RIORDAN, Hugh Hamilton (1889-1950)
Hugh Hamilton Riordan (Mcknight) was born at Naracoorte, South Australia, on 9 May 1889, the son of Victor Michael Riordan and Sophia Everina Isabella nee Macknight. He was educated at Geelong College, commencing in 1904. He was enrolled by Mrs Riordan of Retreat Rd, Newtown as 'H H Riordan'. A note in the enrolment record states 'now H H MacKnight'
After leaving school he spent some years on the land and in the Wool Department of Dalgety and Co, Geelong. Before World War I he was working as a Commercial Traveller. In 1915 he took by Deed Poll, his mother’s maiden name, 'Macknight'.
He Enlisted (No 4248) as Hugh Hamilton Macknight and later V19414) in the AIF on 22 July 1915, and embarked with the 13th Reinforcements to 7 Battalion on HMAT A64 Demosthenes on 29 December 1915. He transferred to 46 Battalion in Egypt, embarked for France, and then transferred to Headquarters Staff of 4th Australian Division. He reached the rank of temporary 2nd Lieutenant. He was discharged from the AIF on 1 August 1919 in order to study at Edinburgh University. Before he returned to Australia he married Valerie Leopoldine Diendonnee Gillot, she died in 1923 along with their son John. The Argus newspaper later reported that he had married Margaret Wilson nee Boyd on 2 Feb 1932.
In 1917, the Geelong Advertiser published an impassioned letter from him: 'Lieut H H Macknight, an old Geelong Collegian, formerly a resident of Geelong, writes from France:-'When are the Australian people going to wake up and bring in conscription? After the present AIF has been wiped out, I suppose? It makes me mad. They ought to be over here to know what the war really means - here where one cannot see a single able-bodied man in civilian clothes, and where, not only young girls, but all women, not excepting even the very old ones, are doing men's work; where we cannot buy wood, coal or kerosene except for works of military or national importance; where there are no amusements, but where everyone talks, thinks and dreams WAR, and where everyone does someting either in the trenches or behind them, in order that the Hun may be defeated; and apparently in order that certain people in Australia may 'carry on' as usual, and not even be disturbed by the distant echoes of WAR. Pardon me if my pen runs away, but the thought of thr 'cold footers' in Australia makes me mad.'
Lieut H H Macknight is a cousin of General Sir A Hunter-Weston, now commading an army corps. Lieut H H Macknight's brother, Keith Riordan, sailed in December with the Motor Transport Corps for the front.'
He served in Australia during World War II, enlisting (No. V19414) in 1941 age 52 as a Staff Captain. He was, at enlistment, a Supply Manager living at 'Fraoch Eilean', Greensborough.
Sources: Geelong Advertiser 2 Feb 1917 p3; The Argus (Melb) 7 May 1932; 'Geelong Collegians at the Great War' compiled by J. Affleck. p 255-256 (citing Pegasus; National Archives).