27/07/2026
As August approaches - spare a thought for those from the Macclesfield District who sacrificed all in this month many years ago.
6th August 1915
Ted Coad was made a ward of the state after his father abandoned him and his three siblings after his mother died. He was 6 years old. Over the next 10 years, he was placed with 7 different homes – one being with a Mr Haines of Flaxley for a short period. By 26 years of age, Ted was making a living as a Boxer in Tasmania, where he was raising a family with four children. In January 1915, he enlisted with the 12th Battalion, later transferring in August 1915 to the 2nd Battalion. He was killed soon afterwards. His wife Flora left Tasmania, moved to Victoria and raised the children alone – never remarrying. Ted has no known grave at Gallipoli.
3rd August 1916
James Jordan’s wife Mary died shortly after the birth of their child in 1907. Unable to raise them they were fostered out. Working to support them, he eventually enlisted in the Army in 1916 falsifying his age by 11 years. Transferring from the 32nd Battalion to the 47th Battalion, he was killed in August 1916. He left four children. James has no known grave.
30th August 1916
James Park was the third child born into the family of four children. James joined the 74th Battalion Senior Cadets in 1912 parading at Mount Barker. When he originally tried to enlist at the outbreak of World War 1, he was rejected, because of his height. He was only 5 feet & 2 ¼ inches tall. However, by July 1915 he was accepted and by August 1916 was in the fighting near Mouquet Farm in France with the 16th Battalion. It was here he was killed in action on the 30th of August 1916. He was buried about one ½ miles SE of Thiepval but in 1925, he was re interred in the AIF burial ground, Flers. His body had been identified by his metal ID disc, which was then sent to his father in Macclesfield in November 1925.
11th August 1918
John Cole was the son of Michael COLE & Annie O’SULLIVAN and was born December 1889 in Yarrawonga, VIC. John was the fourth child born into the family of 10 children. John was 4 years old when the family moved to Adelaide. Five of his siblings died before 1898. Sadly, his father also died in June 1898. His mother was unable to care for all the children and placed the three boys into the State care – his two sisters remaining with their mother. John was 9 years old when he was first boarded to Miss Mary O’Loughlin, residing in Macclesfield. Fortunately, his brother’s; Michael & William were also boarded to Miss Mary O’Loughlin. John & his siblings attended the Sisters of St Joseph Catholic School –John for 3 years. In March 1903, at 13 John was transferred to Mr Daniel Murphy, a farmer at Crystal Brook. His brothers were also transferred to other families. After turning 18, he trained and became a fitter & turner. John married Esther CAMPBELL on 30 August 1913, Parkside, SA. They lived at 105 West Terrace, Adelaide and had a daughter.John enlisted into the 10th Battalion on the 12th of April 1915 and embarked overseas, serving in Gallipoli and later France being wounded and gassed several times necessitating hospital stays. Returning to France, John was killed in action near Creepey Wood, on the morning of the 11th of August 1918 in France. There is no record of his burial and remains “Known unto God”.
11th August 1918
Edward Fahey was the son of Margaret FAHY and was born in February 1892. And as his mother died 10 days after he was born and he was placed by the State into the care of Mrs Bridget Jordan of Macclesfield, where he later attended the Sisters of St Joseph’s Catholic School, Macclesfield. When Bridget died, in January 1900, he was placed with her daughter; Mrs Ellen McFarlane. On the 1st of March 1905, he was transferred to Mr Henry Curtain, a widow, at Glencoe, near Mt Gambier. He stayed there 3 years before returning as a 16 year old to Ellen in Macclesfield. Edward enlisted into the 27th Battalion in February 1915 and embarked overseas, serving in Gallipoli and later France being wounded several times. On the 9th of August 1918, Edward received a gunshot wound to his chest and evacuated to the 61st Casualty Clearing Station, dying of his wounds on the 11th August at 6pm. He is buried in the Vignacourt British Cemetery where 418 of the 586 WW1 burials are Australian. The RSL Macclesfield Sub Branch has no photograph of Edward.
5th August 1941
Clifford Fuller was born March 1916 in Adelaide, SA. In May 1939, Clifford played his first game of football for Macclesfield and was best on ground. At the age of 24, Clifford was called up and enlisted into the RAAF. In September 1940, Clifford announced his engagement to Miss Joan Teresa MCNAMARA of Macclesfield. Joan was the daughter of Thomas Peter MCNAMARA & Catherine Cecelia MCGRATH. He embarked from Adelaide on the 3rd of February 1941, disembarking in Egypt on the 24th of March. On the 5th of August 1941, the plane on which he was aboard was caught in 10 searchlights and shot down, the aircraft crashing into the sea east of Derna. No known grave – “known unto God”.
6th August 1943
James Peterson was the son of Edgar PETERSON & Amy MCKENZIE and was born 20th of December 1913. James was the third child born into the family of four children and lived on the property “Glenella” located on Stamps Road, Macclesfield. James played cricket for Macclesfield as mid order batsmen and opening fast bowler. In 2006, he was named in the Macclesfield Team of the Century. In March 1938, James announced his engagement to Miss Betty WILLIS, of Unley.
James and Betty married on the 26th of September 1940 in St Peter’s College Chapel, St Peters.
At the age of 27, James enlisted into the Army (2/4th Australian Field Workshop). He listed his wife, of Macclesfield, as his next of kin. He embarked from Melbourne for Singapore on the 30th of July 1941, disembarking 16 days later. Whilst James was overseas, his daughter Josephine was born and Betty moved to Glenelg. On the 16th of February 1942, James was reported missing in action in Malaya.
It was not until August 1943 that Betty was notified that James had been captured by the Japanese and was a prisoner of war – by this stage James had died, on the 6th August 1943 on the Thai – Burma Railway, and is buried in the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, Thailand.
In December 1943, Betty received a post card from James. She would not learn of his death until the following year 1944.
Lest We Forget
