MACKAY, Frank Islay (1886-1978)Frank Islay Mackay, the son of Donald Mackay and his wife, Eleanor nee Vincent was born at Wodonga on 31 August 1886. His father was then working at the Bank of Victoria. Frank was enrolled as a boarder at Geelong College in 1899.
He was recorded as a Station Book-keeper and Grazier when he enlisted at Swan Hill in the 1st AIF. He enlisted (No 5444) as a Private with the 6th Battalion (17th Reinforcement Group), on 9 April 1915 and embarked for Egypt on 4 April 1916. He proceeded to France and was promoted to Sergeant in January 1917 and Lieutenant on 2 Nov 1917 and transferred to 38th Battalion. He was wounded in action suffering shellshock when buried by an exploding shell on 11 June 1918 and repatriated back to England. According to his casualty sheet in his Official Records:
'About 2.45 pm on 11.6.18 the above named officer was lying in his dugout in the Support line, approximately 0.36.a.60.30. Map Reference 62.D. S.W. i/20,000, when a 4.2 H.E. shell fell in the trench on the side on which the dugout was, exploding and burying the Officer. Lieutenant Mackay was assisted to CHQ about 100 yards distance by trench, when he arrived there he was unable to speak except a word at a time, and then in a very jerky way. He was instructed to lie down but could not obtain much rest turning and changing his position every little while. Eventually about 5 or 6 hours later Lieutenant Mackay was instructed by his Company Commander to report to the Medical Officer at the RAP as he was obviously unfit for duty. Within a few minutes of the casualty occurring his CO, Captain Walter L Collins (Walter John Collins, of Geelong and South Yarra) inspected the Dugout, finding several pieces of heavy metal. In his report Captain Collins states that he cannot understand how it was that Lieutenant Mackay was not killed.' 'He returned to Australia on
HMT Burmah embarking on 13 December 1918 and arriving in Australia in January 1919. His service finished on 6 March 1919.
After the war he took up a soldier settlement block. Frank named his block 'Sandwood' and was the first Hall Secretary at Langkoop.
He died on 27 March 1978. He is memorialised on a memorial stone at Langkoop Memorial Hall in western Victoria honouring the names of all original returned servicemen on the 35 Elderslie Soldier Settlement blocks in 1920.
His brother,
Eric Reay Mackay (1884-1958), was also educated at Geelong College.
Sources: swvic.org.