3049 Pte George Oag, 5th Bn, Seaforth Highlanders

3049 Private George Oag of the 5th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders, died of wounds on the 26th June 1915. His number indicates that he joined the battalion around the 15th August 1914. George was born in Thurso and enlisted there as well. He almost certainly joined E Company which was the Thurso Company of the 5th Seaforths.

George's medal card indicates that he arrived overseas on the 1st May 1915. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission records that he was the son of Mr and Mrs Andrew Oag of 6, Duke Street, Thurso, Caithness. He is buried in Longuenesse (St Omer) Souvenir 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

Capt Sir John Edward Fowler, 4th Bn, Seaforth Highlanders

Captain Sir John Edward Fowler of the 4th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders, was 30 years old when he was killed in action near Richebourg L'Avoue on the 22nd June 1915. His body was repatriated and he was buried with military honours in the Foich burial ground, a private cemetery on the Fowler's Bramore estate near Garve in Scotland. The Commonwealth war Graves Commission notes that Sir John was 31 years old, "3rd Bart. Son of Sir John Arthur Fowler, 2nd Bart. and Lady Fowler, of Inverbroom House, Braemore, Garve. His brother Alan also fell."

Alan Arthur Fowler had been killed in action two months earlier but unlike his brother he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate at Ypres.

There is a detailed an interesting thread on the Fowler brothers on the Scottish War Memorials Project forum. Click Here.

The photograph of Sir John's funeral, and the text which follows are taken from the am baile site.

Captain Sir John Fowler Bt, of Braemore, was the son of Sir John Arthur Fowler Bt, and grandson of Sir John Fowler, the 1st Baronet, who was honoured for his work as Engineer in Chief of the Forth Bridge. Captain Sir John Fowler, the 3rd Baronet, joined the Seaforth Highlanders in 1904, and became Adjutant of the 4th (Ross-shire) Territorial Battalion in 1913. He went to France with the 4th Seaforth in 1914...

His mother Lady Fowler kept very full records of her sons and of the 4th (Territorial) Battalion Seaforth Highlanders. Her beautiful albums recording the Battalion's service in France are today in the Regimental Museum of The Highlanders at Fort George. Together with Mrs JW Fraser of Leckmelm, she also published in 1921 'Records of the Men of Lochbroom 1914-1918', a book of tributes to all the local men who died in the service of their country in World War I.

Obituaries and portrait photographs of the brothers also appear in the book, Harrow Memorials of the The Great War, Volume II. Sir John's obituary reads:

Elder brother of Captain Alan Fowler, whose record appears on the preceding page, and eldest son of Sir John Arthur Fowler, Bart., of Braemore, Ross-shire, N.B., whom he succeeded as third baronet in 1899, and of Alice Janet Clive, daughter of the late Sir Edward Clive Bayley, K. C.S.I.

Royal Military College, Sandhurst, 1903.

Captain Sir John Fowler joined the 2nd Seaforths in 1904 ; for three years he acted as Assistant Adjutant, and as Officer in charge of the Brigade Machine Guns. He held a Commission in the Royal Company of Archers and acted as Aide-de-Camp to the Lord High Commissioner of the Church of Scotland at Holyrood in 1907 and 1908. At the outbreak of the War he was seconded as Adjutant of the 4th Battalion, the first Highland Territorial Battalion selected for service in France. After two months' training at Bedford they went to the Front in November, 1914, taking part in an engagement at Festubert in the following month, and in the Battles of Neuve Chapelle and Aubers Ridge. Captain Fowler was killed in the trenches on June 22nd, 1915, near Richebourg I'Avoue. He was mentioned in Sir John French's Despatch of November, 1915, "for gallant and distinguished conduct in the field." The official expression of " the King's high appreciation of these services" was received by his family on March 28th, 1916.

Brigadier-General Ross, C.B., wrote: "He was one of the very best young Officers I have ever met, and an example to all others. It was mainly due to his wonderful influence that the Battalion did so well."

The Hon. E. O. Campbell, Adjutant of the 2nd Seaforths, wrote: "We shall always miss Jack: one of the best and kindest of men, and always thoroughly beloved by every one in the Regiment."

Lieut.-Colonel Cuthbert, C.M.G., D.S.O., Commanding 4th Seaforths, wrote: "He lived a soldier's life, ever ready to do his duty, and one always knew how well that duty would be done. He gave us all confidence — confidence that otherwise we could never have had. He has died a soldier's death, and we are the poorer by a very gallant gentleman and capable Officer."

Sergeant-Major, later Lieutenant, Glass, wrote: "He was the guide, adviser, and helpmate of every individual in the Battalion, and we miss him terribly. Defeat could not have shaken us more."

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

1840 Pte James Starkie, 1/6th Bn, Seaforth Highlanders

1840 Pte James Starkie of the 6th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders, was killed in action on the 13th November 1916. Soldiers Died in The Great War (SDGW) records that he died on this day in 1917. This cannot be correct however, because if this had been the case, he would have had a six digit number beginning 265***. As it is, his four digit number indicates that he joined the 6th Seaforths on about the 2nd September 1914. He possibly joined the 2/6th Battalion but if he didn't was certainly posted either to the 2/6th or to the 3/6th Battalion (or both) and did not go overseas until January 1916 at the earliest.

SDGW records that James was born in Glenlivet, Banffshire and enlisted at Elgin in Morayshire. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission confirms his date of death as 13th November 1916 and adds the additional information that he was the son of Mr W Starkie of Erroll, Llanbryde, Morayshire. He is buried in Mailly Wood Cemetery in Mailly-Maillet on the Somme.

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

S/8122 Pte David Carnie, 9th Seaforth Highlanders

S/8122 Private David Carnie of the 9th Seaforth Highlanders was killed in action on 2nd July 1915. Soldiers Died in the Great war 1914-1919 notes that he was living at Barony, Lanarkshire and that he had previously served with the Cameron Highlanders where his number was 10577.

10577 for the Cameron Highlanders indicates a joining date of late August 1914 whereas the Seaforths number dates to April/May 1915. David Carnie's medal index card records both service numbers and indicates that he arrived in France on 10th May 1915. It seems likely therefore that very shortly after arrival in France, he transferred to the Seaforth Highlanders and was given his new number.

David Carnie is buried in Le Touret Military Cemetery, Richebourg-L'Avoue; grave reference II.E.18. His army service record does not appear to have survived.

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

Ancestry.co.uk (Medal index card)
Army Service Numbers 1881-1918
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Soldiers Died in the Great war 1914-1919