689 Private William Allan – MM and Bar
16th Battalion AIF
4th Pioneer Battalion AIF
52nd Battalion AIF
51st Battalion AIF
by Robert Simpson
William Allan was born in Dennistoun, Glasgow on 20th July 1884 at 12 noon at 119 Fisher Street. He was a son to Andrew Allan and Jane Ley who had been married in Edinburgh on 5th April 1873. On their marriage form, Andrew was recorded as being a Private in the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders, a bachelor and Jane a Domestic Servant, a spinster. They were married at 104 Bank Street. Andrews’ residence was Edinburgh Castle and Janes’ was 629 Castle Terrace Edinburgh. They were married after Banns according to the Forms of the Free Church of Scotland. Andrew was listed as a prison warder, and had been born in about 1843 in Girvan Ayrshire and had served with the 93rd Regiment of Foot. Detailed service records are available for Private Andrew Allan with the regimental number 3573 which show he enlisted as a Boy in 1855 underage and was promoted to Corporal. He was tried with a General Courts Martial on 5th September 1871 and reduced to Private. He was discharged in 1878 due to a fibrous tumour in his leg. His service records give his birth years as 1841 in Govan Glasgow (another page has Girvan Ayrshire), so it is not totally certain if this is the same Andrew. A detailed medical history is included and shows he was in India. There is an entry in Medals Returned – Campaigns Prior to 1880 for an Andrew Allan of the 93rd Highlanders with the regimental number 61.193 for the India Medal. There is no entry in the remarks column (some others have dead) and it is not known if it is the same Andrew. Jane had been born in about 1853 in Knocklawe, Kincardineshire. Her father James was a farmer of 95 acres employing 2 labourers, according to the 1861 and 1871 census. William was one of seven known children to them. Their first child, Margaret H Allan had been born in England in about 1875. Then there followed James Andrew Allan born 7th April 1877 in Dublin, Charles Forbes Buchan Allan born about 1880 in Glasgow, Mary Allan on 19th July 1881 in Govan, William, Louisa Helen Reith Allan born about 1888 in Aberdeen and George C Allan born about 1889 in Aberdeen. The family was living at 62 McLellan Street Govan in the 1881 census and Andrew was listed as “Out Door Offr Of Customs & Pensioner Priv 93rd Highlanders”. In the 1891 census, they were living at 2 Caroline Place Aberdeen Old Machar and William was a scholar. Andrew was not listed with the family and Jane was listed as the head of the house (had he passed away?). By the 1901 census, William was living at 193 Caledonian St Motherwell as a boarder and he was a Railway engine cleaner (if it was him). The rest of the family was at 55 W Cumberland St Kelvin and Jane was listed as “Keeps Lodgers”.
Unfortunately, due to his common name, it is not known when he migrated to Australia. William is mentioned in the book Bloody Angle, Bullecourt & Beyond: 16th Battalion A.I.F. 1914-1919, written by Ian Gill and published in 2008. In it he states “The exact date of Allan’s arrival in Western Australia is unknown, although official papers suggest it was around 1894 when he was a young boy.” What this official paper is, is not stated. The book then goes onto say “His enlistment papers mention seven years of previous military service with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, indicating he had returned to Britain at some stage.” Unfortunately, no record of his service with the Highlanders can be located, nor of his return to Scotland or return to Australia again, if that was the case.
The book also mentions that “he worked on cattle stations in the north west of Western Australia.”
William enlisted with the 16th Battalion at Blackboy Hill, Western Australia on 17th October 1914, was given the service number 689 and was appointed Lance Corporal. Most of the battalion were from Western Australia and it was raised from 16th September 1914. On his enlistment paper, he stated he had been born in the Parish of Dennistoun in the Town of Glasgow in Scotland. He was a British Subject, aged 30 years and 3 months (born 20/7/1884) and was a stockman. He was not an apprentice and had not been married. The next of kin was his mother, Jane Allan of St Vincent Crescent Glasgow. William had no convictions, nor had he been dishonourably discharged from any force. For previous service he recorded 7 years with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. He was 5 foot 8½ inches tall, weighed 159 pounds, had a chest measurement of 36-38 inches and had a fair complexion with blue eyes and fair hair. His religious denomination was Presbyterian and he had 6/6 vision in both eyes. William had a tattoo of a man and serpent on his right forearm and vaccination scars on his left arm. The battalion went to Victoria for training.
The 16th Battalion embarked on HMAT Ceramic A40 in Melbourne, with William being part of D Company, on 22nd December 1914. In the nominal roll, he was listed as Lance Corporal 689 William Allan, aged 30, a stockman, single, with his address at the date of enlistment as 33 Grosvenor Road, Mt Lawley WA, which seems to be the address listed for most soldiers on that page. His next of kin was Mrs Jane Allan, mother, of St Vincent Crescent Glasgow. His religious denomination was Roman Catholic (an error?). He enlisted on 29th September 1914 (again an error) and was previously with 22nd ASC (as it seems were most on that page). William was paid 5 shillings a day. They arrived in Egypt in early February 1915 as part of the 4th Brigade.
He proceeded to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force on the Gallipoli Peninsula on 12th April 1915. The 16th Battalion landed on Gallipoli late in the afternoon of the 25th. William was promoted to Sergeant on 13th May. On 25th June 1915, he was admitted to HMT Gascon with a gunshot wound to the left shoulder from Gallipoli. (Another entry says shrapnel wound to the left shoulder). At Heliopolis on 30th June 1915, he was sent to the 1st Australian General Hospital. He embarked on HMS Kingstonian at Alexandria on 21st July 1915, to re-join his unit. The 16th Battalion was heavily involved in establishing and defending the front line. In August, they were part of the attack on Hill 971, which a disaster with great loss over a few days and the objective not taken. They withdrew back to a new established line after a Turkish counter-attack and continued shelling. On 28th August 1915, he embarked on HMS Gascon with a gunshot wound to the leg and was sent to the 1st Australian General Hospital at Cairo on 1st September 1915. He was sent to 1st Auxiliary Convalescent Depot at Cairo on 6th September with debility and was transferred to duty from Zeitoun for the MEF as Class “A” on HT Melville on 19th September. His service record says he was appointed Lance Corporal on 17th October 1915, but another entry on the same page of his service records says he was promoted to Sergeant on 13th May 1915. As it is the first entry on the page, maybe it should have read 1914? On 18th October 1915, he embarked on HS Kalejam at Alexandria to join his unit. They arrived at Mudros on the 23rd, where he re-joined his unit. They disembarked at Alexandria from Mudros on the Ascanius on 30th December 1915.
William was absent without leave at Ismailia on 4th January 1916, for which he was severely reprimanded. On 26th January he went sick to hospital from the 4th Field Ambulance, where he was admitted to No 1 ASH with gonorrhoea on the same day. He was transferred to 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital at Abbassia with gonorrhoea on 4th February 1916. William was discharged on 15th March 1916. At Ghezireh, he was transferred to the Overseas Base at Zeitoun on 25th March 1916 and then re-joined his Battalion at Serapeum on 2nd April. On 7th April, while there, he was transferred to the 4th Pioneer Battalion and taken on their strength on the same day. On 4th June 1916, he proceeded to join the BEF at Alexandria on the Scotian, and disembarked at Marseilles on the 11th.
The proceedings of court martial held for the trial of 689 Sergeant William Allan 4th Pioneer Battalion showed he was sentenced to forfeiture of seniority, dated 26th September 1916. The record was filed in the Attorney-General’s Department and numbered 5924. The offence is recorded in his service record on 27th September 1916 with the “Charge, conduct to the prejudice of good order & Military Discipline in that he on 16/8/16 used coarse language in a billet in a loud tone of voice (Sentence) To take rank & precedence as if appointment to rank of Sergt bore date 16/8/16”. A Field General Court-Martial was held on 27th September 1916 with the charge as before. The finding was guilty and the sentence was as indicated. It was confirmed by Brigadier-General T W Glasgow on that day.
William was admitted to the 12th Australian Field Ambulance on 4th October 1916 with Not Yet Diagnosed illness from in the Field. He was transferred to the 3rd Casualty Clearing Station on the 7th and sent to 1st Convalescent Depot at Boulogne on 10th October 1916 via 25 A.T. On the 11th, he was transferred to Cannero with a venereal disease and admitted to the 18th General Hospital on the 11th. He was admitted with venereal disease syphilis to the 51st General Hospital at Etaples on the 15th.
His entry was promulgated in the London Gazette on 27th October 1916 on page 10486 at position 3, and reads under the heading Australian Imperial Force “689 Sjt. W. Allan, Inf.” There is no mention for what the award is for, it just comes under the general heading that The King was pleased to award the MM for bravery in the field. The AWM records he was a Sergeant with the 16th Battalion at the time of the award.
William was discharged to Base Depot on 10th November 1916 and marched into the 4th ADBD on the 30th November. On 21st January 1917, he was marched out to join unit, re-joining them on the 24th in France.
A letter was sent from Base Records to Mrs J Allan of St Vincent Crescent Glasgow Scotland on 25th April 1917 saying “I have much pleasure in forwarding hereunder copy of extract from Supplement No. 29805 to the London Gazette of 27th October, 1916, relating to the conspicuous services rendered by your son, No. 689, Sergeant W. Allan, Fourth Pioneer Battalion.” It went onto say he had been awarded the Military Medal for bravery in the Field and The King had been “graciously pleased to award” it.
On 15th June 1917, he was sent to hospital as sick. He was admitted to the 13th Australian Field Ambulance first with scabies, then sent to 50th CCS on the same day. William was discharged to duty on the 22nd, re-joining his unit in Belgium on the same day. Also on that day he reverted to the rank of Private at his own request.
William transferred to the 52nd Battalion in Belgium on 23rd June 1917 and was taken on their strength on the same day. They were involved in the battle of Polygon Wood on 26th September. On 7th March 1918, he went on leave to the UK. An entry on 10th March 1918 states he had 36 days forfeiture of pay whilst awaiting trial by FGCM remitted by the acting GOC Australian Imperial Force. He re-joined his unit from leave in the Field on 24th March 1918. On 5th April 1918, the 52nd Battalion was deployed to Dernancourt to defend it from the German offensive. They assisted in repelling the largest German attack against the Australian troops during the war. On 25th April 1918, they participated in the attack to repulse the Germans from Villers-Bretonneux.
A form was filled out on 5th May 1918 from 13th Australian Infantry Brigade 4th Australian Division for 689 Private William Allan MM 52nd Battalion AIF for an immediate recommendation for a bar to a Military Medal. It read: “This Battalion H.Q. Pioneer during the operation near VILLIERS-BRETONNEUX on night 24-25th. April and on 25th. April 1918 volunteered to act as stretcher-bearer and worked for many hours across heavily shelled country which was also periodically swept by machine gun fire. This action considerably assisted in lightening the work of the regular bearers, who had suffered many casualties, and showed a fine devotion to duty. This soldier has already been awarded the Military Medal.” The form was recommended by Lieutenant-Colonel J L Whitham CMG, the Officer Commanding the 52nd Battalion and was signed by Brigadier-General Glasgow, Commanding the 13th Australian Infantry Brigade and E G Sinclair Maclagan, Major-General commanding the 4th Australian Division. The recommendation was passed on 9th May 1918. It was promulgated in the London Gazette of 12th September 1918 on page 10758 at position 1, and says: “689 Pte. W. Allan, M.M., Aust. Inf., (M.M.’s gazetted 27th October, 1916)”. The AWM has him listed as being in the 51st Battalion.
William transferred from the 52nd Battalion to the 51st Battalion in the Field on 16th May 1918 and was taken on strength on the same day at the rank of Private. Due to heavy casualties and lack of reinforcements, the 52nd Battalion was one of battalions that was disbanded to reinforce other battalions. He was one of the 9 officers and 189 other ranks transferred from the 52nd Battalion on that day. On 10th June 1918, he was wounded in action in the field for a second occasion (according to the statement in his service record, but should be third time). “The Battalion, in co-operation with the 7th Aust Inf Bde, attacked enemy positions on an immediate front.” He was admitted to the 4th Australian Field Ambulance on the 11th with a gunshot wound to the left leg, was sent to the 61st Casualty Clearing Centre on the same day and was admitted to the 10th General Hospital at Rouen on the 12th. William was transferred to England on the 13th, embarking on the embarking on the Grantully Castle from France on that day. On the 14th, he was admitted to 2nd Eastern General Hospital at Brighton with a bullet wound to the left leg. He was given furlo from 5th to 19th July 1918, reporting to No 1 Commonwealth Depot at Sutton Veny on the 18th. He was admitted NAD at Bulford on 19th July 1918 and discharged on the 24th, marching in to No 1 CD on the same day. He marched out from there on 9th August 1918, marching in to the Overseas Training Brigade on the same day. William left the Brigade on 21st August and marched into the Depot at Havre on the 23rd. He then proceeded to join his unit on the 25th, re-joining them in the Field on 27th August 1918. The battalion relieved the 31st Battalion at Estrees-En-Chaussee and sent patrols out during the night of the 10th. At a distance of 1500 yards they found the Germans near the line of the old Peronne-St Quentin railway. The next day they moved to there, taking the position by 5.30pm. “1 wounded prisoner & 2 m. guns were captured opposition was light & our casualties light.” He was wounded in action for a third occasion (according to his service records, but should be fourth) in the Field on 11th September 1918 and was admitted to the 12th Australian Field Ambulance with a gunshot wound to the calf on that day and was sent to 51st Casualty Clearing Station on the same day. From there he was admitted to the 3rd Stationary Hospital at Rouen on the 13th and then transferred to England on the 14th, embarking on the HS Clans Brook Castle in France on the same day. William was admitted to the Beaufort War Hospital at Bristol on 15th September 1918 with a gunshot wound to the right calf. From there, he was discharged to furlo on 15th October 1918, reporting to No 1 Commonwealth Depot on 29th October. On 20th November 1918, he marched into AIF Details Camp at St Beaudeaux and marched out to Rest Camp at Devonport on the same day.
He returned to Australia on Special 1914 leave on 3rd December 1918, listed as 589 Sergeant William Allan MM of the 51st Battalion. He disembarked from Port Hacking at the 5th Military District on 17th January 1919. William was discharged in the 5th Military District TPE on 25th March 1919. The Bar to his Military Medal was received on 16th May 1919 and sent to the Commandant at the 5th Military District. The proceedings of his court martial were filed with the Attorney-General’s Department on 8th April 1920 and numbered 5924.
His mother was sent a letter from Base Records on 10th February 1919, advising they had “much pleasure in forwarding hereunder copy from extract from Fifth Supplement No.30897 to the London Gazette, dated 13th September, 1918, relating to the conspicuous services rendered by your son, No. 689 Private W. Allan,M.M., 51st Battalion.” It let her know that William had been awarded a Bar to his Military Medal, and it was approved by the King.
The West Australian of Thursday 17th June 1920 on page 6 had the following: “Unclaimed Military Decorations.-The undermentioned military decorations are held at District Headquarters, Francis-street, Perth, but the addresses of those to whom they have been awarded are not known :- (and included) Bar to Military Medal, No. 689, Pte. W. Allan, 52nd Battalion”.
Again, due to his common name, finding any records of him in Australia is nearly impossible. There is an electoral roll in 1916 for the Pilbara District which has a William Allan at Ethel Creek, Nullarine as a stockman. There are no more electoral roll entries for this person.
The Western Argus of Tuesday 24th February 1925 does have and article about a Large Nugget Found: “An alluvial gold specimen, weighing 110oz, was unearthed near the surface to-day by William Allan in a claim which forms part of the area formerly worked at Boogardie by the British Lion Co. When cleaned the specimen yielded 91 oz. 14 dwt. of gold. The spot where the find was made is about half a mile east of the Boogardie State Battery, on the telephone line. Some time ago Allan obtained 7 oz. and 9 oz. slugs from this claim. The specimen is the largest found to date in the Boogardie district.” Unfortunately, it is not known if this is the same William Allan. A William Allan is listed in the 1925 electoral roll as being a miner at Boogardie in the Kalgoorlie region. There are other William Allan’s listed in various Western Australian electoral rolls from the 1900’s to 1930’s.
He passed away on 19th January 1930 in Perth at 35 Glenroyd Street Mt Lawley. His death was deemed ‘not war related’. Why he was there is not known, although his burial information does give a clue. The house was built in 1917 for Mrs Emily Roberts (her husband, a mine owner, had passed away in 1913) and was called Bona Vista and had had various uses in its life. She was very involved with the war effort. After a break-up with her second husband in the late 1920’s, in 1932 it was sold and called Faversham Hospital, a private hospital for maternity cases. It was then Lawley Ladies College and the Perth Bible Institute. 35 Glenroyd Street is now private home; a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom house with 2 car spaces, a 496 m² house on a 1518 m² block. It was placed on the Heritage List in 2014 and was sold in 2016 for S3.6 million. A video on the house is here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBbU522YVLQ and the heritage listing here – http://inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/2939ffc6-67a0-467b-aac9-e799fdc797d0 . Plans are also online for extensions to the house in this site- https://yoursay.stirling.wa.gov.au/da-template-project-page41229
35 Glenroyd Street
With his family, it is also hard to find more details on them. There was a James A Allan who served as Gunner 145012 with the Royal Garrison Artillery and was awarded the pair for the First World War. A James Andrew Allan also died in South Australia on 21st May 1931, but more details are needed to confirm they are William’s brother. Nothing else is known on his family.
An application for burial and form of instruction for a grave form was filled out for the deceased person William Allan, a 45-year-old who died on 19th January 1930 at “Nurse Johnson Hospital 35 Glenroyd St Mt Lawley” on 20th January 1930. There was no late place of residence listed for him, his occupation was stockman, in error it has his birthplace as England, and he was to be buried in the Presbyterian denominational ground. The grave was compartment FA in section A and grave number 692. It was a private grave, not a public grave. The ground was selected by Trustees and was 8 foot by 4 foot. A grant was required to Mr T B George of 17 Kinston Avenue West Perth. The coffin size was 6ft6 x 26, the depth of the grave was 7 ft, and it was the first internment in the grave. William was buried on 20th January 1930 at 4.15 pm by Reverend Taylor. The funeral started at 1023 Hay Street Perth, the address of Donald J Chipper and Son, the funeral director who made the application. The reference number was 1416, grant number 21607 and it was number 40760 in the Register of Burials. The superintendent signed the form stating a coffin was buried in that position at that time. There was no headstone done for the grave. His funeral was mentioned in The West Australian of Monday 20th January 1930 in Page 1 under Family Notices: “FUNERAL NOTICES. ALLAN. —The Friends of the late Mr. William Allan, late of Wyndham, W.A. and late of the 16th Battalion, A.I.F., are respectfully informed that his remains will be interred in the Presbyterian portion of the Karrakatta Cemetery at 4.15 o’clock THIS (Monday) AFTERNOON. The Cortege will move from Messrs. Donald J. Chipper and Son’s Service Chapel, 1023, 1025, 1027 Hay-street (corner of George-street), Perth, at 3.45 o’clock. Friends wishing to attend the Funeral may proceed by the 4 o’clock train from Perth. DONALD J. CHIPPER and SON, Funeral Directors, 1023, 1025 and 1027 Hay-street, (corner George-st.), Perth. Tel. B3232; Inglewood Branch, 735 Beaufort-street.”
The area of his grave
In his service records is a letter from Base Records in Canberra to the Repatriation Commission in Perth in reference to their letter-gram of 28th April 1943, sending them documents that were indicated relating to his service. It is not known why they needed his service records then, as no further communication is in his service records. There is another record at NAA in Perth, under series number PP2/8 and control symbol R6957, covering dates from 1919 to 1943. The file is not yet examined and is not online, so what it contains is not known.
A medal collector from Brisbane wrote to Army Records Section in Melbourne on 2nd June 1967 asking “I am doing research into a Military Medal (M.M.) that I obtained recently, and would be grateful if you could help me. This medal bears the effigy of George V and was awarded to : 689 SJT : W. ALLAN 16/AUST : INF : BN:. If possible I would like to obtain a copy for the citation for this medal, and any other information about this award that may be available.” Their reply, stamped with 29th June, stated that “In reply you are advised that the Citation in respect of the award of the Military Medal to 689 Private William ALLAN M.M. 51 Bn, A.I.F. is not now available. However, reference to his record reveals that he was awarded the Military Medal for Bravery in the Field and subsequently received a Bar to the medal for conspicuous services rendered in FRANCE.” His reply to this letter, dated 26th July 1967 included “I was most surprised to learn that the recipient was awarded a bar to this medal. This bar was not with the medal when obtained by me, and I wonder if your records show if this bar was ever issued? There is a difference of rank and BN., between your records and the 689 SJT. W. ALLAN 16/AUST. INF. BN that is inscribed on the medal. Would this indicate that his rank and unit had changed before the medal was issued? If it is possible, I would be most interested in obtaining a copy of this service record, and in particular the dates and places relating to the award of this Military Medal and Bar.” In their reply, stamped 30 Oct 1967, CARO included “Records reveal that this medal was issued with the bar. (No it was not according to the newspaper article above). Attached are extracts from the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette relating to these awards.” The extracts just show he was awarded the Military Medal and Bar and the dates they were promulgated in the Commonwealth Gazette.
His medals are Military Medal and Bar, 1914-15 Star, British War and Victory medals. He would also be entitled to the Anzac Medallion. The museum just has his MM and Bar.
Special thanks to Wayne Gardiner, a Western Australian MHSA member, who retrieved details on, and the picture of the grave of William Allan. Greatly appreciated.
ANZAC Biographies
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