A scarce Trio and Memorial Plaque to a Lighthorseman from 10 L.H.R. , Killed in the Hill 60 ‘Victoria Cross Action’ at Gallipoli.
1914/15 Star Trio impressed ‘ 535 PTE D. McLEAN 10 L.H.R. A.I.F.’
Memorial Plaque named ‘ DONALD McLEAN’
Donald McLean, a New Zealander from Kumarra, born 1880, enlisted at Geraldton, Western Australia , on 19/10/14.
Posted to the 10th. L.H.R. McLean embarked 17/2/15. In May 1915 the 10 L.H.R. left their beloved horses in Egypt and landed at Gallipoli where they fought as dismounted infantrymen.
Hill 60 was an important tactical feature on the Gallipoli peninsula and had been attacked twice in August and heavy ANZAC casualties had been sustained in bitter hand-to-hand fighting. At 1am on 29/8/15 the 10L.H.R. leapt forward across no man’s land to the Turkish trenches 80 yards away. A series of violent man-to-man scuffles and bayonet and bomb fights took place over the next two days in a see-sawing battle which cost over 1000 Australian and New Zealand lives.
Donald Mclean was first reported as W.I.A. , but a court of enquiry on 1/9/15 returned a finding of ‘Killed in Action on 29/8/15’. In this battle 2-lieut. Hugo Throssell won the Victoria Cross, the only one to be awarded to the Light Horse in WWI.
Having no known grave McLean is commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial. On the reverse of the original of the photo with this group he wrote a poignant message ‘ to my daughter Josephine Agnes McLean with love from Dad. Leaving for the Dardanelles today 15/5/15.’
Group, Memorial Plaque, photo, and information mounted on a card for display. ....... VF-EF
