Alexander John Cheyne McLELLAN

Regimental number6/1662
Date of birth9 March 1880
Place of birthLyttelton
ReligionPresbyterian
OccupationClerk
Address95 Montreal Street, Christchurch
Marital statusMarried
Height5' 8"
Weight163 lbs
Next of kinWife, Mrs Mary J McLellan, c/o Flaus, Builder, Christchurch
Previous military serviceNil
Enlistment date11 December 1914
Place of enlistmentTrentham
Rank on embarkationPrivate
Enlistment statusVolunteer
Unit nameNew Zealand Expeditionary Force, 3rd Reinforcements, Canterbury Infantry Battalion
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Wellington on board HMNZT 4 Tahiti on 14 February 1915
Final rankPrivate
Final unit1st Battalion, Canterbury Infantry Regiment
FateKilled in Action 16 September 1916
Place of burialNo known grave
Commemoration detailsCaterpillar Valley (New Zealand) Memorial, Longueval, France
Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records
Wife: Mary Jane Lambert (formerly McLellan), Palmerston North, Wellington
Other details

War service: Egypt, Gallipoli, Western Front

Joined Canterbury Infantry Regiment, Gallipoli, 8 June 1915.

Admitted to 16th Stationary Hospital, Mudros, 9 July 1915 (piles); transferred to Malta and admitted to St George's Hospital, 14 July 1915.

Disembarked Alexandria, 1 August 1915; embarked for Dardanelles; rejoined Bn, Gallipoli, 26 August 1915.

Admitted to St David's Hospital, Malta, 10 September 1915 (rheumatism and piles); transferred to England, 15 September 1915, and admitted to 2nd Western General Hospital, Manchester, 23 September 1915.

Found guilty, Hornchurch, 20 May 1916, of being absent without leave: awarded 120 hours' detention and forfeited 3 days' pay.

Attached to NZ Base Depot, Etaples, 7 June 1916; rejoined Bn, in the field, Armentieres, 7 July 1916.

Reported missing, 16 September 1916.

Statement on file, 612589 S.D. DALLARD: 'On 16th Sept. during the Battalion advance towards Flers, I was in company with Ptes Coombs, Swedel & McLellan. We took shelter under a bank, Coombs & McLellan being about two yds. from Swaddel & myself. A shell burst near, hitting Swadel & killing Coombs & dressed Swadel. I saw nothing further of McLellan or Coombs as I followed up the Coy.'

Court of Enquiry pronounced fate as 'Killed in Action,16 September 1916.'

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
Miscellaneous detailsNominal Roll Vol. 1: Canterbury Infantry Batln/Third
SourcesArchives New Zealand (Wellington), Agency AABK, Series 18805

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