MACMILLAN, Dr Wilfred Ewart (1898-1963)Wilfred Ewart Macmillan was born on 28 August 1898, the son of the Rev Thomson Macmillan and Annie nee Robertson.
After previously attending Canterbury State School, Wilfred was enrolled at the College as a boarder on 17 February 1913. He left in December 1917. His address at entry was given as Tarno, New Hebrides. At College, he was a champion athlete while at school, being in the 1st XVIII in 1916-17, the 1st VIII in 1916 and its stroke in 1917, and the Athletics Team 1915-16, as well as being a School Prefect for two years, 1916-17.
During World War I, he enlisted (No 39669) on 29 November 1917, giving Geelong College as his permanent address in Australia, Mr W T Price, the Head of the School, acted as his Power of Attorney, under the instruction of written permission from his father, as Wilfred was under age when he enlisted.
He embarked from Sydney on
SS Port Darwin on 30 April 1918, disembarked at Southampton on 16 July, and was in France on 4 October with the 1st Field Artillery Brigade. Wilfred Macmillan returned to Australia, embarking on
HMT Anchises on 28 February 1919.
He died on 11 November 1963.
His brothers, John Robertson Macmillan (1902-1962), Dr James Robertson Thomson Macmillan (1904-1972), Thomas Lindsay Macmillan (1906-1973), and sons,
Donald Robertson Thomson Macmillan (1928 – 2004), and Ian Wilfred Macmillan, were also educated at Geelong College.
Sources: Based on an edited extract from Geelong Collegians at the Great War compiled by James Affleck. p 258 (citing The Pegasus; National Archives).