Contributed by Ron Inglis, October 2021
A carpenter born in Glasgow, UK, John McGregor was one of seven Auburn Memorial men over 40 years of age when he enlisted in Sydney on 17 November 1915. He declared he was a widower and that he had served three years in the Royal Field Artillery of Queensland.
McGregor embarked on the Runic in January 1916 and arrived on the Western Front via Egypt in June 1916. He died of wounds sustained in the Battle of Fromelles less than a month later. He was buried in the Rue-du-Bois Military Cemetery, Fleurbaix (the village in northern France listed as the battle site on the Auburn War Memorial).
There were eight Auburn Memorial men serving in the 5th Australian Division at the time of the feint at Fromelles, Australian’s first major action on the Western Front. Five of them, including Private John McGregor, were killed in the battle.
It was not until 1920 that it came to light that McGregor, unbeknown to his three adult children, had fathered an ex-nuptial child with a Mrs Lane of Darlinghurst. The authorities decided to split the honours. The Victory Medal and the Memorial Scroll went to Master Alexander Lane, while the British War Medal, the Memorial Plaque and the pamphlet 'Where the Australians Rest' went to the oldest son, John McGregor in Queensland. A pension was granted for Alexander Lane, but not for Mrs Lane.
An obituary for Sapper John McGregor published in The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate, Saturday, 7 October 1916, p12 contains the following:
When recruiting work was in full swing in Auburn he [McGregor] was always a prominent figure at the meetings and to set an example to the younger men he eventually fixed up his affairs and joined the colours. He was an enthusiastic loyalist and frequently expressed the view that conscription ought to be brought in to force the many shirkers about Auburn to do their share of work for the Empire at the front.
John McGregor is honoured on the following memorials in Australia:
- Auburn War Memorial
- Municipality of Auburn 1914-1919 Honour Roll
- Roll of Honour Australian War Memorial Canberra
His decorations:
- British War Medal 1914-20
- Victory Medal
