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Lance Corporal Lewis Alexander McMillan
Description
TitleLance Corporal Lewis Alexander McMillanAlternative NameBDM LouisSummaryA soldier in World War One. DescriptionLouis (as he was registered) or Lewis (as he was known) was born at Petone 18 September 1891, son of Archibald and Majory McMillan. He was the nephew of Mrs Alex. Fraser, of Waddington. He was educated at the Newtown and Waddington Schools. Before enlisting he was a butcher at the Wellington Meat Export Company. He had been rejected in 1907 for naval service because of bad teeth but by the time he enlisted in 1914 he had an upper plate. He was 5ft 9in tall with fair complexion, blue eyes and fair hair.
Lewis enlisted on 9th August 1914 at Wellington, only five days after war was declared and was assigned to the Wellington Infantry. His obituary notes that he was the sixth man to enlist in Wellington. He departed for Samoa as part of the Samoan Expeditionary force on 15 August 1914. The New Zealand government had received a request from London that it would be "a great and urgent Imperial service" if New Zealand forces seized the German territory of Samoa. Accordingly a mixed force of 1,413 men plus six nursing sisters was equipped and ready to depart on the 15th. On the 29th August they landed unopposed at Apia. Lewis spent spending eight months there before he returned to New Zealand and left with the Fifth Reinforcements.
Lewis re-enlisted as part of the 5th Reinforcements Wellington Infantry Battalion and embarked for Suez 13 June 1915. He joined his unit at Gallipoli on 11th August 1915. He survived the campaign and was evacuated from Gallipoli arriving in Alexandria on 29th December 1915. As part of the reorganisation of troops for the Western Front he was transferred to the Machine Gun Coy on 1st March 1916 at Ismailia. He embarked with them for France on 6th April 1916. He did well and was promoted to Lance Corporal on 25th October 1916. However, on the morning of 8th June 1817 during the assault on Messines, he was killed instantly by a piece of shrapnel striking his head, aged 26. He was buried at the back of the frontline trench by Sergeants O’Connor and Lee. They marked his grave with a wooden cross and gave directions to its location ‘50 yards to the right of a German dugout known as Beaubien Molen on the eastern side of Messines Village”. Sadly after the war it was not possible to locate or identify his body and his name is inscribed on the Messines Memorial to the Missing. In New Zealand he is remembered on the Malvern County and Sheffield War Memorials as well as the Dunedin War Memorial.
First NameLewis AlexanderLast NameMcMillanFamilySingleSon of Archibald and Majory McMillanDate of Birth18 September 1891Place of BirthPetone, WellingtonDate of Death8 June 1917
Lewis enlisted on 9th August 1914 at Wellington, only five days after war was declared and was assigned to the Wellington Infantry. His obituary notes that he was the sixth man to enlist in Wellington. He departed for Samoa as part of the Samoan Expeditionary force on 15 August 1914. The New Zealand government had received a request from London that it would be "a great and urgent Imperial service" if New Zealand forces seized the German territory of Samoa. Accordingly a mixed force of 1,413 men plus six nursing sisters was equipped and ready to depart on the 15th. On the 29th August they landed unopposed at Apia. Lewis spent spending eight months there before he returned to New Zealand and left with the Fifth Reinforcements.
Lewis re-enlisted as part of the 5th Reinforcements Wellington Infantry Battalion and embarked for Suez 13 June 1915. He joined his unit at Gallipoli on 11th August 1915. He survived the campaign and was evacuated from Gallipoli arriving in Alexandria on 29th December 1915. As part of the reorganisation of troops for the Western Front he was transferred to the Machine Gun Coy on 1st March 1916 at Ismailia. He embarked with them for France on 6th April 1916. He did well and was promoted to Lance Corporal on 25th October 1916. However, on the morning of 8th June 1817 during the assault on Messines, he was killed instantly by a piece of shrapnel striking his head, aged 26. He was buried at the back of the frontline trench by Sergeants O’Connor and Lee. They marked his grave with a wooden cross and gave directions to its location ‘50 yards to the right of a German dugout known as Beaubien Molen on the eastern side of Messines Village”. Sadly after the war it was not possible to locate or identify his body and his name is inscribed on the Messines Memorial to the Missing. In New Zealand he is remembered on the Malvern County and Sheffield War Memorials as well as the Dunedin War Memorial.
First NameLewis AlexanderLast NameMcMillanFamilySingleSon of Archibald and Majory McMillanDate of Birth18 September 1891Place of BirthPetone, WellingtonDate of Death8 June 1917
Connections
CollectionSoldiers of Selwyn World War OneImageMalvern War MemorialSheffield War MemorialMore InformationAuckland War Memorial Cenotaph
Military Service
Memorial or CemeteryMessines Memorial to the MissingMalvern County War MemorialSheffield War MemorialOccupation before EnlistingButcherRegiment or ServiceWellington Infantry BattalionEnlistment Details9th August 1914 at WellingtonService Number10/2451 Rank Last HeldPrivateEmbarkation13th June 1915CountryNew Zealand
Attribution
Researched ByL. M. Seaton
Lance Corporal Lewis Alexander McMillan. Selwyn Stories, accessed 02/06/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/433