Memorial scroll : Sergeant M P McCall, 56 Battalion, AIF

Memorial scroll bearing the Royal coat of arms 'GV/ RI' (King George V) flanking the central crown. Beneath in black, with a blue initial letter, is 'He whom this scroll commemorates was numbered among those who, at the call of King and Country, left all that was dear to them, endured hardness, faced danger, and finally passed out of the sight of men by the path of duty and self-sacrifice, giving up their own lives that others might live in freedom./ Let those who come after see to it that his name not be forgotten.' At the bottom, inscribed by hand in red calligraphy is 'Sjt. Miller Pettigrew McCall 56th Bn., A.I.F.'. The scroll is contained in narrow black wooden frame with grey card backing supplied in the 1920s by D Bernard Fine Art Gallery, 387 George St Sydney.

Miller Pettigrew McCall was born at Lithgow, NSW, in 1895. He was a master baker, when he enlisted in the AIF on 10 July 1915, and had already completed four years part time service with the senior cadets attached to the 41st (Blue Mountains) Infantry Regiment.

McCall was assigned to the 6th reinforcements of 20 Battalion, with the service number 2884. After training at Liverpool Camp in Sydney, he embarked for overseas service aboard the transport HMAT A14 Euripides on 2 November 1915. In Egypt, in February 1916, McCall was transferred to D company, 56 Battalion, as a result of the expansion and reorganisation of the AIF. The new battalion continued training in Egypt, before sailing for France in the British transport HT Huntsend, arriving at Marseilles at the end of June.

On 12 July the battalion entered the front line trenches for the first time, and a week later took part as reserve unit in the disastrous battle of Fromelles. McCall was promoted to lance corporal on 26 July, and to temporary corporal and acting company quartermaster sergeant on 27 November. His promotion to corporal was confirmed in February 1917, and to sergeant a month later.

In May 1917 the battalion was sent to consolidate gains made during the Second Battle of Bullecourt. On 19 May, when D Company had just returned from the frontline at Bullecourt, McCall was sitting and talking in the company store at Fremicourt at about 9.30 pm. He stood up to reach for a blanket, to issue to a soldier who had recently returned from hospital, when the store was hit by a stray shell. The soldier was killed outright, and six other men, including McCall, were wounded.

Suffering compound fractures to the skull, McCall was evacuated to the 3rd British Casualty Clearing Station at nearby Grevillers, although it was considered that the 'case was hopeless from the start'. He died in the dressing room, shortly before midnight and was buried the next day at the Grevillers British Cemetery.

This scroll was issue to McCall's father in 1921. The associated bronze memorial plaque was forwarded to him the following year.