Fighting Mac: The Chaplain Who Stood Shoulder to Shoulder with His Soldiers

Who are your personal heroes? Who do you look up to/want to be like? Why did Aussies want to go to WWI? It was an honour to serve in the military, an adventure, chance to make a stand. Initial recruits were called “Dinkum Aussies” Later recruits were called “Fair Dinkums”. These soldiers were full of zest for life, adventure and fun! Americanisms such as ‘cool man, dude and guys’ were never used by ANZACs. The Aussie‘strewth, crikey, mate, cobber’ were often used by ANZACs.

Chaplains with the ANZAC Spirit

• W J Dunbar
• William Dexter
• Spencer Maxted
• Oswald Chambers
• William ‘Fighting Mac’ McKenzie

Born in December 1869 in Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland, William McKenzie, known to many as “Fighting Mac”, grew up in a devout family. Despite their religious roots, young Mac was a spirited and adventurous boy. A capable student and a frequent fighter, he left school at twelve to work on his father’s farm. But the pull of a bigger life led him to Australia.

As a teenager, Mac got into a brawl with Irish migrants aboard the ship to Australia—so serious that the captain had to intervene. By 15, he was working on a cattle station, where he became a skilled horseman and developed a deep love for the Australian bush.

Later, he worked at a Bundaberg sugar plantation, supervising 50 South Sea Islanders (Kanakas) and 20 Chinese labourers. Despite being just 17, Mac earned respect from the workers and outperformed older supervisors—his natural leadership already on display. At night, he was a regular in the local pubs, living a rough-and-tumble life of drinking and fighting.

That all changed after he wandered into a Salvation Army meeting on a pub crawl. Hearing testimonies from two reformed Scotsmen who had once lived as he did, Mac was deeply moved. Memories of his childhood faith resurfaced, and when his youngest sister died, the grief disturbed his sleep for months.

One morning at 4 a.m., Mac claimed to hear the voice of God: “Go to Bundaberg and join the Salvation Army!” The same voice came to him over four consecutive mornings. Finally, he rode 16 miles to Bundaberg, repented, and returned home transformed.

He began studying the Bible and preaching with his younger brother. Despite his unorthodox methods, Mac’s passion won people over. He carried books and gear on foot, walking between towns in Victoria. Later transferred to Queensland, he found success in Toowoomba, Charters Towers, Townsville and Ipswich.

There, he met and married Anne in 1909. A devoted husband and father, Mac instilled chivalry in his sons and travelled Australia preaching the Gospel with his family.

In 1914, returning from a Salvation Army convention in England, Mac learned that World War I had broken out. On 25 September 1914, he volunteered for service, becoming the first Salvation Army chaplain in the Australian Imperial Force—at the age of 44. With only 24 hours’ notice, he told his family late that night, sharing a quiet moment few would forget.

After training in Sydney, he shipped out to Gallipoli. Like every soldier, he had to prove himself. Known for his bush wisdom and undefeated record as a boxer, Mac gained respect among the troops. He once dragged drunken soldiers out of brothels in Cairo, reminding them how their actions might shame their mothers and sisters—his fists often making the point more memorable.

He even burned brothels during the Battle of Hazzir, believing he was on a moral mission.

At Gallipoli and the Dardanelles, where two-thirds of his fellow soldiers were killed, wounded, or captured, Mac was recommended for the Victoria Cross—but the officers who would have submitted the recommendation died before they could do so. Unarmed as a chaplain, he once charged the enemy with a shovel.

Mac famously said to his men:
“Boys, I have lived with you, I’ve preached to you, and I’ve prayed with you. Do you think I’m now afraid to die with you? Where my boys go, I go!”

He was known for gathering pay books and ID tags from fallen soldiers and personally writing to their families, often losing sleep to do so. “He made religion live,” one soldier said, “never ramming it down tired men’s throats.”

To support the troops’ morale, Mac launched the Letters to Lonely Soldiers campaign through newspapers, which quickly drew 1,000 letters per week from civilians to soldiers.

Mac was awarded the Military Cross by King George and promoted to Lieutenant Colonel by Salvation Army General Bramwell Booth.

In 1916, he joined the 4th Battalion in France, serving at Pozières, Bullecourt, Polygon Wood, Passchendaele, and the Somme—described as “the gateway to hell.” More than 330,000 Australians served on the Western Front; 215,000 were killed, wounded, or captured. Mac himself survived several close calls, claiming his guardian angel warned him when to move or stop.

He suffered from the effects of war, including what we’d now call PTSD. Upon returning to Australia, he wept at the official farewell. Awarded the Salvation Army’s highest honour, the Order of the Founder, Mac left the battlefield with brass bands playing and soldiers saluting. At Melbourne’s Exhibition Building, over 7,000 people—including 1,500 RSL members—gathered to honour him.

In 1927, he was appointed commander of the Salvation Army in China. Arriving during famine and civil war, Mac witnessed human flesh sold as food and was once held up by bandits, but his passport signed by the Chinese president guaranteed his safety.

Returning home during the Great Depression, he continued to preach sacrifice and service. In a famous address, he said:“We must put our backs to the burden. Think not of what you can get, but what you can give to help Australia.”

He passed away on 26 July 1947, surrounded by family. His funeral at Congress Hall was conducted by Commissioner James Hay. His son, Donald McKenzie, paid tribute:

‘My hero, a knight in shining armour… He walked and talked with Jesus… He set a standard which is extremely hard to maintain.”

Brigadier McIlveen, leaning over Mac’s body, kissed his forehead and said:

“Fighting Mac, I’m kissing you for a multitude of men who would love to do it—for all you did for them.”

The funeral procession brought the city to a standstill. Officers, returned soldiers, and Salvation Army bands marched six abreast down Wentworth Avenue. At Rookwood Cemetery, a 21-gun salute rang out as the sun dipped below the horizon. Two soldiers, clad in khaki, sounded the Last Post and Reveille.

We too stand in silence to honour all ANZACs—many of whom paid the ultimate price—for the freedoms we often take for granted.

LEST WE FORGET.

A Final Prayer

God of the nations, whose kingdom rules over all,
have mercy on our broken and divided world.
Shed your peace into every heart,
and banish the spirit that makes for war.
Help all races and peoples live as one family,
in obedience to your laws,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.