The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (458) Corporal John Elmer McCance, 4th Light Horse Regiment, AIF, First World War.

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Troy Clayton, the story for this day was on (458) Corporal John Elmer McCance, 4th Light Horse Regiment, AIF, First World War.

458 Corporal John Elmer McCance, 4th Light Horse Regiment, AIF
DOW 9 August 1915
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 10 February 2016

Today we remember and pay tribute to Corporal John Elmer McCance.

Jack McCance was born in 1879, the oldest son of Edward and Henrietta McCance of Chewton, near Castlemaine in Victoria. He attended the local school, and later the Castlemaine School of Mines. McCance was also an active member in the local Citizens’ Militia. He was a member of the local Rechabite society, a temperance movement, and was considered a young man who led a “blameless life”. He was popular in Chewton, and ever ready to lend a hand to those in need.

In 1899 McCance left Australia with the 1st Victorian Mounted Rifles for service in the war in South Africa. A month after arriving they were drawn into action near Rensburg. On 10 February 1900 the Boers attacked, driving the Victorians from their position in Maider’s Farm. During this attack, McCance went missing.

Although it was briefly reported in Australia that he had been killed in action, McCance had in fact been wounded and captured by the Boers. He was held as a prisoner of war for some time, the Boers not considering him to be wounded enough to be worth releasing. McCance was finally rescued when the British entered Pretoria, and he was sent back to Australia.

McCance had been shot in the chest at Rensburg. He was x-rayed in Melbourne in November 1900, and it was discovered that the bullet had passed through his lung and lodged in the upper part of his liver. Surgeons could not remove the bullet, and he carried it for the rest of his life. Although he was advised not to do any more hard work, McCance re-enlisted for service and saw a brief period back in South Africa in 1902. After his return to Australia he worked as an engine driver on the railway.

When the First World War broke out in 1914 John McCance was one of the first from Chewton to enlist. He and other new recruits were given a send-off at the local town hall and went into training camp. Five days before McCance left Australia on the troopship Wiltshire, his father died suddenly in Chewton, but Jack was unable to get home to attend the funeral. That same year Jack’s son, Francis Dickenson, was born out of wedlock to Lilian Dickenson.

McCance was posted to the 4th Light Horse Regiment, and was sent to continue training in Egypt. Although horses were unsuitable for the terrain on Gallipoli, McCance’s regiment was deployed without its horses to reinforce the infantry there, landing in late May. The men spent their time in and out of the front line.

On 30 July the regiment was preparing to enter the front line again when McCance was struck by a piece of shrapnel. His mate Private Ashley McCann was with him, and later wrote that he “quickly had him dressed and stopped the blood. The pain was annoying, but stopped considerably after he was bandaged.” In fact, the bullet had severed McCance’s spine. He was taken to hospital in Egypt, and died on 9 August 1915. He was 34 years old.

Private McCann wrote:

[He] was cheerful and talked to me about home and old times, and wondered how long before we would meet again. Jack won the hearts of all the troop by his manly, upright and good ways, and was not found wanting when the time came to do … he was one of the very best.

John McCance’s name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, among more than 60,000 Australians who died during the First World War.

This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Corporal John Elmer McCance, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Dr Meleah Hampton
Historian, Military History Section