Soldier profiles

Name : MCLEAN, WILLIAM ALEXANDER
Service Number : NX87423
Date of Birth : 21/12/1915
Place of Birth : MATONG, NSW
Known as :
Occupation on Enlistment : LABOURER
Date of Enlistment : 04/02/1942
Locality on Enlistment : GANMAIN, NSW
Place of Enlistment : PADDINGTON, NSW
Next of Kin : MCLEAN, ALICE
Rank (at time of discharge / death) : CORPORAL
Service : ARMY
Final Posting : 2/2 PIONEER BATTALION
Position / Platoon / Company (as 2/2 Pioneer) (date / details) : 17 PLATOON D COMPANY (DAEO, MOROTAI)
Unit Transfers / Promotions (date / details) :
Theatres of War : NEW GUINEA, BORNEO
Actions : BALIKPAPAN (BORNEO), TARAKAN (BORNEO)
Wounded (date / details) :
Discharged : 21/03/1946
Date Died : N/A
Community Roll of Honour : N/A
Buried Location / Memorial (P.O.W., D.O.W., K.I.A.) : N/A
K.I.A. (date / details) : N/A
D.O.W. (date / details) : N/A
M.I.A. (date / details) : N/A
P.O.W. (location/s) : NO
Died P.O.W. (date / details) : N/A
P.O.W. Camps (details) : N/A
Recovered P.O.W. (location/s) : N/A
Honours and Gallantry : None for display
Applicable Australian War Memorial circulars : NO
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 4626150 [DIGITISED]), WW2 Nominal Roll, Australian War Memorial, AWM_090602.jpg, NAOA_NX87423-P.jpg

Background : Son of Alice Elizabeth McLean of Ganmain, New South Wales. Brother of Margaret Anne Cedelland of Ganmain, New South Wales.

Service & personal summary At enlistment : single, brown eyes, black hair. No previous military experience. Marks / scars : scar outer side left lower leg, pigmented spot between shoulders upper part of back - midline and pigmented mole lateral side right lower chest. At discharge : height 5 feet 8.5 inches, brown eyes, dark complexion, dark hair. Marital status : single. Full time war service : A.I.F. 04/02/1942 to 21/03/1946 which included 1507 days active service (941 days within Australia & 497 days overseas). Operational service : New Guinea area, embarked from Australia 25/07/1943 , disembarked in Australia 10/02/1944, Borneo area, embarked from Australia 16/03/1945 , disembarked in Australia 15/01/1946. War badge no. A293530. Discharge certificate no. 424363.

Service record.
04/02/1942 Marched into General Details Depot Sydney, New South Wales.
13/02/1942 Marched out to 9 Pioneer Training Battalion and taken on strength.
06/02/1942 Granted leave without pay from 06/02/1942 to 12/02/1942 inclusive.
12/07/1942 Transferred from 9 Pioneer Training Battalion to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
14/07/1942 Taken on strength 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
29/01/1943 Entrained for 3 Military District (New South Wales).
26/03/1943 Entrained for 1 Military District (Queensland).
01/07/1943 Class proficient and entitled to proficiency pay.
25/07/1943 Embarked Townsville, Queensland on H.M.T. Duntroon.
28/07/1943 Disembarked Port Moresby, New Guinea.
20/12/1943 Appointed acting Corporal.
08/02/1944 Embarked Port Moresby, New Guinea on H.M.A.S. Kanimbla.
10/02/1944 Disembarked Townsville, Queensland.
07/01/1944 Reverted to paid Lance Corporal.
27/04/1944 Evacuated to 5 Australian Camp Hospital with malaria (benign tertian).
29/04/1944 Evacuated from 5 Australian Camp Hospital to 2/2 Australian General Hospital and transferred to X list.
10/05/1944 Discharged from 2/2 Australian General Hospital to 2 Australian Corps Reception Camp.
14/05/1944 Taken on strength 2/2 Pioneer Battalion from 2 Australian Corps Reception Camp.
14/03/1945 Embarked Cairns, Queensland on U.S.A.T. Sea Barb.
28/03/1945 Disembarked Morotai.
22/04/1945 Embarked Morotai for service in Tarakan.
18/05/1945 Embarked Tarakan for return to Morotai.
21/06/1945 Embarked Morotai for service in Balikpapan, Borneo on U.S.S. LST-777.
01/07/1945 Promoted to Corporal.
01/07/1945 Proficiency pay withdrawn.
09/07/1945 Next of kin changed to Margaret Anne Cedelland of Ganmain, New South Wales.
10/10/1945 Transferred from 2/2 Pioneer Battalion to 2/1 Pioneer Battalion.
10/10/1945 Taken on strength 2/1 Pioneer Battalion.
03/12/1945 Transferred from 2/1 Pioneer Battalion to 2/31 Infantry Battalion.
03/12/1945 Taken on strength 2/31 Infantry Battalion.
04/01/1946 Transferred from 2/31 Infantry Battalion to General Details Depot New South Wales Lines of Communication.
04/01/1946 Embarked Balikpapan, Borneo on H.M.A.S. Manoora.
15/01/1946 Disembarked Sydney, New South Wales.
21/03/1946 Discharged.