Pte. William Armstrong McCaw

William Armstrong McCaw was the son of William Armstrong McCaw and Elizabeth Ramsay McCaw (nee Brown), of 177 Leet St., Invercargill, New Zealand. Private in NZMC, file number 3/602. Was on board the British transport ship 'Marquette' when she was hit by a torpedo from new heavyweight German submarine No.35 and sunk in the Aegean Sea on 23 October 1915. A powerful swimmer, he was the last to be picked up. Killed in action, Ypres.

Sources

1. Cenotaph: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/...
2. New Zealand and World War One Roll of Honour: http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~sooty/genealogy/nzefrohMc.html / Ref 12.4.2021

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GEDCOM Note

- see image 3535 11/2011 for pic of 4 children taken probably 1899 at the Golden wedding festivities
see images 0750, 0753 & 0754 from Allison book W A McCaw in Army uniform

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nzlscant/marquette.htm
The No 1. New Zealand Stationary Hospital NZMC
Organised at Trentham Camp, Wellington with Lt Col. D.T. McGavin as commanding officer and Acting Matron Marie Cameron as senior NZ Army Nursing Service (NZANS) and was initially stationed at Port Said as a five hundred bed convalescent hospital under canvas, receiving casualties from Gallipoli, including Bernard Freyberg. The hospital was loaded on to a special train and arrived at Alexandria at 0300 and loaded on the Marquette, headed to service British troops at Salonika, in Greece. When the transport ship Marquette was torpedoed in the Gulf of Salonika, several members of the unit were lost. The hospital staff returned to Alexandria on Oct. 29, were re-equipped and returned to Salonika during the winter of 1915-16 without the NZANS staff, then joined the New Zealand Division at El Moascar on the Suez Canal. It followed the division to France and was stationed at Amiens behind the Somme front.

Doctors at Trentham Training Camp
FRAZER-HURST
ISAACS
LEAHY
MARCHANT
McGAVIN
PURDY
STOUT
WYLIE [AWN 27.4.1915]

From Southland Boys' High School Register-
816- McCAW, William Armstrong, killed in action in France on October 12th, 1917. Private in N.Z.M.C. Aged 24 years. At School, 1907-11. Son of W A McCaw, architect to Education Board. Was with Public Works Department at Hamilton at time of enlistment. With No. 1 Stationary Hospital in Cairo, Salonika, Amiens, "Somewhere in France". Transferred to Royal Flying Corps and was doing his three months at the Front. Was on board the "Marquette" when torpedeod in the Mediterranean; a powerful swimmer, he was the last to be picked up. Rescued a man at the Front from a weedy hole and was mentioned in orders.

THE FALLEN AND WOUNDED.
Press, Volume LIII, Issue 16051, 6 November 1917, Page 4
Private William Armstrong McCaw (killed) was a son of Mr W. A. McCaw, architect to the Southland Education Board. Private McCaw, who was born at Gore 24 years ago, enlisted in tho Fifth Reinforcements from the Public Works Department at Hamilton. He was posted to the Medical Corps and attached to tho No. 1 Stationary Hospital, which was located in turn at Cairo, Salonica, Amiens, and "somewhere in Flanders." Private McCaw, on route for Salonica, was on board the Marquette when she was torpedoed in the Mediterranean, and had to swim for some distance to reach a raft. Life in a stationary hospital, however, is not of the most romantic, and, when the spirit of adventure called, Private McCaw applied for a transfer to the Royal Flying Corps and was accepted to train for a commission in this arm. First, though, he was required to put in a period of three months in the trenches. Before that three months had expired the end came. Private McCaw, who was an old boy of the Invercargill South and Southland Boys' High Schools, was a keen and powerful swimmer. At the High School he was looked upon as a champion, and at the front he received mention in routine orders for (with the assistance of another) rescuing a private of an English regiment who had got into difficulties in eleven feet of weedy water in June last.
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http://ww100.govt.nz/no-ordinary-transport-the-sinking-of-the-marqu...
Story of the Marquette
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http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~sooty/awn30aug1917.html
KEAT, McCAW The army commander expresses his appreciation of the gallant conduct of Pte W A McCAW and Pte G H KEAT, both of the NZMC, in the following circumstances: On 16 June, Pte E LUCAS, North Staffordshire Regt, while bathing in 11ft of water, abounding with weeds, got into difficulty and sank. Pte McCAW plunged in to his assistance and, aided by Pte KEAT, after many attempts, succeeded in bringing the unconscious man to the bank and eventually resuscitating him by artificial respiration.
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Full Name William Armstrong McCaw
Rank Last Held Private
Forename(s) William Armstrong
Surname McCaw
War World War I, 1914-1918
Serial No. 3/602
First Known Rank Private
Next of Kin W.A. McCaw (father), Invercargill, New Zealand
Marital Status Single
Enlistment Address Avonglade, Anglesea Street, Hamilton, New Zealand
Military District Auckland
Body on Embarkation No. 1 Stationary Hospital
Embarkation Unit Medical Corps
Embarkation Date 21 May 1915
Place of Embarkation Wellington, New Zealand
Transport Marama 21 May 1915
Vessel Marama
Destination Sydney, Australia
Page on Nominal Roll 436
Last Unit Served New Zealand Medical Corps
Place of Death Ypres, Belgium
Date of Death 12 October 1917
Year of Death 1917
Cause of Death Killed in action
Description of Image Portrait, Auckland Weekly News 1918
Additional Information Marama then transfer to Moldavia for Suez.
Ship name "Marama" from The Evening Post, May 23, 1915 listing the nurses and officers on the passenger list. Transfer to Moldavia.
Archives NZ source Military personnel file
Sources Used Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force Volume I. Wellington: Govt. Printer, 1914-1919

1917Oct12 3/602 Private McCAW William Armstrong NZMC KIA France Son of Mr. and Mrs. William Armstrong McCaw, of 177, Leet St., Invercargill. BELGIUM - TYNE COT CEMETERY
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Story of the Marquette
http://ww100.govt.nz/no-ordinary-transport-the-sinking-of-the-marqu...

http://www.theprow.org.nz/assets/Your_stories/AlbertCharlesJennings...
AN INTERESTING STORY of ALBERT CHARLES JENNINGS
(9 September 1879 to- 7 June 1917)
Sinking of the 'Marquette'
On 19th October Bert embarked on SS Marquette after service injury and recovery from the Gallipoli Campaign. The H.M.Transport S.S. Marquette left Alexandria Harbour, Egypt in the late afternoon on October 19 1915 for Salonica, Greece. A rousing send off with cheers and songs by British and French sailors manning warships in port was interrupted by a fault in the steering gear which caused the Marquette to suddenly swing round. A fire in a case on the deck caused a further diversion until it was thrown overboard. At dusk the transport was joined by its escort and the portholes were blacked out. The passengers and crew carried out lifeboat drills, as there were rumours there was German U-boats in the area. On the evening of the fourth day the escort, the French destroyer "Tirailleur", left the convey. At 0915 the next morning, 23 October when about 50 miles from Salonika, Capt. Dave N. Isaacs NZMC (the Quatermaster) was out strolling on deck with several nurses and drew their attention to a "straight thin green line about 50 yards away streaking through the water towards the ship", a periscope was seen cutting the water, and a terrific explosion on the forward starboard side signalled the ship had been struck by a torpedo. The vessel was struck in the forward part and the explosion blew out both sides. It wrecked the quarters of the NZ and killed some and others were drowned between decks. There were 500 or more English soldiers of the ammunition division aboard and 500 to 600 mules and horses as well. Bert had to take to the sea, being 7 hours in the water supported by a biscuit tin and a board before being picked up by the French navy.At once the steamer Marquette began to list to port, but righted herself and then began to sink by the bow. Someone talked. Both in Cairo and Salonica the news that the Marquette had been struck was released some hours before the happening took place. She sank in thirteen minutes with a heavy loss of life - 128 troops including (17 NZMC staff), 10 nurses and 29 crewmen. Total loss 167. She had onboard 14 lifeboats and 35 rafts - combine carrying capacity 1196. Rafts and lifebuoys were thrown overboard. No aeroplanes went to search, even though the Greeks who were not fighting had knowledge that the ship had been torpedoed down the Gulf of Salonica just in the entrance to the inner bay of Saloniki near the river of Axios. Why did the escort leave her? Maybe because she was practically in the harbour. She was due into port by midday on the 23rd.
Letters (courtesy of Denis Skilton of Tauranga)
Written during the Sari Bair Offensive: August 1915. To his sister Gladys Jennings of Nelson:
29 October 1915. Dear Gladys,
Not much news on a post card I know, so Ill send you a few lines and chance the censor. I hope he is a nice chap or you wont make much of the yarn. After being wounded in the foot in the fight at Sari Bair on Aug 9th 1915 I was sent to hospital in Pont de Koubbeh near Cairo. When I left hospital I had a good look round and quite enjoyed myself. Being still weak in the foot I was marked for line of communication and sent to NZ No.1 Stationary hospital for duty. At Port Said we packed up everything and embarked from Alexandria for Salonica by the Marquette.
On the sinking of the Marquette:
I was on the promenade deck at the time and I went down forward to help and then took the last raft from there and jumped off the rail which was awash. The vessel was listed to one side and sinking by the bow. Some of the boats were launched but one or two tipped over and some of the nurses were thrown into the water and were crushed by another boat coming on top of them. I left the vessel 7 minutes after she was struck and as my raft was completely swamped I swam away and caught a hatch cover and swam about with it all day. 7 minutes after I left the vessel she reared the stern very high in the air and then dived out of sight. One mule and one horse came to the surface and swam about for awhile. The majority of men and nurses, there were 36 nurses on board, were swimming or hanging onto rafts or wreckage. The water was not very cold, but quite cold enough to make one very stiff and exhausted after several hours in the briny. I saw several chaps drown near me. I was riding a hatch cover about 2 feet wide and 6 foot long. It was quite under water but it helped me to rest and I had a tin can, water-tight, under one arm so I held out all right, but when I was finally taken into a rescue boat I was so stiff I could not move one leg at all. The people were scattered over about 2 miles of water, you could see little groups on rafts and heads of the men in the water all over the place. Three small vessels came to rescue us, but I was 7 hours in the water and I was glad to get out of it I can assure you.
We were taken to Salonica and put on a hospital ship where we rested for a few days and now we are on shore and I suppose we will start some sort of a hospital as soon as we get more equipment. Of course we lost everything we privately possessed but dont send anything out, mail is so uncertain. I have received very little so far. I am still a bit sore and a little off colour but Ill be right very soon. It is very wet here and the place is very muddy.
A Merrie Xmas and Happy New Year to you all.
Salonica is a small town, narrow streets, sidewalks average 3 to 4 foot wide occupied by Greeks and full of Greek soldiers.

Bert spent some months recovering from injuries in hospital in England.
Below is a copy of his last letters.
6 June 1917 somewhere at the front
Dear Gladys,
Just a line of cheerio. We are going in to a big battle and I guess things will be pretty wild. There will be some fight for sure. I will have to trust my usual luck to get through it. Gods will be done, So dont fret if I go West Im not worrying at all. So Good bye dear sister,
with love from Bert.
(A hasty note - he was killed the next day at Messines).
Somewhere at the Front June 6th 1917
Dear Harriet
Just a line to tell you that I am thinking of you all at home. I am just going into a big battle so I may not be able to get home again. But this is a soldiers chance and I must take it with the rest of the boys. Give my love to all at home and I hope you are all well.
Love from Bert.

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http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/79/passchendaele

Passchendaele
On two days in October 1917, in the farmlands of Belgium, New Zealand suffered two of its greatest tragedies.

On 4 October 490 New Zealand servicemen were killed. Eight days later on 12 October there was an even greater loss. Of 3000 casualties on that day, over 840 young New Zealanders lay dead or dying in the mud and uncut wire before the village of Passchendaele.

The Battle of Passchendaele, also known as the Third Battle of Ypres or simply Third Ypres, was one of the major battles of World War I, fought by British, ANZAC, Canadian and South African soldiers against the German Army. The battle was fought for control of the village of Passendale (Passchendaele on maps of that time) near the Belgian town of Ypres (now Ieper) in West Flanders. The plan was to drive a hole in the German lines and advance to the Belgian coast and capture the German submarine bases there. It was intended to create a decisive corridor in a crucial area of the front, and to take pressure off the French forces.