Bill McCann
William Francis James McCann, CMG, DSO, OBE, MC & Bar, JP was an Australian soldier of World War I. Born and raised in Adelaide, he worked as a teacher before the war. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force as a private in 1914, and rose through the ranks to be commissioned during the Gallipoli campaign of 1915. In 1916–1918 he fought on the Western Front in France and Belgium, and was wounded twice. For his gallantry during the war, he was made a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order and twice awarded the Military Cross.
About Bill McCann in brief
William Francis James McCann, CMG, DSO, OBE, MC & Bar, JP was an Australian soldier of World War I. Born and raised in Adelaide, he worked as a teacher before the war. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force as a private in 1914, and rose through the ranks to be commissioned during the Gallipoli campaign of 1915. In 1916–1918 he fought on the Western Front in France and Belgium, and was wounded twice. For his gallantry during the war, he was made a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order and twice awarded the Military Cross. He served as commanding officer of the 10th Battalion until its disbandment in 1919. McCann became a barrister and formed a legal partnership with Victoria Cross recipient Arthur Blackburn. He was active in returned servicemen’s organisations, as president of the South Australian branch of the Returned Sailors’ and Soldiers’ Imperial League from 1924 to 1931, and as a state vice-president from 1938 to 1949. In 1946 an arson attack on his home was linked to his anti–black marketeering work in those roles. McCann was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1935, and a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1956. The Official Historian of the Australian War, Charles Charles Charles McCann, is based at the Australian National War Museum in Adelaide.
He died in 2011. He is buried at the Adelaide National Cemetery. He will be buried alongside his wife Eliza, née Francis, and their three children, John Francis McCann, Jr, Peter McCann, and John Francis, III, who were born in Adelaide in 1892, and Eliza’s sister, Mary Ann McCann, who was born in 1894, and who died in 1996. For confidential support call the Samaritans in the UK on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or see www.samaritans.org for details. In the U.S. call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255 or visit www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org. In Australia, contact the National suicide Prevention Line at 1-844-788-8457. For information on suicide matters in the United States, call the suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1–800-847-8263. For support in the Middle East call the Salvation Army on 1 800 8255. For help in the developing world, visit http://www.suicides.org/. For confidential. support in Europe, call the Samaritans on 08457 909090. For the UK, call 08457 709090 or visit a Samaritans local branch or the National Suicide Lifeline in the UK. For more information on how to get involved in the fight in Africa, visit the Salvation Army’s Online page and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, or click here.
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This page is based on the article Bill McCann published in Wikipedia (as of Oct. 29, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
