Second Lieutenant Rutherford Lamond Fortune of the 16th Battalion, Royal Scots, died of wounds on the 15th January 1917. He was 20 years old, the son of Rutherford and Janet Lamond Fortune, of 35 Mansion House Road, Edinburgh. The 1901 census for Scotland shows the family living at Mansion House Road, four-year-old Rutherford (born in Edinburgh) noted as a scholar. His father's profession is recorded as solicitor and he and his wife had two boys, Mackenzie Fortune being two years older than his brother. I can find no evidence on-line that Mackenzie served during WW1.
Robert Fortune's service record may survive at the National Archives. The following information though has been gleaned from his medal index card which is accessible on-line. He originally joined the 9th (Territorial Force) Battalion as a private soldier, around the 26th March 1915. He was given the army number 3183 but then discharged to commission with the 17th Royal Scots on the 1st June 1915. He certainly did not go overseas until January 1916 at the earliest but again, being an officer, his arrival there is no doubt documented in the battalion war diary.
The London Gazette of 24th August 1916 notes, for the 1st June 1915, that temporary 2nd Lt R L Fortune was transferred from a reserve battalion (presumably the 2/9th Royal Scots).
There is no mention of the 16th Battalion on his medal index card but the Commonwealth War Graves Commission states that it was whilst serving with this battalion that he died of wounds. Robert is buried in the Erquinghem-Lys Chrurchyard extension in France.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.
Sources:
Ancestry.co.uk (MIC, 1901 Scotland Census)
London Gazette
Army Ancestry
Army Service Numbers 1881-1918
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Soldiers Died in The Great War
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