The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 4:54 pm Post subject: First Scot to fall in action

This may have been asked before but do we know who was the first Scot to fall in action in WW1?
I was prompted by a local newspaper report of the first man from Castle Douglas to fall - 13 May 1915. Looking back over my notes the earliest date I have in my own neck of the woods is 14 September 1914.
_________________
Ken

Adam Brown · Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 5:18 pm Post subject:

Was it a Scottish officer in Africa?

HMS Amphion was sunk on 6th August 1914 and at least one Scot was lost on her.

ARUNDEL, NORMAN McKAY
Initials: N M
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Leading Telegraphist
Regiment/Service: Royal Navy
Unit Text: H.M.S. "Amphion."
Date of Death: 06/08/1914
Service No: 240182
Additional information: Son of John W. Arundel, of Marchmont House, North Berwick.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 2.
Memorial: PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL

If you are looking at the Western Front there will be quite a few from the BEF who were killed around 22nd August 1914 but although there is no obvious Scottish connection on his CWGC enry, SNWM lists him

BAYLY, CHARLES GEORGE GORDON
Initials: C G G
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Lieutenant
Regiment/Service: Royal Flying Corps
Unit Text: 5th Sqdn.
Secondary Regiment: Royal Engineers
Secondary Unit Text: and 56th Field Coy.
Age: 23
Date of Death: 22/08/1914
Additional information: Son of Brackenbury Bayly, M.I.E.E. (Woolwich) and Beatrice Mary Jessie Bayly, of Falmouth, Cornwall. (One of the first Royal Flying Corps battle casualties of the war).
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: III. G. 3.
Cemetery: TOURNAI COMMUNAL CEMETERY ALLIED EXTENSION

If we are looking at a Scottish regiment then I think it is the Scots Greys on 22nd August who first Scottish regiment to make contact with the Germans and this chap was one of the casualties

DUNN, THOMAS
Initials: T
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Lance Corporal
Regiment/Service: 2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys)
Age: 32
Date of Death: 22/08/1914
Service No: 4494
Additional information: Husband of Catherine Esther Dunn, of 82, Russell St., Heigham, Norwich.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Memorial: LA FERTE-SOUS-JOUARRE MEMORIAL

anne park · Last edited by anne park on Thu Mar 04, 2010 6:40 pm; edited 1 time in total

William James Douglas 2nd Class Stoker K/21257 Royal Navy HMS Amphion b Montrose Age 20 Died At Sea 06-Aug-14 Son of John & Mary Ann Douglas, 11 Urquhart St; Aberdeen. City Roll of Honour. Trinity MI Plot C. Plymouth Naval Memorial M. R. 2 Panel 3 City & King St Congregation Memorials

anne park

Charles George Park Pte 10715 1st Gordon Highlanders b Aboyne e Aboyne Died 23-Aug-14 1901 Census : Birse 175/1/3/10: Bogiefirn : Charles & Mary Father's Occ Mason (Granite) . 1891: Births Aboyne 170/36. Details on Mons Museum Roll of Honour. St Symphorien Military Cemetery B 242 Plot L Row R Grave 33 Lumphanan Memorial
Sadly I can't trace him to fit my Park family.

anne park

Gray John Smith Stoker Mercantile Marine Barley Rig b Broughty Ferry Age 33 Lost At Sea 17-Aug-14 Son of Elizabeth Roy Gray & the late James Morrison Gray. City Roll of Honour: 75 College St; Tower Hill Memorial, Mercantile Marine Memorial M. R. 39 Aberdeen City Memorial

DerekR · Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 6:51 pm Post subject:

The earliest casualty I have for Hawick and district is the 26th August 1914:

Name: FERGUSON, JOHN D.
Initials: J D
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
Unit Text: 2nd Bn.
Age: 22
Date of Death: 26/08/1914
Service No: 734
Additional information: Son of George and Isabella Deans Ferguson, of 19, Havelock St., Hawick.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Memorial: LA FERTE-SOUS-JOUARRE MEMORIAL
_________________

Time but th' impression stronger makes, As streams their channels deeper wear.

Stewartry · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 274 Location: nr Nottingham

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2010 10:39 am Post subject:

Stuart - The man I was referring to was:
THOMAS COLVIN - Private (S/16659) 2nd Bn. Cameron Highlanders.

The Dumfries and Galloway Standard of 19/5/1915 page 5a reported him as the the first man from Castle Douglas to fall in action.
He enlisted in January 1915 and had been in France for two weeks when he was wounded on 10 May at Hill 60 during 2nd Ypres, and died three days later at the Casualty Clearing Station.

Of those listed on the Castle Douglas WM there are two earlier deaths

DUNCAN McARTHUR KERR - L/Cpl. (942) 1/5th KOSB who was accidentally wounded by a comrade when they were searching, at night, for suspicious man on the beach at Inverkeithing, Fife. He died 13 February 1915 at Craigleith Military Hospital, Edinburgh.

JAMES McNAUGHT - Driver (4318) 2nd. Lowland Brigade, RFA who died 23 March 1915, while in training, of Scarlet Fever at Camelon Hospital, Falkirk

Regarding Robert Campbell - no sign of him on the Stewartry RoH nor on any WM in D&G?
_________________
Ken

DelBoy · Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 5:35 am Post subject:

It's interesting to note that of the first two earliest date casualties listed on SNWM for WW1, one turned out to be a "non-comm". The I.F.T.C. project beat me to the discovery, but there you go!

(in the works for a CWGC listing)
Surname: BROWN
Firstname: John Nixon
Service Number: 6849
Date Death: 05/08/1914
Place of birth: Barony Glasgow
Other: 5th Bn.
SNWM roll: THE QUEEN'S OWN CAMERON HIGHLANDERS
Rank: Pte

&

Surname: FORRESTER
Firstname: Thomas
Service Number: 9591
Date Death: 05/08/1914
Place of birth: Larbert Stirling
Other: 1st Bn.
SNWM roll: THE KING'S OWN SCOTTISH BORDERERS
Rank: Pte

Derek

dhubthaigh · Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 10:50 am Post subject:

Leslie Richmond at Caputh, Perthshire - 23.08.1914
http://warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/viewtopic.php?t=1586

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 1:58 pm Post subject:

I assume Thomas Forrester died at home - the 1st KOSB were in India in 1914 and didn't get back to the UK until December 1914.

CWG at http://scottishwargraves.phpbbweb.com/scottishwargraves-ftopic258.html&highlight=forrester

Name: FORRESTER, THOMAS
Initials: T
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: King's Own Scottish Borderers
Unit Text: 1st Bn.
Age: 25
Date of Death: 05/08/1914
Service No: 9591
Additional information: Son of William and Janet Forrester, of 95, West Carron, Falkirk, Stirlingshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 3. 145.
Cemetery: LARBERT CEMETERY
_________________
Ken

dhubthaigh · Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 2:14 pm Post subject:

A Rattray native who is strangely not listed on the Blairgowrie and Rattray Memorial but is on Stewarton, Ayrshire where he was stationed;

Name: GRUBB, JOHN
Initials: J
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Colour Serjeant
Regiment/Service: Royal Scots Fusiliers
Unit Text: "C" Coy. 4th Bn.
Age: 38
Date of Death: 22/08/1914
Service No: 4518
Additional information: Husband of Jane Grubb, of 63, William St., Blairgowrie, Perthshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: In North-East corner.
Cemetery: RATTRAY PARISH CHURCHYARD

From the Blairgowrie Advertiser;

Deceased was within four months of completing 21 years' service in the Army. He held long service and good conduct medals. The headquarters of the 4th R.S.F. is at Kilmarnock, and Col.-Sergt. Grubb was stationed at Stewarton........

DelBoy · Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2011 2:59 am Post subject:

DelBoy · Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2011 5:40 am Post subject:

According to CWGC the following was the first British officer killed on service in France. According to the newspapers (they could be fibbing though) it was the result of an accident when he and his mechanic Parfitt died as a result of their plane crashing to the ground.

Name: PERRY, EVELYN WALTER COPLAND
Initials: E W C
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Second Lieutenant
Regiment/Service: Royal Flying Corps
Age: 23
Date of Death: 16/08/1914
Additional information: Son of Walter Copland Perry, M.A., Ph.D., Barrister-at-Law, and Evelyn F. Perry (nee Stopford), of 29, Thurloe Square, South Kensington, London. The first British Officer killed on active service in France during the Great War.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 7.
Cemetery: ST. ACHEUL FRENCH NATIONAL CEMETERY, AMIENS

DelBoy · Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 12:57 pm Post subject: Capt. William Tannock

At the other end of things the following man must be amongst the very last official casualties of WW2.

(Glasgow Herald 2nd of Jan 1948)
"At hospital, Glasgow, on 31st December, 1947. Captain William Tannock, R.A.M.C. beloved only son of the late William Tannock and Mrs Mary A. Tannock, 16 Midlothian Drive, Glasgow, S1."

Name: TANNOCK
Initials: W
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Captain
Regiment/Service: Royal Army Medical Corps
Age: 34
Date of Death: 31/12/1947
Service No: 211968
Additional information: Son of William and Mary A. Tannock, of Glasgow. M.B.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Column 3.
Cemetery: GLASGOW CREMATORIUM

Derek.