By John Telfer
There were remarkable scenes in Warwick on 24 August 1914, as a noisy, patriotic crowd lined the streets to farewell young local men in the Town Hall.
The Warwick Examiner reported the occasion in its issue two days later, when it said:
“Remarkable scenes were witnessed both inside and outside the Town Hall on Monday night, when 37 volunteers from the Warwick district went to serve with the Australian Expeditionary Force.
“This followed a parade headed by Mr. H. G. May who, on horseback, carried the Union Jack which wound its way from Fitzroy, Guy, Percy and Palmerin Streets to the Town Hall”.
This patriotic fervour was not unusual in small country towns as the nation’s youth were encouraged to support Britain in World War 1 and one young, 21-year-old, Malcolm McDougall, was keen to do his bit for the Imperial cause.
Malcolm Dines McDougall was the son of Malcolm and Norma McDougall and came from a well-known pioneering family who had been in the Warwick District for well over a hundred years, and had a family heritage that could be traced back to the First Fleet in 1788.
He was the Great-Great-Grandson of Colonel George Johnston who was with Captain Arthur Phillip’s staff, and was the senior officer who arrested Governor Bligh in the 1806 mutiny by the New South Wales Corps.
Malcolm was born in Brisbane on 29 April 1893, and after moving to Freestone Hill with his parents, was educated at Sladevale School and later, at Toowoomba Grammar and The Southport School.
This is where he first experienced army life as a member of the school cadets, and later, with the 2nd Light Horse Regiment on the Darling Downs.
After leaving school around 1907, Malcolm worked with his cousin Don learning all aspects of farming at the family properties owned by his uncles at Dulacca West and Lyndhurst.
Malcolm decided to enlist in the 1st AIF, 2nd Light Horse Regiment, on the 24 August 1914. After a period of training, he embarked from Brisbane to Egypt on the 24 September 1914, on board the A15 Star of England.
After a period of training at Alexandria, Malcolm eventually landed at Gallipoli on 9 May 1915.
On 19 May, Malcolm was quickly into action with the entrenched ANZACs, but was wounded on the arm and lower back from Turkish gunfire.
For treatment, he was sent to the Australian General Hospital in Alexandria to recover, via the hospital ship, Gascon.
He returned to Gallipoli on 13 June 1915 and was promoted to Corporal on 4 July.
On returning to Gallipoli, Malcolm was encouraged to apply for a Commission with the regiment and this was approved and granted, on 22 August 1915.
After the evacuation of Gallipoli, Malcolm was appointed a Quarter Master and B Squadron Commander, in the upcoming desert campaigns of the Middle East.
Under the Command of General Harry Chauvel, Malcolm fought in the battles at Mussalabeh, where he distinguished himself in the fighting by using cool leadership.
From the Light Horse camp at Moascar, Malcolm led his squadron into battles at Tikh-el-Kheill and Romani and was wounded again, but continued to remain with his troops.
On 31 January, 1919 with the desert campaign now almost over, Malcolm was awarded the Military Cross for his courage and leadership at Mussalabeh Post. His citation in the London Gazette said this
“For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty on 14th July 1918.
“In command of Mussalebeh Post, with a garrison of only 79 men, the Post was shelled by six batteries for half an hour before being heavily attacked.
“Though the enemy penetrated part of the trench, they were promptly ejected. When day broke, Captain McDougall employed part of his command with coolness and sound judgement”
Malcolm’s war ended on 13 March 1919, when he sailed back to Australia on board HT Ulimaroa, to a hero’s welcome and returned to his property near Warwick.
Malcolm met and married Norma Miriam Hill who came from Fassifern Station, Kalbar, at the All-Saints Church in Ann Street Brisbane, on 27 April 1921.
The service was conducted by the Reverend F. Nightingale and together, they raised two children in Malcolm and Graham.
Malcolm had applied for and was granted a soldier settlement block, and took up land at Pikedale. He named his property Glen Eden and moved a house there which he had relocated from Brisbane.
Malcolm took up employment with Dalgetys as a stock and station agent travelling around Queensland up until World War 2.
His military service continued when he enlisted in the Citizen’s Military Force (Volunteer Defence Corps) from 1942 to 1944 as a Captain, but later, promoted to Major.
However, tragedy struck when his wife Miriam passed away from cancer in 1947. He later remarried a nurse Moya, who was caring for his ageing father at the time, on 13 March 1948.
After moving to Toowoomba, they had two daughters. Farming was still in Malcolm’s blood so the family moved to Forest Hill near Gatton, where they ran a small dairy farm until 1954 when they moved to Lyndhurst Stud near Warwick, owned by his uncle Charlie.
When uncle Charlie passed on, he willed Lyndhurst to Malcolm and his cousin Don.
Later, Malcolm and his family moved to Locke Street Warwick where he lived until his death on 13 February 1978 at the age of 85, and now lies at rest in Warwick Lawn Cemetery.
One unique aspect of the military life of Malcolm Dines McDougall was that at the time of his enlistment into the 2nd Light Horse Regiment his father, at the age of 55, also enlisted as a Captain on 13 October 1915 in the 2nd Remount Australian Light Horse Regiment, and left Australia from Sydney on HMAT Orsava on 10 November 1915.
On arrival at Alexandria, he was hospitalised in the Australian General Hospital at Heliopolis, and later, at Abbassia with severe colitis and dysentery.
After his hospitalisation, Malcolm senior marched into Camp Moascar on the 9 October 1916, but as his illness was severe, he was repatriated back to Australia from Suez on HT Vestalia one week later.
Malcolm Dines McDougall was a true ANZAC and his military record is impressive.
From that very patriotic send off at the Warwick Town Hall in August 1914, he returned as a genuine hero and his life on the land thereafter showed him to be a man who should be forever remembered as one who served his country and community with the same “cool and sound judgement” that won him the Military Cross in 1919.
