McLean, Archibald Lang

Book of Remembrance entry

M.C., B.A., M.D., Ch.M. : Captain, R.A.M.C., B.E.F. and A.A.M.C., A.I.F., France and England. Joining 8th Black Watch, 9th Scottish Division, at Aldershot in November, 1914, as R.M.O., was sent overseas with First Hundred Thousand 10th May, 1915, being in reserve at Battle of Festubert and taking part in Loos. Was invalided to England 4th October but returned to 13th General Hospital and 20th Casualty Clearing Station, serving till 4th July, 1916, when again invalided to England. Upon recovery did two months' surgery at Royal Herbert Hospital, Woolwich, then, having failed to transfer to A.A.M.C. A.I.F. resigned and returned to Australia in November. Enlisting in A.A.M.C. 21st September, 1917, went to Rabaul and back as S.M.O. Marsina and, sailing 16th November, was sent to No. 1 Command Depot, Sutton Veny. Crossing to France in May, 1918, joined 5th Australian Field Ambulance on nth, being R.M.O. 17th Battn. until gassed at Joncourt, Hindenburg Line, 3rd October, and evacuated to England. Later was appointed Assistant Collator for Medical History of the War at A.I.F. H.Q., London, until invalided to Australia in June, 1919. Awarded M.C.* for work at Villers-Bretonneux and Mentioned in Despatches. Died of Illness due to War Service, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, May, 1922. Lieutenant, Signalling Corps, University, 1908. University Medallist M.D. and Ethel Talbot Prizeman. Awarded King's Polar Medal. Surgeon and Bacteriologist, Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 19 11- 14 , and Editor with Sir D. Mawson of the Expedition Book. Early education at Leichhardt Public and Fort St. High Schools. * He led his platoon through the wood (31st August, 1918), rushing a machine gun, killing one man and capturing the gun and five prisoners. On clearing the wood, he came under fire from a battery over open sights but, under cover of Lewis gun fire, rushed the guns and captured two of them. With his platoon, he captured altogether twelve machine guns and a large number of prisoners.

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Early education at Fort Street High School, Millers Point, NSW, Australia
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Early education at Leichhardt Public School, Leichhardt, NSW, Australia
1906

Tertiary education at University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia 1906
1911

Tertiary education at University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia 1911
1914

Enlisted 1 Nov 1914 at Aldershot [ England ]
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Military service as Captain at France --, France ; Wingate, England --, United Kingdom
1917

Tertiary education at University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia 1917
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Military award: King's Polar Medal on
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Military award: M.C. Military Cross on
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Military award: Mentioned in Despatches on
1922

Death in Camperdown -Royal Prince Alfred Hospital- NSW, Australia 1 May 1922

Gender

Male

From the archives

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Portrait of Dr Archibald Lang McLean, Courtesy of NSW State Archives [ jpg ]

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