The Remarkable Life of Daniel Barker McMeechan

When Daniel Barker McMeechan was born in Blantyre, Scotland, in 1898, he was the fifth child of William Andrew and his third wife, Christina Donaldson Barker. Daniel's childhood was filled with the births of three more brothers and two sisters. Tragically, one brother and one sister died in infancy.

Daniel's father worked as a baker, while his mother managed the home. With a large family of ten children, money was tight. As a young boy, Daniel often played marbles with friends, hoping to win some extra pennies to bring home to his mother.

Daniel Barker MacMeechan.

In 1914, the Great War began, and Daniel wasted no time signing up. He was only 16 years old when he attended the military muster in West Dunbartonshire on December 16, 1914. To enlist, he claimed to be 19 years old and joined the 9th Battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.

For the next six months, Daniel fought on the battlefields of Europe. His experience was harrowing. He was gassed in Ypres and sent home on leave. During this time, he spoke to a local journalist about his experiences in the trenches:

“He did not exactly know how he felt when they were making the charge. At that time, he had no sense of fear. They were getting it so hot that each of them felt their time was up. They went into the thick of it, determined to do as much damage to the enemy as possible.”

He recounted how he had left his bayonet in one enemy soldier and taken a fine pipe from him. After inhaling a great deal of gas, he struggled to breathe. Once the charge was over, he was directed to the dressing station.

On his way, Daniel encountered several fellow soldiers. One was limping badly, and he offered his support. Another soldier had lost four fingers from his right hand and had a bullet lodged in his shoulder.

Daniel was instructed to make his way to a hospital on the other side of Ypres. As he passed a large building, he heard a noise similar to a tramcar. To his horror, it was a bomb, known as a 'Jack Johnson,' that struck the building, reducing it to rubble.

In the trenches, Daniel recalled a German soldier who stood up and called across to the British line. The German claimed he had been a barber in Glasgow and now had a wife and three children in Berlin. One of the British soldiers responded, “You will now have a widow and three of a family in Berlin,” before firing his rifle.

After being discharged from the army, Daniel re-enlisted, this time in the navy. He assumed the name Renou Mair and listed his occupation as a stage artist. He fought in Gallipoli, where he was wounded in the shoulder. His true identity was eventually discovered on the battlefield, but he was not discharged until 1919.

Following the war, Daniel found work in an iron foundry. He married his first wife, who sadly passed away after giving birth to three children. Daniel remarried and, along with his three children from his second marriage, emigrated to Australia. He lived a long life, passing away in 1973. Daniel is buried at the Field of Mars Cemetery in North Ryde.

References

• 'Daniel McMeechan', Scotlands People, Births, accessed 6th October, 2025, www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

• Family stories from Nan McMeechan Lees, daughter of Daniel McMeechan.

• 'McMeechan D.', West Dumbartonshire Scotland Military Muster Rolls, 1890-1917, accessed 6th October, 2025, Ancestry.com

• 'Fighting the Germans at Sixteen', Kirkintilloch Herald and Lenzie, Kilsyth, Campsie and Cumbernauld Press, June 9, 1915, Page 6

• 'Daniel Barker McMeechan alias Renou Mair', British National Archives, accessed 6th October, 2025

  
  

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