CAMERON, Ian (1889-1948)
Ian Cameron was born at Bairnsdale on 7 May 1889, the son of Alexander Renton McLean Cameron and Marian Elizabeth nee Hope, of Queensland. He was enrolled by Dr T C Hope of 'Raith', Geelong at Geelong College from 1904 to 1905 and then Wesley College, Melbourne from 1906.
During World War I, he served in the Victorian Scottish Regiment prior to enlistment (No 2683) in the 8th Light Horse, AIF at Bellevue Camp, Western Australia, on 21 September 1914, and embarked for Egypt on HMAT A35 Berrima on 22 December 1914, and then Gallipoli.
In the Commanding Officer’s list of 6 July 1915 he was highly recommended:
'For valuable assistance rendered on the night of 6 July as HMT Santara was leaving Imbros Harbour for Cape Helles, when some netting became foul of her propellers. Private Cameron rendered valuable assistance, he was in the water for four hours, repeatedly diving overboard to clear the propellers, anything but an easy matter on a dark night.'
After the Evacuation from Gallipoli, he went to Egypt where he suffered a gunshot wound to the thigh and foot at Hod Hassane (Romani) on 9 August 1916 as reported by Cpl Bill McElwee in Maygar’s Boys:
'He was hit in the foot while the Turks were trying to surround us on the 9th August. He was running along about ten yards from me when he got a bullet from one of the machine guns in the foot. One of the troop who was nearer than myself helped him out to the horses.'
He was admitted to 3rd AGH, Cairo on 11 August, and returned to Australia on HMT Ascanius, embarking on 2 September 1916, he was discharged on 31 March 1917. He died on 24 August 1948.
His cousin, Sergeant Leslie Marsden Hope, an Old Geelong Grammarian, of Condobolin and Yass, NSW, 2nd Battalion, was killed at Polygon Wood on 20 September 1917. He has no known grave. His name is commemorated on The Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium.
Sources: Based on an edited extract from Geelong Collegians at the Great War compiled by James Affleck; p148 (citing Alexander Henderson, Henderson’s Australian Families (1941); Australian War Memorial; National Archives; Pegasus; Cameron Simpson, Maygar’s Boys: A Biographical History of the 8th Light Horse AIF 1914-19).