspecified South African Army Units |
| Born: | Bendigo, Victoria, Australia, 1879 |
| Home Town: | Geelong, Greater Geelong, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Geelong Grammar School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Died: | Killed In Action, Deville Wood, France, 18 July 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Thiepval Memorial. Pier and Face 4 C. |
| Memorials: | Geelong Football Club Honour Roll |
Boer War Service
| 13 Jan 1900: | Embarked Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, 250, 2nd Victorian Mounted Rifles, Embarked from Melbourne for Cape Town on "Euryalus" Troop Transport. |
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World War 1 Service
| 4 Aug 1914: | Involvement British Forces (All Conflicts), Unspecified South African Army Units | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Jul 1916: | Discharged British Forces (All Conflicts), Private, 4993, 1st Regt, South African Infantry. K.I.A. |
Boer War Service
| Date unknown: | Involvement |
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World War 1 Service
| Date unknown: | Involvement Unspecified South African Army Units |
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Help us honour William Arthur McKenzie's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Faithe Jones
Son of William Kenneth and Elizabeth Ann McKenzie, of Bendigo, Victoria
Arthur McKenzie was born in Bendigo in 1879. At Geelong Grammar his sporting abilities – in athletics, football and cricket – were quickly recognised. He played with Geelong in the centre (half forward and half back) in the final four games of the 1898 season and often played two games on consecutive days for Geelong VFL and for Geelong Grammar. He left Australia to fight in the Boer War and saw active service in South Africa. In 1915 he enlisted as a Private in the South African army and was one of General Louis Botha's famous 300 who captured German South West Africa (now Namibia) in 1915. McKenzie was then deployed to France and was killed in action at Delville Wood on July 18, 1916. He is commemorated at the Thiepval Memorial, France.