The Soldier's Details
- Surname:
- McEwin
- First Name:
- Oswald Sydney
- Nick Name:
- Ossie & Galloping Gerty
- Rank:
- Captain, Officer Commanding HQ Companies.
- Regimental #:
- WX3442
- Company:
- Company Headquarters
- Enlisted:
- 19.11.1940
- DOB:
- 15.07.1910
- Place of Birth:
- Chatwood, Sydney, New South Wales
- Father's Name:
- James Guthrie McEwin
- Mothers's Name:
- Eva Rosina McEwin (neeYoung)
- Religion:
- Presbyterian
- Pre-war Occupation:
- Sales Manager
- Memorial:
- Kranji War Cemetery, Plot 1, Row A, Grave 9, Age 31.
- Cause of Death:
- Killed in Action
- Place of Death:
- Hill 200, Ulu Pandan
- Buried:
- Where killed at map reference 763132 by Major A. Cough Party on 21.12.1942.
General Description
Captain McEwin was formerly with 28th Btn Militia and seconded to join 2/4th Nov 1940. He was appointed Commanding Officer of Company Headquarters.
From the diary of Major Alf Cough, after locating the body of Captain McEwin, Officer Commanding Headquarters Company, at the crest of the hill (Hill 200 Ulu Padang) –
‘I saw McEwin, six feet two, a man of dignity and hauteur, who would say in an Oxford drawl, not at all old boy, not at all. We called him Galloping Gertie because of his daring horsemanship in the camps of pre war days’
Captain McEwin’s body was found by a 2/4th Party AWOL, lead by Alf Cough from Adam Park 28/29th May 1942. McEwin had a bullet wound through the skull received whilst leading a bayonet charge at the crest of Hill 200 on 12 February 1942. He was 31 years old. Please read further about the recovery of McEwin’s body.
Please read further about Ulu Pandan.
The McEwin family did not have to wait, as most did, to learn their son had died in Feb 1942.
McEwin’s parents James Guthrie McEwin and Eva Rosina Young married 1908 Sydney, Oswald had an older sister Janet Agnes.
Sydney born Oswald married Edith May Buchannan at Cottesloe on 12 Jan 1940, he was working in Perth as a Sales Manager and the couple resided Cottesloe. Edith was born in Victoria. We believe they had one child. Edith returned to Victoria to live.
