A member of the Headstone Project Victoria – Geelong/Bellarine group found this interesting medallion in a local op shop, purchased it and set about researching it with the intention of possibly returning it to family.
The inscription on the back reads:
Pres by
residents of Navarre to
Lieut. W. B. McCulloch M.C.
C Squadron
1st King Edwards Horse
12/ 9/’19
The medallion posed many interesting questions:
Who was Lieut. W. B. McCulloch? When was he awarded the Military Cross? Where is Navarre? What was the 1st King Edwards Horse – C Squadron? And then of course, where is W.B. McCulloch buried? Who would be an appropriate custodian of the medallion into the future?
William Burnett McCulloch was born in 1889 in Deniliquin, NSW on the family’s property, Warbreccan which was originally purchased by his grandfather Hon William McCulloch and was a holding of approximately 56,000 acres at the time of purchase. W. B. McCulloch was the first-born child and only son to his parents Colin Christison and Aimee Rebecca (nee Box), McCulloch. In 1903 the family left Warbreccan and moved to Woodlands station, near Navarre in Victoria - a second, similar sized property also owned by the Hon W. McCulloch. In 1906, William Burnett McCulloch enrolled at Geelong College and spent three years there, particularly excelling in a number of sports including cricket, rowing and football. He is listed on the The Great War Honour Roll for the College.
In 1914, at the outbreak of World War One, W. B. McCulloch was in England and enlisted as a private in King Edwards Horse (The King’s Overseas Dominion Regiment) which was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1901 in the context of the Boer war and which went on to fight in the First World War. It was composed of four squadrons of ‘colonials’, one of which was the Australasians. The uniform of the regiment is reflected on the front of the medallion.
More information on King Edwards Horse can be found on VWMA.
King Edward’s Horse website including a Nominal Roll is available online.
W.B. McCulloch arrived in France in 1915 with King Edward’s Horse A Squadron and was commissioned in the field to 2nd Lieutenant in December 1916. He became the Officer-In-Charge 1st Troop, C Squadron in November 1918 and was awarded the Military Cross. The citation reads: For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty at Maulde on 9th November 1918. He covered the advance with his troop with good judgement, sending back useful information and charging a party of twenty infantry, with his twelve men, he killed three and routed the remainder, shooting the leading man with his revolver.
Some reports suggest that the final British casualty of the war was a private in C squadron and that the last shots of the war were fired by a troop of King Edward’s Horse who were proceeding to capture a field gun a few minutes before the eleven o’clock armistice.
On his return from the war, W.B. McCulloch settled at Bona Breena Station in Balranald, NSW and lived here for the remainder of his long life. He married in 1926 to Mary (Mollie) Viola (nee Atherton) White. She was the widow of Col Edward Erskine White who died in France early in the war from injuries sustained on the battlefield. W. B and Mollie McCulloch did not have any children. And there were no children from Mollie’s previous marriage.
W. B. McCulloch had two sisters; one died in infancy, his other sister, Aimee, also ‘did her bit’ during The Great War by signing on at Kaereleine Hospital, Cairo. After returning to Australia, Aimee married a grazier Adam (Sandy) Laidlaw from Hamilton, Victoria and she has her own story to tell - being recognised as one of Australia’s pre-eminent horsewomen of her era both as a trainer and rider - in all forms of horse racing and sports. She caused quite a stir in 1914 when she competed at the Royal Sydney Show riding astride. The Laidlaw Cup is named in her honour. She features in the Victorian Harness Racing’s Hall of Fame. She was the mother of one son.
W. B. McCulloch was actively involved in the Balranald community and became a Life Governor of Balranald District Hospital; was elected as an Alderman of Balranald, including a term as Mayor; served on the Local Land Board and Balranald Pasture Protection Board; was a member of the Pastoralists Union of Southern Riverina; a member of the Farmers and Settlers Association of NSW; a member of the R.S.L and enlisted in the VDC during World War 2.
Mollie McCulloch died in 1951 in a private hospital in Fitzroy at the age of sixty-one. W.B. McCulloch died in 1969 at Balranald. Both are buried in Melbourne General Cemetery however there was scant information and no photo available online.
Through Bob Marmion, contact was made with the HPV-Melbourne team and Rod Beveridge did a super sleuthing job to locate the family plot in Melbourne General Cemetery; photograph it and update Find A Grave so this information is now available to all. Unfortunately, there is no inscription for W.B. McCulloch on the headstones of the family graves. Rod also extended his efforts to locate and document the grave of W.B.’s mother and infant sister who are buried at St. Kilda cemetery.
The McCulloch family are a very interesting family and have a notable place in the history of Victoria at multiple points. Brett Leslie, HPV – Stawell and Stawell Historical Society has also assisted in providing some local context and assistance with a possible destination for the Medallion. Through this joined up approach we have achieved a more complete picture and understanding of the contribution of W. B. McCulloch and where this medallion might best be placed to ensure this precious artefact is not lost again.
Article written by Lizzy Jones.
