Killed in the Gretna Green train crash

Private Laurence Henry, 7th Royal Scots, remembered in Shetland's Roll of Honour.

11135 L/Cpl Thomas Pinch, 2nd Bn, Royal Scots

11135 Lance-Corporal Thomas Pinch of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots was killed in action on the 27th August 1914. He was born in London and was living at Southwark when he enlisted in late April or early May 1912. He arrived in France on the 11th August 1914 and was killed a little over two weeks later, one of two men of the 2nd Battalion Royal Scots to die on this day.

Thomas was buried in Bethencourt Communal Cemetery, a little north of Le Cateau, and is commemorated on a special memorial there. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission notes: "A German hospital was posted in the village of Bethencourt in August and September, 1914. There are now over 80, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, a small number are unidentified and nine graves which cannot now be traced, are represented by special memorials. The plot covers an area of 326 square metres."

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry (MIC)
Soldiers Died in The Great War
Army Service Numbers
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Lt George Masterman Thompson, 1st Bn, Royal Scots

Lieutenant George Masterman Thompson of the 1st Battalion, Royal Scots Regiment, was killed in action on the 22nd August 1914. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission records:

"Croix de Guerre with Palms (France). Son of Col. George William Thompson, (Commanding Royal Scots), and Mrs G. W. Thompson, of Beechwood, Burley, Hants. The First British Officer killed in action in the war. A Special French Army Order was published on 20th October commending his gallantry and the fine example he gave to the French soldiers temporarily under his command."

Lieutenant Thompson was 24 years old and is the only Commonwealth casualty buried in Wahala Cemetery in modern day Togo (then, Togoland). Again, CWGC:

"The occupation of the German colony of Togoland (now Togo) began on 7 August 1914 when a detachment of the Gold Coast Regiment landed at Lome, supported from the north by French troops. There was fighting at Agbeluvoe and at Khra (or Chra) before the German forces surrendered on 26 August at Amuchu, near Kamina. There is one Commonwealth burial of the First World War in Wahala Cemetery, that of the first British officer killed in action in the war."


At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry (MIC)
Officers Died in The Great War
Army Service Numbers
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission

9285 Pte John Joseph Hardy, 2nd Bn, Royal Scots

9285 Private John Joseph Hardy of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots, was the only man to die on this day in 1914. He died at home in England and is buried at Plymouth's Weston Mill Cemetery.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry (MIC)
Soldiers Died in The Great War
Army Service Numbers
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission

19704 Pte Thomas Miller Armour, 16th Bn, Royal Scots

On this, the blackest day in the British Army's history, close to 20,000 British Army officers and men lost their lives on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme. A further 40,000 men were wounded, many of these men dying in the days and weeks to come.

19704 Private Thomas Miller Armour of the 16th (Service) Battalion, Royal Scots, was killed in action on this day. He had attested at Edinburgh on the 28th November 1914 aged 19 years and nine months. He was a warehouseman by trade and was living at home with his parents at 19 Henderson Terrace, Edinburgh. He was five feet, seven and a half inches tall and had "Sundry small scars over left chest. Scar on left eyebrow. Scar on back of neck." He recorded his father, Andrew Armour, as his next of kin. His mother's name was Margaret B Armour.

Thomas joined the 16th Battalion at Heriot School, Edinburgh in December 1916 and he remained with the battalion until 18th June 1915 when he was posted to the 18th Battalion. He was re-posted to the 16th Battalion on the 5th April 1916. On the 28th April he was admitted to the 20th General Hospital at Camiers suffering with scabies. Four days later he was discharged.

Thomas was initially reported missing on the 1st July 1916, later confirmed as killed in action. It seems likely that his body was not found for some weeks as a report filed on the 7th August 1916 gives no indication of a burial location or date. He was later buried in Gordon Dump Cemetery, Ovillers-La-Boiselle.

In March 1917, the Infantry Record Office at Hamilton returned Thomas's last effects to his mother. These comprised letters, photos and postcards.

It's possible that Thomas Armour was the youngest child of Andrew and Margaret. He was 21 years old when he died, and a return made by his mother in October 1919 notes six other siblings, the oldest of whom was 47, and the youngest 31. It is also a possibility, of course, that Thomas had one or more brothers who also lost their lives during the Great War. What is established, is that on this single date, the 16th Royal Scots lost 221 men killed in action. One man died of his wounds the following day.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry (MIC, WO 363)
Soldiers Died in The Great War
Army Service Numbers
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission

7606 Cpl Hugh McGuckian, 2nd Bn, Royal Scots

7606 Corporal Hugh McGuckian of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots, was killed in action on the 2nd June 1915. He was a career soldier, born in Wolsingham, County Durham, who had originally attested at Newcastle-upon-Tyne on the 17th June 1901, and joined at Glencorse the following day. His terms of enlistment were three years with the colours and nine on the reserve. At the time of his enlistment he was 18 years and four months old and working as a miner. He was five feet, four inches tall with a fair complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. He had a scar on the middle of his back, and tattoo marks on his left forearm.

Hugh McGuckian served in South Africa in 1902 and later in India. His surviving service record is quite extensive and I attach one page of it, above.

Hugh's stations look like this:

Home: 17th June 1901 to 16th July 1902
South Africa: 17th July 1902 to 13th March 1903
Home: 14th March 1903 to 19th September 1904
India: 20th September 1904 to 8th March 1909
Home: 9th March 1909 to 9th August 1914
BEF France: 10th August 1914 to 2nd June 1915.

At the time of his death, Hugh was a married man with three children, two from his marriage to Mabel Lavinia Chalmers Sloggie (married 23rd August 1912) and one, a daughter - Mary, born in 1910 - from a former marriage. His two boys, James and Harry, would have been one year old and two months old when he died.

Hugh McGuckian has no known grave and is one of over 54,000 men commemorated on the Menin Gate at Ypres. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission notes that he was 33 years old, the son of Hugh McGuckian of Dunston-on-Tyne, and the late Mary McGuckian, and the husband of Mabel L C McGuckian of 3 Brandfield Street, Edinburgh.

Hugh McGuckian's name does not appear on the Wolsingham memorial in County Durham, presumably because he had moved out of the area some time before his death.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry (MIC, WO 363)
Soldiers Died in The Great War
Army Service Numbers
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission

The image reproduced on this page is Crown Copyright.

18101 L/Cpl Walter Anderson, 15th Bn, Royal Scots

Edinburgh-born 18101 Lance-Corporal Walter Zerub Baillie Anderson of the 15th Battalion, Royal Scots, died of wounds at Number 8 Casualty Clearing Station, Bailleul on the 3rd April 1916. He was 28 years old, the son of the late Andrew Hislop Anderson, of 14 George Street, Edinburgh.

Walter came from a large family. Surviving papers in the WO 363 series at the National Archives indicate that in October 1919 he was survived by three brothers and seven sisters. Their ages in 1919 ranged from 44 to 27.

Walter enlisted at Edinburgh on the 3rd November 1914. He was a clothier by trade and was living with his father at George Street. He was five feet, six and a half inches tall, had a pale complexion, grey eyes and brown hair.

William Anderson and Sons Ltd was an established firm of "clothiers and military tailors" and still survives today as Kinloch Anderson. Information on a company brochure states, "Formerly William Anderson and Sons Ltd, and an independent company for over five generations, Kinloch Anderson has been known and respected for over a century in Scotland's Capital City, as makers and retailers of fine clothing and Highland Dress. Originally as civilian and military tailors, Kinloch Anderson developed a particular expertise in Tartans and Kiltmaking and tailored officers' uniforms for all the famous Scottish regiments."

Walter remained in Britain until the 7th January 1916, sailing for France the following day.

On the 10th April 1916, William Hislop Anderson, Walter's oldest brother, wrote to the Paymaster of the 15th Battalion, Royal Scots at The Hamilton Barracks in Hamilton. The letter was written on headed paper from the company's Glasgow office at 106 Hope Street. William wrote:

Dear Sir

A gentleman called on me today and informed me that my brother, lance-corporal W B Anderson, 18101 15th Royal Scots, had been struck by a bullet in the head and seriously wounded last Sunday night. As I have had no intimation of this from any other source I will be greatly obliged if you will let me know at the earliest moment possible if you have any information on the matter.

Thanking you in anticipation...

There is no reply amongst Walter's surviving papers but of course, at the time William was anxiously enquiring about his brother, Walter had already been dead for a week.

In December 1916, nine months after his death, Walter's personal effects were returned to William in Edinburgh. These are listed as: disc, letters, razor, brush, watch, photo, knife, pouch, notebook, purse, testament, mirror, pipe, torch-light, keys, writing case.

Walter Zerub Baillie Anderson is buried in Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension (Nord) in France.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry (MIC, WO 363)
Soldiers Died in The Great War
Army Service Numbers
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission

2nd Lt Rutherford Lamond Fortune, 16th Bn, Royal Scots

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

52489 Pte James Lavin, 2/10th Bn, Royal Scots Regt

On this day, 91 years ago, the guns on the Western Front fell silent. But on this day, as on every day since the war had begun back in August 1914, British soldiers continued to die. Soldiers Died in The Great War records that 513 officers and men died on the 11th November 1918. Of these, just 20 were killed in action, the remainder dying of sickness or wounds.

52489 Pte James Lavin of the 2/10th Battalion, Royal Scots Regiment was one of the twenty men to be killed in action. He died not on the Western Front, but in Russia, and he is commemorated on the Archangel Memorial. His partial service record survives in the WO 363 series at the National Archives, and now on-line via Ancestry.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission records that he was the son of Mr and Mrs Michael Lavin of 102 Beechgrove Terrace, New Stevenston Road, Carfin, Motherwell in Lanarkshire. CWGC also includes extensive information about the memorial and hostilities in Russia.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry.co.uk (MIC)
Army Ancestry
Army Service Numbers 1881-1918
Commonwealth War Graves Commission

1721 Pte John Middlemass, 7th Bn, Royal Scots

1721 Private John Middlemass of the 7th Battalion, Royal Scots died on the 31st October 1915. He was 23 years old and the son of Robert and Jane Middlemass, of 18, Parsons Green Terrace, Edinburgh.

John must have joined the 7th Royal Scots one or two days after Britain went to war with Germany and he arrived overseas (the Balkans) on the 3rd September 1915. He died at the military hospital in Netley, probably as a result of illness or sickness rather than wounds. Soldiers Died in The Great War notes "died" and also records that he was born in Leith and enlisted in Leith (home of the 7th Royal Scots) and living in Edinburgh.

John Middlemass is buried in Netley Military Cemetery which, as the Commonwealth War Graves Commission states, "... is a permanent military cemetery, the property of the Ministry of Defence. The cemetery was at the back of the Royal Victoria Military Hospital and was used during both wars for burials from the hospital. The cemetery contains 636 First World War burials but only 35 from the Second World War. In addition to the Commonwealth graves, there are a number of war graves of other nationalities including 69 German graves dating from the First World War."

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry.co.uk (MIC)
Army Ancestry
Army Service Numbers 1881-1918
Commonwealth War Graves Commission

2878 Pte William Paterson, 5th Bn, Royal Scots Regt

2485 British soldiers died on 16th September 1916 and William Paterson, the son of Mr and Mrs James Paterson of Whiteside, Bourtie, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire was one of these men. He was 22 years old and judging by his army number had joined the battalion in late November or early December 1914. His medal index card shows entitlement to the British War and Victory medals which means that he did not arrive overseas until 1st January 1916 at the earliest.

William Paterson, who was born in Edinburgh and enlisted there, died of wounds on this day. He is buried in Cambrin Churchyard Extension; one of 1304 First World War Commonwealth soldiers buried there.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry.co.uk (MIC)
Army Ancestry
Army Service Numbers 1881-1918
Commonwealth War Graves Commission