The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2023 12:09 pm Post subject:

JAMES THOMSON
I cannot trace this man.

ROBERT THOMSON
Robert Thomson – age 20 – Private (40073) 16th Battalion (2nd Glasgow) Highland Light Infantry.
Robert enlisted as Private (1291) in the Royal Scots but he was transferred to the HLI on France.
Born 1897 Whitekirk. Son of the late Christina Lumsden (McLean) Thomson (died 1912) and of John Thomson, Blacksmith, of Tyninghame.
Missing in Action on 2 December 1917 and named on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium.

HENRY TURNER
Henry Turner – age 21 – Private (S/22499) 11th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
Born 1896 in Morham, Haddingtonshire/East Lothian as Archibald Henry Turner. Son of James and Mary Ann (Spencer) Turner of Whitekirk and of East Samuelston, Haddington, East Lothian.
Missing in Action on 28 March 1918 and named on the Arras Memorial, France.

and his brother

WILLIAM TURNER
William Turner – age 26 – Private (S/14487) 1st Battalion, Cameron Highlanders.
William was a shepherd at Dalmeny Park, West Lothian when he enlisted in November 1914. He joined his battalion in France in February 1915.
Born 1889 in Saltoun, Haddingtonshire/East Lothian as William Currie Turner.
Son of James and Mary Ann (Spencer) Turner of Whitekirk and of East Samuelston, Haddington, East Lothian.
Missing in Action on 13 October 1915 and named on the Loos Memorial, France.
Also named on the Dalmeny Parish War Memorial.

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2023 12:18 pm Post subject:

ARCHIBALD WATT
Archibald Watt – age 18 – Private (S/25490) 7th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders.
Archibald was educated at Dunbar High School before serving his apprenticeship in the Commercial Bank of Scotland in Dunbar. He enlisted in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in December 1916.
Born 1899 in Tyninghame. Son of Robert Andrew Watt and Margaret (Lawson) Watt, of The Schoolhouse, Tyninghame.
Missing in Action on 15 April 1918 and named on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium.

and his brother

JAMES WATT
James Watt – age 22 – Second Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps and 4th Battalion, Royal Scots.
James was educated at Dunbar High School before serving in the National Bank of Scotland in East Linton and in the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China in London. He enlisted as Private (1193) in the Lothians and Border Horse Yeomanry in November 1911 and was mobilised in August 1914. He was a Corporal LBH when he was commissioned in August 1915 and he served with the 1/4th Royal Scots in Egypt and in Palestine from January 1916. James transferred to the RFC in November 1916 and he moved to join 47 Squadron as an Observer in Salonica, northern Greece in March 1917 but he was killed two months later when his aircraft crashed on landing after it had been hit by anti-aircraft fire. His pilot Flight Sub-Lieutenant Holbrook Lance Gaskell of the Royal Naval Air Service was also killed.
Born 1894 in Tyninghame. Son of Robert Andrew Watt and Margaret (Lawson) Watt, of The Schoolhouse, Tyninghame.
Died on Active Service on 2 May 1917 and buried in Sarigol Military Cemetery, Kriston, Greece.

ANDREW WHITE
Andrew John White – age 21 – Private (20533) 26th Company, Machine Gun Corps.
Andrew was a ploughman when he enlisted as Private (15742) in the Cameron Highlanders in November 1914. He joined the 5th Battalion in France in October 1915 and transferred to the 26th MGC when it was formed in January 1916. Andrew was accidentally shot and died in the British Red Cross Hospital at Etaples.
Born 1895 in Prestonpans Haddingtonshire/East Lothian.
Son of the late Andrew White (died 1896) and of Margaret (Inglis) White of New Mains, Whitekirk and of Barney Mains, Haddington.
Died of Wounds on 1 August 1916 and buried in Etaples Military Cemetery, France.

and his brother

GEORGE WHITE
George Inglis White – age 23 – Lance Corporal (325076) 1/8th Battalion, Royal Scots.
George enlisted as Private (748) in the Territorial 8th Royal Scots when it was formed in April 1912. He was mobilised in August 1914 and landed with his battalion at Le Havre in November 1914. George was evacuated home in July 1916 and rejoined his battalion in France in January 1917. He was buried by the Germans at Fremicourt Cemetery but he was re-interred at Bancourt after the war.
Born 1893 in Prestonpans, Haddingtonshire/East Lothian. Son of the late Andrew White (died 1896) and of Margaret (Inglis) White of Whitekirk and of Barney Mains, Haddington.
Killed in Action on 4 December 1917 and buried in Bancourt British Cemetery, France.
Also named on the nearby Whittingehame Parish War Memorial.

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2023 12:27 pm Post subject:

1939 – 1945

ANDREW BRUCE
I cannot trace this man.

JOHN GRAY
John Gray – age 22 – Lance Corporal (33227040) 2nd Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
The 2nd Argylls were in Malaya when war broke out and they fought the Japanese down the length of Malaya After the final battles of Singapore they became Prisoners of War of the Japanese in February 1942.
Born 1920 in North Berwick. Son of Alexander and Jemima Jane (Walls) Gray of Tyninghame and of Seacliff, East Lothian.
Died on Active Service between 2 and 3 March 1942 and named on the Singapore Memorial, Singapore.

JOHN LAMBERT
John Lambert – age 20 – Sergeant/Pilot (1569643) 145 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.
In October 1944 fighter-bomber Spitfires of 145 Squadron were flying from Fano in central Italy. John was killed when his aircraft crashed during an attack on enemy gun positions.
Born 1924 in Whitekirk & Tyninghame. Son of Charles David Lambert and Norah (Taylor) Lambert of New Mains, Whitekirk & Tyninghame and of North Berwick, East Lothian.
Killed in Action on 7 October 1944 and buried in Ravenna War Cemetery, Italy.

MATTHEW T. LOW
Matthew Thomas Low – age 21 – Signalman (W/2073) Royal Canadian Corps of Signals attached to H.Q. 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade.
Matthew died near Osierschens in Germany and was re-interred in March 1946.
Born 1925 in Haddington as Carr Matthew Low. Son of Carr James Low and Elizabeth Gillies (Bain) Low of Jedburgh, Roxburghshire who had married in 1922 in Stenton, East Lothian.
Died on Service on 15 July 1945 and buried in Holten Canadian War Cemetery, Netherlands.
Also named on the Stenton Parish War Memorial.

JOHN A. MACNAUGHTON
John Allan Macnaughton – age 24 – Sergeant/Air Gunner (522280) 42 Squadron, Coastal Command, Royal Air Force.
John's Bristol Beaufort had taken off from RAF Thornley Island in Hampshire for a mine laying mission in the Lorient area but the aircraft was shot down by a ship's anti-aircraft fire off Finistere.
Born 1917 in Scone, Perthshire. Son of the late Malcolm Macnaughton (died 1926) and of Pace (Brotherston) Macnaughton of Edinburgh. Pace had been born and brought up in Tyninghame and had married there in 1916.
Killed in Action on 28 September 1940 and buried in Tregunc Communal Cemetery, France.

CHARLES W. PORTEOUS
Charles Wood Porteous – age 24 – Private (2985303) 8th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
Born 1918 in Whitekirk & Tyninghame. Son of James and Helen Bruce (Leitch) Porteous of Whitekirk and of North Berwick, East Lothian.
Killed in Action on 7 April 1943 and buried in Oued Zarga War Cemetery,Tunisia.
Also named on the North Berwick War Memorial.
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Ken