NSW Scottish Rifles waistcoat dickey : Sergeant Major W T McDonald, NSW Scottish Regiment

Waistcoat dickey constructed with a front of ribbed cotton, lined with plain cotton and fitted with a plain cotton back supplied with a pair of cotton tape ties at waist level. The front and rear of the dickey are only joined at the shoulders. A yoke of ribbed cotton is sewn to the top 50 mm of the back, equivalent to the back of the wearer's shoulders. This section has been altered with a small sewn vertical gathering. The front is fitted with three mother of pearl buttons while each buttonholes sits within a crenellated design.

Worn by Sergeant Major William Thomas McDonald, NSW Scottish Regiment. Born 16 June 1880 at Stawell, Victoria, McDonald later settled at Forest Lodge, NSW. He joined the NSW Scottish Rifles in 1897 and concurrently trained as a first aid officer with St John’s Ambulance, serving with the Glebe Division, a role in which he remained active until his enlistment in 1914. Being underage, McDonald required his father’s permission to volunteer for service with the Australian Contingent in South Africa and served with distinction as a corporal with the 1st NSW Mounted Infantry, being mentioned in dispatches for rescuing Lieutenant Frederick Allan Dove, DSO under fire at Mader's Farm on 26 February 1900. Upon his return to Australia after sixteen months service, McDonald rejoined the NSW Scottish Regiment and continued to play an active role with St John’s Ambulance. He enlisted immediately on the outbreak of the First World War and was appointed honorary Lieutenant Quartermaster with 4 Battalion. He embarked from Sydney on 20 October 1914 on HMAT Euripides, and landed at Gallipoli on 25 August 1915, on which date his rank as lieutenant was confirmed in the field; and he was Mentioned in Dispatches. He was wounded twice at Lone Pine on 6/7 August while leading his company in the capture of Sap C, after the death of both commanding officers, initially suffering a shrapnel wound and later a gun shot wound to his right shoulder necessitating his evacuation to Malta then London for further medical treatment. For this action, he was again Mentioned in Despatches by Sir Ian Hamilton, the citation in part reading ‘he held every portion of the trenches gained, repelling every counter attack and by his courage and the example he set his men enabled every portion of the trenches captured to be retained and strengthened.’ (see Bean, vol II, p 513). After recovering on Malta, he rejoined his unit at Tel-el-Kebir on 24 February 1916 and received his promotion to the rank of Captain on 12 March 1916. On 16 August 1916, four and a half months after the unit went to France, he was killed in action at Mouquet Farm. He was survived by his wife, Helen, and two children.