McGregor, Edward
Name: McGregor, Edward
Service Number: 65101
Place of Enlistment: Brisbane, QLD
View the original image at the State Library of Queensland: hdl.handle.net/10462/deriv/423394
Biographical History: Edward (Eddie or Ned) McGregor (1899-2003) was born in Taroom, to Sarah Serrico. Edward had been removed from his family in 1904 and taken to the Deebing Creek Aboriginal school (later Purga), near Ipswich. The Superintendent of the Mission gave Edward his surname after the then Governor of Queensland. He volunteered at age 19 in September 1918 and after training at Rifle Range Camp, Enoggera he was assigned to the 8th Queensland Reinforcements and embarked for overseas 7 November 1918. News of the armistice reached them as they neared Auckland and the troops were recalled. McGregor who had been exempted from the 'Queensland Aboriginals Protection Act' chose to return to his position as a dairy hand with Malcom Dick at Purga, where he remained until the outbreak of the Second World War.
Young enough still to enlist, he volunteered in January 1942 and served primarily in Queensland with 1 Ammunition Company, and 1 Motor Transport Unit until embarking for New Guinea in October 1944 with 17 Australian Labour Company in the Aitape-Wewak campaign, 1944-1945. After his discharge, he gained employment on the RAAF Air Base, Amberley as a gardener, up until the time he retired in 1964. Edward McGregor was presented with the Premier of Queensland's Millennium Medal in 2000, as well as the 80th Anniversary of the Armistice Medal, which commemorated surviving WW1 veterans, he died in 2003.
Personal blog story: Edward McGregor.
McGregor, Edward
Name: McGregor, Edward
Service Number: 65101
Place of Enlistment: Brisbane, QLD
View the original image at the State Library of Queensland: hdl.handle.net/10462/deriv/423394
Biographical History: Edward (Eddie or Ned) McGregor (1899-2003) was born in Taroom, to Sarah Serrico. Edward had been removed from his family in 1904 and taken to the Deebing Creek Aboriginal school (later Purga), near Ipswich. The Superintendent of the Mission gave Edward his surname after the then Governor of Queensland. He volunteered at age 19 in September 1918 and after training at Rifle Range Camp, Enoggera he was assigned to the 8th Queensland Reinforcements and embarked for overseas 7 November 1918. News of the armistice reached them as they neared Auckland and the troops were recalled. McGregor who had been exempted from the 'Queensland Aboriginals Protection Act' chose to return to his position as a dairy hand with Malcom Dick at Purga, where he remained until the outbreak of the Second World War.
Young enough still to enlist, he volunteered in January 1942 and served primarily in Queensland with 1 Ammunition Company, and 1 Motor Transport Unit until embarking for New Guinea in October 1944 with 17 Australian Labour Company in the Aitape-Wewak campaign, 1944-1945. After his discharge, he gained employment on the RAAF Air Base, Amberley as a gardener, up until the time he retired in 1964. Edward McGregor was presented with the Premier of Queensland's Millennium Medal in 2000, as well as the 80th Anniversary of the Armistice Medal, which commemorated surviving WW1 veterans, he died in 2003.
Personal blog story: Edward McGregor.