McLENNAN, Harold George

Harold’s birth to Roderick and Ellen McLennan of Elsmore NSW was registered at Inverell in 1895.  He enlisted at Inverell in January 1916 and joined other district men to become known as the Second Contingent of The Kurrajongs.  They left Inverell together on 29 February 1916 for camps at Narrabri, Armidale and Rutherford. 

As a member of the 33rd Battalion he sailed from Australia on HMAT A15 Port Sydney on 4 September 1916 and arrived in England at the end of October.  In April the following year Harold was promoted to Corporal and attached to Porton School of Instruction 9 Training Battalion before being sent to France in October 1917.  He was again promoted then in April 1918 was gassed and admitted to hospital at Taplow, England.  He returned to his unit, was wounded in action in September and again invalided back to England.

Sergeant Harold McLennan was awarded a Military Medal after rushing an enemy post near Accroche Wood and capturing ‘two machine guns and twenty prisoners’.  He returned to Australia in March 1919 and was discharged the following month. In 1926 he married Pearl Crisp and died in 1971 at Port Macquarie NSW. His brother Roderick also served during World War 1.

At Inverell the name of Harold McLennan is among those inscribed in the town’s Honor Roll.