McGregor, Roy Edward

No.5140 – Private Roy Edward McGregor – 16^th Battalion AIF

Roy Edward McGregor was born in Fremantle WA in 1893 to William and Alice McGregor. The family lived in Queen Street Fremantle and Roy was educated at Fremantle State School, and he also served in the Cadets of the Citizen Military Forces. The family later moved to the wheat belt at Nungarin where they bought a block of land and began farming. Roy worked as a contractor in clearing land for farms in the wheatbelt. On the 18^th January 1916 Frank enlisted into the AIF at Northam. He was accepted as fit for service with the Medical Examiner finding him to be 5 feet 6 inches tall; weight of 119 lbs; chest measurement of 33-35 inches; fair complexion; grey eyes and fair hair. His religious denomination was Presbyterian.

After his enlistment Roy was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was put into No.45 Depot. On the 13^th March 1916 Frank was assigned to the 16^th Reinforcements to the 16^th Battalion. He embarked with this group just over two weeks later, when on the 31^st March 1916, they boarded the HMAT Shropshire in Fremantle Harbour. The journey to Egypt took just over three weeks and on the 24^th April Roy was marched into the 4^th Training Battalion. He remained in this camp until the 18^th May 1916 when he was transferred to the 4^th Division Cyclist Company.

On the 29^th May 1916 he embarked with this unit from Alexandria and arrived at Plymouth England on the 8^th June 1916. On being disembarked Roy was sent to the 4^th Division Cyclists Camp. He remained here until the 7^TH September when he was reallotted back to the 16^th Battalion reinforcements at the 4^th Training Battalion. On the 22^nd September 1916 Roy embarked from England to France and on arrival at Etaples was marched into the 4^th Australian Division Base Depot. Roy remained here for over a week and on the 4^th October 1916 was taken on strength by the 16^th Battalion.

Roy joined the Battalion in Belgium where they were resting after their ordeal at Pozieres and Mouquet Farm. However they were soon ordered to return to the Somme and they would spend the winter of 1916/17 in the Flers region. In late February 1916 it was noticed that the Germans were retiring from their positions and for the next month the Australians fought several actions against them as the Germans made their way back to the Hindenburg Line.

With the Germans back in their strong defensive positions in early April an attack was soon planned to assault the line. The 16^th Battalion as part of the 4^th Brigade attacked the German positions at Bullecourt on the 11^th April 1917. The 16^th Battalion along with the 13^th Battalion broke through the heavy defences of the Hindenburg Line without artillery support and managed to capture a portion of the line. However being unsupported they were not able to hang on for long and the Germans soon swarmed on the survivors forcing those still alive to make their way across No Man’s Land or to be taken prisoner. Roy was one of those soldiers who were captured.

For the next several months Roy was treated badly by the Germans as they forced many prisoners of war to work close behind the front line and were subsequently in range of British artillery fire. They were not fed well during this time and they became weaker as a result which made it easier for illnesses to overtake them. Roy was soon sent to the French village of Bohain where he was forced to work in the Saw Mills. In early November 1917 while at work a piece of timber shot back and hit him in the abdomen and unfortunately due to his weakened condition he died on the 4^th November 1917. The Berlin Red Cross later stated that the official cause of Roy’s death was from heart failure, resulting from bleeding of the abdominal cavity, a kink of the bowel and incipient peritonitis.

Roy was buried at the Military Cemetery at Bohain and a service was conducted which was attended by other Australian Prisoners of War.  After the war was over Roy was exhumed and transferred to Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery at Souchez France in plot XVI.F.18.

Roy’s Brother Frank had died at Pozieres on the 4^th August 1916 while serving with the 28^th Battalion.