The Early History of the McLarans of Dalby

  • Website progress
    • Executive Summary
    • Contact & Recommended Reading
  • OVERVIEW
    • Introduction
    • Family Names
    • Family Trees of the Moreton Bay Immigrants
    • Scottish Roots
    • Clan McLaren
    • Cambridgeshire Roots
    • Oral History
    • Ancestors' Graves
  • McLeoran Family 1800
    • 1792 Census
    • McVicar Family >
      • John McMillan MacNeill >
        • The Forbes Mackay Family
        • Alastair Forbes Mackay
        • MacNeill Compt Book
    • Family tree 1700 - 1800
  • Jean McLeoran's Family
    • Isabella McLeure
    • Ann Mackay >
      • Margaret Jones Mackay (Burns)
      • Catherine Burns
  • Archibald McLeoran's Family
    • Donald McLeoran
    • Mary McLeoran
    • Isabella McLeoran
    • Malcolm McLeoran
    • Edward McLeoran
  • Malcolm McLaran Jnr's Family
    • Malcolm McLaran >
      • The America
      • World War 1 Soldiers
    • Jane McLaran
    • Archibald McLeoran b. 1822
    • John McMillan McLeoran
    • Malcolm McLeoran the Younger
    • Catherine McLaren >
      • James Milford
      • Walter Goodman Jnr
    • Donald McLaran - 1833 - 1879 >
      • 1857 Dalby Town Allotment Sales
      • McLaran v Wuth
      • Frogmore
      • Kilkevan & Cockatoo Point
      • Why Squatters don't marry
      • Bronzewing
      • 1874 Police Assault cases
      • Donald McLaran's Lost Watch
    • Duncan McLaran
    • Margaret McLaren >
      • Denis Sullivan
      • Ellen (Helen) Sullivan
      • Margaret Sullivan
      • Agnes Sullivan
      • Daniel James McLaren
      • The Sullivans in court
    • Alexander McLaren >
      • Alexander's selections
  • The Dockrill Family
    • William Dockrill
    • Martha Goss
    • Tartha
    • Death of Amos Slight
    • Edwin Gransden
  • The Eversden Family
    • Lewis James Eversden >
      • Laura Eversden
      • Clara Eversden - pre marriage
      • The Flying Cloud
    • Lewis and Jane Eversden >
      • Cambridge House
      • Hammerchewer Visits Cambridge House
  • The Brown Family
    • Thomas Huntley Brown >
      • Death of Thomas Huntley Brown
    • Jane Rider 1837 - 1880 >
      • Thomas Ross Brown
      • Isabella Brown
      • John Brown
      • James Brown
      • Susan Brown
      • William Joseph Brown >
        • McCowan Scandal
  • 1879 - 1956 Donald McLaran's Family
    • Haran
    • The McLaran Cordial Factory
    • 1900 McLennan - McLaran Wedding
    • Kupunn
    • 1912 Death of Donald McLaran
    • Post Kupunn to 1956
    • 1956 Death of Clara Eversden
    • Malcolm Lewis McLaran
  • Queensland History
    • Ipswich History
    • Ludwig Riethmuller
    • Post 1956
    • Dalby History
    • IMAGE UPLOAD PAGE
  • Website progress
    • Executive Summary
    • Contact & Recommended Reading
  • OVERVIEW
    • Introduction
    • Family Names
    • Family Trees of the Moreton Bay Immigrants
    • Scottish Roots
    • Clan McLaren
    • Cambridgeshire Roots
    • Oral History
    • Ancestors' Graves
  • McLeoran Family 1800
    • 1792 Census
    • McVicar Family >
      • John McMillan MacNeill >
        • The Forbes Mackay Family
        • Alastair Forbes Mackay
        • MacNeill Compt Book
    • Family tree 1700 - 1800
  • Jean McLeoran's Family
    • Isabella McLeure
    • Ann Mackay >
      • Margaret Jones Mackay (Burns)
      • Catherine Burns
  • Archibald McLeoran's Family
    • Donald McLeoran
    • Mary McLeoran
    • Isabella McLeoran
    • Malcolm McLeoran
    • Edward McLeoran
  • Malcolm McLaran Jnr's Family
    • Malcolm McLaran >
      • The America
      • World War 1 Soldiers
    • Jane McLaran
    • Archibald McLeoran b. 1822
    • John McMillan McLeoran
    • Malcolm McLeoran the Younger
    • Catherine McLaren >
      • James Milford
      • Walter Goodman Jnr
    • Donald McLaran - 1833 - 1879 >
      • 1857 Dalby Town Allotment Sales
      • McLaran v Wuth
      • Frogmore
      • Kilkevan & Cockatoo Point
      • Why Squatters don't marry
      • Bronzewing
      • 1874 Police Assault cases
      • Donald McLaran's Lost Watch
    • Duncan McLaran
    • Margaret McLaren >
      • Denis Sullivan
      • Ellen (Helen) Sullivan
      • Margaret Sullivan
      • Agnes Sullivan
      • Daniel James McLaren
      • The Sullivans in court
    • Alexander McLaren >
      • Alexander's selections
  • The Dockrill Family
    • William Dockrill
    • Martha Goss
    • Tartha
    • Death of Amos Slight
    • Edwin Gransden
  • The Eversden Family
    • Lewis James Eversden >
      • Laura Eversden
      • Clara Eversden - pre marriage
      • The Flying Cloud
    • Lewis and Jane Eversden >
      • Cambridge House
      • Hammerchewer Visits Cambridge House
  • The Brown Family
    • Thomas Huntley Brown >
      • Death of Thomas Huntley Brown
    • Jane Rider 1837 - 1880 >
      • Thomas Ross Brown
      • Isabella Brown
      • John Brown
      • James Brown
      • Susan Brown
      • William Joseph Brown >
        • McCowan Scandal
  • 1879 - 1956 Donald McLaran's Family
    • Haran
    • The McLaran Cordial Factory
    • 1900 McLennan - McLaran Wedding
    • Kupunn
    • 1912 Death of Donald McLaran
    • Post Kupunn to 1956
    • 1956 Death of Clara Eversden
    • Malcolm Lewis McLaran
  • Queensland History
    • Ipswich History
    • Ludwig Riethmuller
    • Post 1956
    • Dalby History
    • IMAGE UPLOAD PAGE
Picture
1967 Great-Grandson Henry Milford applied for the Gallipoli Medallion and Badge

Malcolm McLaran's descendants' contributions to World War 1


Six of Malcolm McLaran's grandchildren and great-grandchildren enlisted in World War 1, and one contributed in a unique way. Walter Milford paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Grandson:
  • James William McLaran 1898 - 1989 saw action on the Western Front and was gassed several times.

Great Grandsons:
  • Henry Milford 1890 - 1975 saw action at Gallipoli (where he was wounded) and on the Western Front.
  • William Milford 1891 - 1966 undertook service in the Middle East and on the Western Front.
  • Arthur Hamilton Ryan 1895 - 1971 was a private in the Australian Citizens' Forces.
  • Walter Milford 1896 - 1915 was KIA at Gallipoli on 11 Aug 1915.

One Great Grandson made a significant technical contribution to the success of World War 1:
  • George Johnstone Twine 1891 - 1936 worked at the Nobel Explosives factory at Gretna, UK.

But in contrast, his brother was more a hinderance to the war effort:
  • Harry Twine 1895 - 1933 was dishonourably discharged without leaving Australia.​

Picture
Resting place of Walter Milford, KIA 11 Aug 1915
Walter Milford’s World War 1 History:

Enlisted at Dalby 15 Dec 1914
Height 5'8"
Age 19 yrs 11 months
Trade - stockman
Weight 147 lbs, complexion dark, eyes grey, hair brown
Religion - Roman Catholic
Appointed to 2nd Light Horse Regiment at Enoggera
9 Feb 15 Embarked at Brisbane on the "Itria"
9 Jul 15 Sailed to the Darnelles
Killed in action 11 Aug 1915.
Buried Plot 3 Row F Grave 6, Shrapnel Valley Cemetery, about 400 yards south east of Anzac Cove, Gallipoli.
Personal effects returned to mother – small tin of photos, cards, tobacco case, wallet


​
Picture
Dec 1914: the tragic letter written by Walter Milford's parents consenting to his enlistment.

7 Sep 1915
AUSTRALIAN CASUALTIES - SEVENTY-FOURTH LIST.
The seventy-fourth list, of Australian casualties was issued today. It contained 971 fresh names and includes 108 Queenslanders, as follows: ...
Killed in Action. Private W. Milford Dalby - 15th Battalion / Light Horse


1915 Dalby Herald
DALBY SOLDIER WOUNDED.
The relatives of Henry Milford, a Dalby soldier, have been notified that he has been wounded at the Dardanelles. He is a son of Mr Donald Milford, of this town. 
​

1916 Harry Milford wrote to his mother from Egypt

4 Mar 1916 The Dalby Herald
A SOLDIER'S LETTER.

Private Harry Milford, of the Machine gun section of the 15th Battalion, writes from Egypt to his mother in Dalby, under date of January 12, as follows:
 

You will know by the time you get this that we have left the Dardanelles and now we are on ___ (censored). We landed here on December 31, and we are expecting a big battle here shortly. We are well prepared and will give the Turks some of what they gave us at Gallipoli. We had a hard time of it on the Peninsula, and I think it was best to get out of it altogether. We had a very poor Xmas. We got our billy cans all right and that cheered us up a little, but it was pretty hard to have to eat bully beef and biscuits for Christmas dinner. This is the second Xmas we have had on the water, and I hope the next one will be in Australia. I have met a lot of Dalby boys over here, and some of them are in the 31st Battalion not far from us.

​We are all about run down and I think it is about up to them to give all the old hands a trip back to Australia. The sand here is awful; and we can't eat anything but it is half full of sand. We are right out in the sandy desert waiting for Johnny Turk to  come along. I have had some narrow shaves since I came back from England and have been in places where a bird could not fly without being hit by a bullet, and men have been falling all around me. I thought I would never get out alive. I am in the best of health and will be going into Cairo in a few days. My letters have been going astray and I have only received one since I left England.
 


Comment
Henry Milford (1890 – 1975)
Walter’s older brother claimed he was present at Gallipoli for both the landing and the evacuation. Henry was discharged in 1916 and in 1919 his wife delivered him a son whom they named Walter.

James William McLaran (1898 – 1989)
Youngest son of Donald McLaran, James saw active service in France in World War 1 and was gassed several times. A
ccording to oral family history, Jim famously tossed his war medals into the Condamine River in disgust.

Harry Twine (1894 – 1933)
The second son of Agnes Sullivan, Harry enlisted but was discharged as “unsuited to military service”. Harry was a convicted pick-pocket. 
​
Thomas Eversden Brown (1896 – 1967)
​A grandson of Lewis Eversden and Jane Rider, Thomas enlisted in 1915 but returned from Cairo in 1916 suffering from TB
and was discharged
.

Any participation by descendants of Margaret McLaren or Alexander McLaren 
in World War 1 AIF remains undiscovered to date.

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