CHARLES Harold McDonald was no ordinary man.
He was 25 when he signed up for national service in 1916 – by which time thousands of Australian men had already been killed in the line of duty.
McDonald’s story was told by history buff Judy Grieve to around 400 people at the Dangarsleigh Anzac Day service.
The McDonald family grew up at “Roseneath” a two-storey home built in 1854, which still stands at Roseneath Lane off Dangarsleigh Road.
When “Charlie” enlisted in May 1916, his younger brother Keith, known as Bruce, was already at the front.
Enlistment details described McDonald as having a fresh complexion, blue eyes, brown hair and he was around 168cm tall.
He sailed from Sydney on 30 September aboard the ‘Aeneas’ and arrived in Plymouth on 19 November.
McDonald trained at Lark Hill Camp on the Salisbury Plain for seven weeks before boarding the ‘Princess Henrietta’ on 8 January, 1917, for France.
There, he was transferred from Gunner in the 16th Howitzer Battery to Driver in the 1st Division Ammunition Column.
His role was not to drive trucks or cars, but to undertake he dangerous job of driving mules or horses to transport ammunition from supply sumps situated well behind the front line.
In August 1917, he sent home a serious looking picture of himself to his mother with the words “always smiling”.
Three months later, McDonald was transferred to hospital in England with a fractured fibula after being run over by a gun wagon.
It kept him out of action for six months.
Following more training, he returned to the front line on 13 May, 1918, but served for just two more months.
McDonald was killed on 30 July when a shell burst in the midst of the mule team he was driving.
His remains were buried the next day at La Kreule British Military Cemetery, north of Hazebrouck.
