Lieutenant Colonel William Francis James McCann, (19 April 1892 – 14 December 1957) was an Australian soldier of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, a
barrister, and a prominent figure in the military and ex-service community of
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
during the
interwar period. Born and raised in
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
, he worked as a teacher before the war. He enlisted in the
Australian Imperial Force as a
private in 1914, and rose through the ranks to be
commissioned during the
Gallipoli campaign of 1915. In 1916–1918 he fought on the
Western Front in France and Belgium, was wounded twice, and rose to the rank of
major. For his gallantry during the war, he was made a
Companion of the Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, ty ...
and twice awarded the
Military Cross
The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries.
The MC ...
. After the war, he served as
commanding officer of the
10th Battalion until its disbandment in 1919.
Returning home, McCann became a barrister and formed a legal partnership with
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
recipient
Arthur Blackburn
Brigadier Arthur Seaforth Blackburn, (25 November 1892 – 24 November 1960) was an Australian soldier, lawyer, politician, and recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for valour in battle that could be awarded to a member o ...
. McCann was active in returned servicemen's organisations, as president of the South Australian branch of the
Returned Sailors' and Soldiers' Imperial League from 1924 to 1931, and as a state vice-president from 1938 to 1949. He was a foundation member of the
Legacy Club of Adelaide, looking after the dependents of deceased servicemen. His service in the part-time
Citizen Military Forces saw him reach the rank of lieutenant colonel and command the
43rd Battalion between 1927 and 1930. Appointed as state prices commissioner and deputy Commonwealth prices commissioner from 1938 to 1954; in 1946 an arson attack on his home was linked to his anti–
black marketeering work in those roles. In recognition of his work with the ex-service community, McCann was appointed an
Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1935, and a
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1956.
Early life
William Francis James McCann was born at
Glanville, outside
Adelaide, South Australia, on 19 April 1892, to
South Australian Railways
South Australian Railways (SAR) was the statutory corporation through which the Government of South Australia built and operated railways in South Australia from 1854 until March 1978, when its non-urban railways were incorporated into Aust ...
engine driver John Francis McCann and his wife Eliza, Francis. He attended various
primary school
A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...
s then
Adelaide High School
Adelaide High School is a coeducational state high school situated on the corner of West Terrace and Glover Avenue in the Adelaide Parklands. Following the Advanced School for Girls, it was the second government high school in South Australi ...
, and completed teacher training with the state
Education Department in December 1913. He taught in
Ethelton
Ethelton is a north-western suburb of Adelaide from the CBD, on the Lefevre Peninsula, in the state of South Australia, Australia. It is a residential suburb within the local government area of City of Port Adelaide Enfield, adjacent to the s ...
,
Malvern and Glanville prior to the outbreak of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. His pre-war military experience consisted of four years in the
volunteer cadets while he was at school and participating in the
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on N ...
Rifle Club during his teacher training.
World War I
Gallipoli campaign
McCann enlisted in the
Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on 24 August 1914 at
Morphettville, South Australia. He was allotted to the South Australian-raised
10th Battalion, part of the
3rd Brigade, as a
private with the regimental number 405. Within a week he had been promoted to
sergeant. The
battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions a ...
embarked for overseas in October, and sailed via
Albany, Western Australia
Albany ( ; nys, Kinjarling) is a port city in the Great Southern region in the Australian state of Western Australia, southeast of Perth, the state capital. The city centre is at the northern edge of Princess Royal Harbour, which is a ...
, to Egypt, arriving in early December. While the force was training in Egypt, McCann was appointed as a
platoon sergeant
In many militaries, a platoon sergeant is the senior enlisted member of a platoon, who advises and supports the platoon's commanding officer in leading the unit.
Singapore
In the Singapore Armed Forces, a platoon sergeant serves as the bridge ...
in the battalion's D Company. After completing training, the 3rd Brigade was designated as the
covering force A covering force is a military force tasked with operating in conjunction with a larger force, with the role of providing a strong protective outpost line (including operating in advance of the main force), searching for and attacking enemy forces o ...
for the
landing at Anzac Cove
The landing at Anzac Cove on Sunday, 25 April 1915, also known as the landing at Gaba Tepe and, to the Turks, as the Arıburnu Battle, was part of the amphibious invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula by the forces of the British Empire, whi ...
,
Gallipoli, on 25 April 1915, and so was the first brigade ashore about 4:30 am. Four days later McCann was appointed as
company sergeant major. During that period, the 10th Battalion suffered casualties of 13 officers and 453 men from the 29 officers and 921 men who landed. On 19 May the battalion helped repel a concerted Turkish
counter-attack
A counterattack is a tactic employed in response to an attack, with the term originating in "war games". The general objective is to negate or thwart the advantage gained by the enemy during attack, while the specific objectives typically seek ...
against the landing force, after which it settled into a routine of rotating through various positions in the line. His outstanding service during the period 6 May to 28 June gained McCann several mentions in
Australian and New Zealand Army Corps
The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was a First World War army corps of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. It was formed in Egypt in December 1914, and operated during the Gallipoli campaign. General William Birdwood com ...
routine orders. In July, McCann and most of the battalion had a three-day rest on the island of
Imbros
Imbros or İmroz Adası, officially Gökçeada (lit. ''Heavenly Island'') since 29 July 1970,Alexis Alexandris, "The Identity Issue of The Minorities in Greece And Turkey", in Hirschon, Renée (ed.), ''Crossing the Aegean: An Appraisal of the 1 ...
, but were quickly back in the trenches at Anzac. McCann was
commissioned a
second lieutenant on 4 August, by which time nearly half of the battalion had been evacuated sick with
dysentery
Dysentery (UK pronunciation: , US: ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications ...
. He was promoted to
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...
on 14 November. McCann remained at Anzac, serving as battalion intelligence and signalling officer until the unit was withdrawn to the island of
Lemnos
Lemnos or Limnos ( el, Λήμνος; grc, Λῆμνος) is a Greek island in the northern Aegean Sea. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Lemnos regional unit, which is part of the North Aegean region. The p ...
in late November, followed by evacuation to Egypt the following month.
Western Front
When the bulk of the AIF was transferred to the
Western Front, McCann shipped to France in late March 1916 as the
scouting,
sniping
A sniper is a military/paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with high-precision r ...
and
intelligence
Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. More generally, it can be des ...
officer of his battalion. After disembarking in
Marseilles, he commanded a composite
guard of honour drawn from the
9th and 10th Battalions. On 16 April 1916, he was promoted to
captain and was appointed as
second-in-command of A Company. During the
Battle of Pozières on 23 July, he commanded the lead company of the battalion when it entered a bomb (
hand grenade) fight over the O.G.1 trench system in support of the 9th Battalion. The Australian Official War Historian,
Charles Bean
Charles Edwin Woodrow Bean (18 November 1879 – 30 August 1968), usually identified as C. E. W. Bean, was Australia's official war correspondent, subsequently its official war historian, who wrote six volumes and edited the remaining six of ...
, described his actions as follows: According to McCann, his party was forced back due to the lack of grenades and the failure of other groups to keep in touch with his party. The citation for his
Military Cross
The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries.
The MC ...
, awarded for his actions at Pozières, read; "For conspicuous gallantry in action. He led his company in the attack, bombing the enemy back, and, in spite of heavy casualties, pressed forward until severely wounded by a bomb."
![Arthur Blackburn P09747](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Arthur_Blackburn_P09747.JPG)
McCann was the first member of the 10th Battalion to be awarded the Military Cross, and was also the first unit officer to receive an award in the field for any specific action. The wound to his head had severely fractured his skull, but he remained at his post until he had reported the situation to the commanding officer of the 9th Battalion. He was evacuated to hospital in England, and his award was reported in the
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
''
Advertiser
Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...
'' newspaper on 29 September along with a photograph and brief details of his service. After he had recovered sufficiently, he attended an investiture at
Buckingham Palace on 4 October to receive his Military Cross from
King George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936.
Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...
. The same day, a fellow 10th Battalion officer,
Arthur Blackburn
Brigadier Arthur Seaforth Blackburn, (25 November 1892 – 24 November 1960) was an Australian soldier, lawyer, politician, and recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for valour in battle that could be awarded to a member o ...
, received his
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
for his own actions at Pozières that closely followed those of McCann. McCann was medically classified to be repatriated to Australia on a hospital ship, but ignored these orders and returned to his battalion in France in November. On arrival, he was placed in command of B Company. Suffering from illness, he was evacuated in February 1917, and after recovering was sent to a training school for a month. He rejoined the battalion in March.
On the night of 8 April 1917, as the
Battle of Arras began, the 10th Battalion attacked
Louverval Wood, an outpost of the
Hindenburg Line
The Hindenburg Line (German: , Siegfried Position) was a German defensive position built during the winter of 1916–1917 on the Western Front during the First World War. The line ran from Arras to Laffaux, near Soissons on the Aisne. In 1916 ...
of German defences. McCann was wounded in the neck during the attack, and after having it bandaged and being scarcely able to speak, remained with his troops for several hours, and according to the ''
Australian Dictionary of Biography'', "was an inspiration to his men". Once the situation was clear, he reported for medical attention and was evacuated to hospital in England. After six weeks recuperating, McCann rejoined his unit at the end of May, assuming command of A Company. He remained with the battalion throughout the
Battle of Passchendaele in
Flanders
Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...
from July to November 1917, including the
Battle of the Menin Road Ridge
The Battle of the Menin Road Ridge, sometimes called "Battle of the Menin Road", was the third British general attack of the Third Battle of Ypres in the First World War. The battle took place from 20 to 25 September 1917, in the Ypres Salient i ...
in September, before being
seconded to a training battalion in the United Kingdom in late December. He returned to his battalion in June 1918. On 29 June, after the battalion had captured a section of the German line using "
peaceful penetration" tactics, McCann's company was in the newly won positions when the Germans counter-attacked and got between his advanced posts. He led his company signallers, messengers and reserve platoon forward into the gap. The Germans dropped their weapons, which included a machine gun, and ran.
During the 10th Battalion's capture of
Merris
Merris () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.
It is about west-northwest of Armentières, and about north of Béthune.
Heraldry
See also
*Communes of the Nord department
The following is a list of the 648 communes of ...
in July, his company's successful severing of the German lines of communication resulted in the award of a
bar to McCann's Military Cross. The citation read:
![AWM E02870 10th Battalion in trenches near Lihons](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/AWM_E02870_10th_Battalion_in_trenches_near_Lihons.jpg)
On 10 August, during early fighting in the
Hundred Days Offensive, which began on 8 August 1918 with the
Battle of Amiens, the 10th Battalion was tasked with providing support to an attack led by the 9th Battalion, which had suffered significant casualties as it attacked near
Lihons
Lihons is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Geography
Lihons is situated east of Amiens, on the D337 road
Population
Places of interest
The tomb of Prince Murat.
Louis Marie Joachim Napoléon Michel ...
. Unable to capture German positions in Crépey Wood, the 9th Battalion called on the 10th for assistance. As McCann commanded the strongest company of the 10th Battalion, he was sent forward. He led A Company in clearing the wood, his sub-unit sustaining only 15 casualties in the fighting, and capturing 10 badly wounded Germans. The 9th Battalion and McCann's company established posts in the wood. After a German barrage fell on the newly won positions, McCann was visiting his posts along the northern edge of the wood when he saw 200 to 300 Germans approaching to attack. This counter-attack overran one of the four A Company posts, and one isolated post withdrew. The German counter-attack also forced the withdrawal of the 9th Battalion from the eastern edge of the wood. The two remaining A Company posts continued fighting. One, manned by McCann, one other officer and seven men, fought the Germans for an hour. The Germans got into the post three times, and each time the Australians forced them out. McCann and his party eventually drove them off, killing 90 of the enemy. McCann's company suffered 30 casualties in the fighting, but their efforts allowed the 9th Battalion to re-establish its posts along the eastern edge of the wood. The next morning, McCann's company was subjected to a heavy gas bombardment in Crépey Wood, and he was allocated three
tank
A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engi ...
s of the 5th Tank Brigade to clear the area north of his positions. Another German counter-attack developed, and the enemy got behind the Australian positions. McCann was reinforced; then, gathering troops from both his company and the 9th Battalion and moving forward by "vigorous action and hard, confused fighting", he and others closed the gap in the front line. For his actions at Crépey Wood, McCann was later made a
Companion of the Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, ty ...
, the second highest award for acts of gallantry by officers. The citation read:
The 10th Battalion was back in action on 22–23 August as the Allied advance continued north of
Proyart
Proyart is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Geography
Proyart is situated on the D329 road, some east of Amiens.
Population
Places of interest
* War memorial
* The château
See also
*Communes of the S ...
. The 10th Battalion was in a supporting role protecting the flank of the
1st Brigade. Learning of German positions in Luc Wood that were holding up the advance, the commanding officer,
Lieutenant Colonel Maurice Wilder-Neligan, tasked McCann, commanding two companies, to clear the area. Along with flanking troops, McCann secured the wood, capturing 15 prisoners and four machine guns, allowing the advance to continue. McCann temporarily commanded the battalion for a week in late August before being promoted to temporary
major on 23 September. The battalion saw its last action of the war later that month. McCann again temporarily commanded the battalion for a week in early October, and was substantively promoted to major on 21 October. Shortly after this he attended a strategy and tactics course at the
Staff College, Camberley, before returning to the battalion in November, when he was appointed as unit second-in-command. In early January 1919, McCann was appointed
commanding officer. He led the 10th Battalion until its disbandment in March, and was
mentioned in
Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig's final despatch of 16 March 1919. Also in March, McCann led a party of American delegates on a tour of the war zone and, the following month, headed the 3rd Brigade contingent in the
Anzac Day march through London. On 3 May he was invested with his Distinguished Service Order and the bar to his Military Cross at Buckingham Palace. Later that month he embarked for Australia, arriving in Adelaide in June. He was admitted to
Keswick Repatriation General Hospital on his return, and was discharged from the AIF on 8 September 1919. Two of McCann's brothers also served in the AIF, and one was killed in action. McCann was issued with the
1914–15 Star,
British War Medal
The British War Medal is a campaign medal of the United Kingdom which was awarded to officers and men of British and Imperial forces for service in the First World War. Two versions of the medal were produced. About 6.5 million were struck in si ...
, and
Victory Medal for his service during the war.
Interbellum and later life
McCann resigned from the Education Department in November 1919, having turned his hand to agriculture the previous month. He farmed at
Truro
Truro (; kw, Truru) is a cathedral city and civil parish in Cornwall, England. It is Cornwall's county town, sole city and centre for administration, leisure and retail trading. Its population was 18,766 in the 2011 census. People of Truro ...
and
Manoora but was hampered by his war injuries, and abandoned these plans in August the following year. In accordance with normal procedures, while serving in the AIF he had been appointed an honorary major in the peacetime army, the
Citizen Military Forces (CMF). He was substantively promoted to major in the CMF on 1 October 1920, on the Reserve of Officers List. McCann began studying as an
articled clerk
Articled clerk is a title used in Commonwealth countries for one who is studying to be an accountant or a lawyer. In doing so, they are put under the supervision of someone already in the profession, now usually for two years, but previously three ...
in December 1920. He married Mildred Southcott on 20 August 1921; they had two sons and a daughter. In 1921 he began an active association with the South Australian branch of the
Returned Sailors' and Soldiers' Imperial League of Australia (RSSILA), initially as a state vice-president. In this capacity he was also a member of the Soldier's Children's Education Board.
In March 1922, McCann began studying law at the University of Adelaide. He was elected president of the state branch of the RSSILA in 1924. McCann was an early advocate for the building of the
National War Memorial in Adelaide, defended the status of Anzac Day as a public holiday against protests from the retail sector due to reduced shopping hours, and represented the interests of
soldier settlers. He was admitted to the
Bar on 25 July 1925, and went into partnership with Arthur Blackburn, forming the law firm Blackburn and McCann. On 19 May 1927, he transferred from the Reserve of Officers List to the part-time 10th Battalion, and on 1 July was transferred to the part-time
43rd Battalion as its commanding officer, gaining promotion to
lieutenant colonel on 1 December. In 1928, McCann was a foundation member of the
Legacy Club of Adelaide, established to assist the dependents of deceased ex-servicemen. When the National War Memorial design was being finalised, McCann strongly supported including the names of all South Australians who were killed in World War I; his suggestion was incorporated in the design. At the 1928 national conference of the RSSILA, McCann sharply criticised the defence policy of the Federal Government, particularly funding provided; "
fence has been brought down to such a low point", he said, "that it is now an absurdity."
McCann was an active member of the
Big Brother Movement
The Big Brother Movement was a youth migration program run by a non-profit organisation based in Sydney, Australia. It aimed to bring youths from Britain to Australia to work on farms or in the Australian outback. With the cooperation of the Austr ...
in South Australia; this involved supporting boys that had migrated to Australia from the United Kingdom under the
Child Migrant scheme. He commanded the 43rd Battalion until July 1930 when he transferred to the Unattached List, and continued as president of the RSSILA until 1931, leading the RSSILA delegation to the biennial conference of the
British Empire Service League in London in 1929. Returning from the conference and a tour of the former battlefields and war cemeteries, McCann contended that World War I had not been worthwhile, as tremendous loss had produced little gain, a stance that led to public criticism.
McCann took a leave of absence from the state presidency of the RSSILA to unsuccessfully run for the extremely
marginal
Marginal may refer to:
* ''Marginal'' (album), the third album of the Belgian rock band Dead Man Ray, released in 2001
* ''Marginal'' (manga)
* '' El Marginal'', Argentine TV series
* Marginal seat or marginal constituency or marginal, in polit ...
Division of Boothby
The Division of Boothby is an Australian federal electoral division in South Australia. The division was one of the seven established when the former Division of South Australia was redistributed on 2 October 1903 and is named after William Bo ...
as a
Nationalist
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Th ...
candidate in the
1929 federal election. His decision to run was criticised in some quarters as undermining the apolitical stance of the RSSILA. His campaign was supported by Senator
Harold Edward Elliott, a
Victorian who had first met then-Sergeant McCann during the Gallipoli campaign and had been so impressed with him that he had offered McCann a commission in his battalion. McCann received 19,675 votes, comprising some 44.4 per cent of the tally, against the
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party (ALP), also simply known as Labor, is the major centre-left political party in Australia, one of two major parties in Australian politics, along with the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. The party forms t ...
incumbent,
John Price, who received 24,641 votes, or 55.6 per cent. McCann's defeat was part of a nationwide swing to the Labor Party that saw the Nationalist–Country coalition government lose office. He subsequently resigned as state president of the RSSILA, effective from before the election.
![W](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/W.F.J._McCann_receiving_a_cheque_for_the_Fighting_Forces_Comfort_Fund.jpg)
In 1930, McCann was nominated for the position of national president of the RSSILA, as part of a South Australian push for preference for returned servicemen in employment matters. In the event, the sitting president was re-nominated and narrowly re-elected with support from the state branches of
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, establishe ...
,
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
and
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
, and a
casting vote
A casting vote is a vote that someone may exercise to resolve a tied vote in a deliberative body. A casting vote is typically by the presiding officer of a council, legislative body, committee, etc., and may only be exercised to break a deadlock ...
by the
returning officer
In various parliamentary systems, a returning officer is responsible for overseeing elections in one or more constituencies.
Australia
In Australia a returning officer is an employee of the Australian Electoral Commission or a state electoral ...
. In December 1930, McCann was again elected president of the state branch of the RSSILA, but retired from the post the following year. In 1934, McCann was appointed as the chair of the state government Industrial Board, which was responsible for government employees engaged in construction.
In early 1935, McCann was appointed to act in the place of Blackburn, who was now the city
coroner, during the latter's absence on leave and other duties. The same year, McCann transferred back to the CMF officers' reserve, and was appointed an
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (Civil Division) for services to returned soldiers and sailors. He also ran unsuccessfully for election as the president of the state branch of the RSSILA, became a
justice of the peace, and was awarded the
King George V Silver Jubilee Medal. In 1938, McCann successfully ran for election as a
councillor
A councillor is an elected representative for a local government council in some countries.
Canada
Due to the control that the provinces have over their municipal governments, terms that councillors serve vary from province to province. Unl ...
in the
City of Burnside
The City of Burnside is a local government area in the South Australian city of Adelaide stretching from the Adelaide Parklands into the Adelaide foothills with an area of . It was founded in August 1856 as the District Council of Burnside, the ...
, and was re-elected as a state vice-president of the RSSILA, continuing in this role until 1949.
![Grave of Bill McCann](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Grave_of_Bill_McCann.jpg)
From 1938 to 1954 he was the state prices commissioner and deputy Commonwealth prices commissioner. Following the outbreak of World War II, McCann briefly commanded a special constabulary of men over 45 – known as the South Australian Emergency National Defence League – and was involved in raising the RSSILA
Volunteer Defence Corps, the Australian equivalent of the British
Home Guard
Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or reserve force raised for local defense.
The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting w ...
. During the war, McCann was the chairman of the state Fighting Forces Comfort Fund, which sent parcels to troops serving overseas. In 1944, McCann was re-elected as a Burnside councillor, but resigned the following year. In 1946, his inquiries as prices commissioner into
black marketeering resulted in his home being deliberately set alight. A man was subsequently convicted for the crime and sentenced to six years imprisonment with hard labour. The following year, McCann was elected the first president of the Tenth Battalion AIF Association, which combined the old 10th Battalion Club and the World War II
2/10th Battalion Club. His wife, Mildred, died in 1948. In 1956 he was appointed
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George for services to ex-servicemen. He died of
coronary disease
Coronary artery disease (CAD), also called coronary heart disease (CHD), ischemic heart disease (IHD), myocardial ischemia, or simply heart disease, involves the reduction of blood flow to the heart muscle due to build-up of atherosclerotic pl ...
at
Tusmore on 14 December 1957 and was buried at
North Road Cemetery. The ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'' described him as "an able speaker and a keen debater with a pleasant and tenacious personality".
Notes
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{{DEFAULTSORT:McCann, William
1892 births
1957 deaths
Australian Army officers
Australian schoolteachers
Adelaide Law School alumni
Australian barristers
Australian military personnel of World War I
Australian Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George
Australian Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
Australian Officers of the Order of the British Empire
People from Adelaide
Australian recipients of the Military Cross
Burials at North Road Cemetery
Military personnel from South Australia
Public servants of South Australia
People educated at Adelaide High School