Branch of Service

Army

Conflict

World War I (1914-1918)

Date of Enlistment

07/02/1916

Date of Discharge

20/01/1920

Place of Enlistment

Sydney NSW

Gender

Male

Place of Birth

Whitburn, West Lothian, Scotland

Address (at enlistment)

Duntroon ACT

Occupation

Carpenter

Next of Kin

Agnes McGiven (mother), Whitburn, Scotland

Service Number

14550

Final Rank

Corporal

Final Unit

14 Field Company Engineers AIF

Queanbeyan RSL Wall of Remembrance, Crawford St, Queanbeyan NSW

Military Medal. The citation reads: "For exceptional meritorious service at Nauroy north east of Peronne, on 30/9/1918, and the day following the attack on the Hindenburg System. Corporal McGiven when in charge of Engineer Reconnaissance, three men of his party were wounded. With great coolness he proceeded to dress their wounds and removed them to a place of safety and afterwards continued his reconnaissance in the forward areas. In order to compensate for the loss of his men this N.C.O. with untiring energy and at great personal danger completed his reconnaissance alone. His service has always been deserving of the highest praise".

McGiven was a carpenter by trade and his name appears on the 1913 census as a resident of Duntroon. He enlisted on 7 February 1916 in Sydney and served with the 14th Field Company Engineers from February 1917. He received dental work in October 1917 and was treated for pneumonia while on leave in Paris in August 1918. He was awarded the Military Medal for exceptional meritorious service at Nauroy north east of Peronne, on 30 September 1918. He was granted leave to work at a firm in Scotland before he returned to Australia and discharged on 20 January 1920. McGiven lived in Queanbeyan after the war becoming President of the Queanbeyan Golf Club and Captain of the Rifle Club. He went into business with Robert Kay (brother-in-law of William Inglis) in Queanbeyan where they made carts and car bodies. He died in 1969 in Queanbeyan.

height 5 feet 10 inches, weight 134 pounds, chest 30-33 inches, fair complexion, blue eyes, brown hair, Presbyterian.

National Archives (A206) Volume 9 [Federal Capital (Yass-Canberra district). Copies of correspondence, reports etc subsequent to passing of 'Seat of Government Surrender Act 1909 (NSW)' and 'Seat of Government Acceptance Act 1909 (Commonwealth)'] - folio 95, 1913 FCT Census
Our Queanbeyan 'Boys' No.4, Howard & Shearsby, Yass (postcard)
NAA RecordSearch - Series B2455 (First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920)