Ian's Messy Desk

Today is ANZAC Day in Australia and New Zealand. We have a family connection to the events commemorated and I always pause for a moment of remembrance at this time of year.

My paternal grandparents were both born in Australia and my great-grandfather, William McKenzie served as a military chaplain and went ashore at Gallipoli with the 1st Infantry Brigade . Following service in Gallipoli he was appointed Chaplain to the 4th Battalion of The First Australian Infantry Brigade in Egypt. In 1917 Mac went with the AIF to France. He was with the Fighting Fourth at Pozieres, Bullecourt, Mouquet Farm, Passchendaele Ridge and on the Somme.

I recently read Col Stringer’s book ‘FIGHTING’ MCKENZIE ANZAC CHAPLAIN. The writing style is overrun with hyperbole (Stringer compares McKenzie to Indiana Jones and Superman), but I did learn a great deal about my great-grandfather and the ANZAC contributions to the 1st War.

You can learn more about William McKenzie on-line here:

• “Fighting Mac”
• The Fighting Padres
• Soldiers of the Cross
• The ANZAC spirit and standing up for this Nation
• Australian War Memorial 1
• Australian War Memorial 2
• Australian War Memorial 3