2nd Service Company, Gordon Highlanders


Lt Alexander Walker Robertson 3rd VBGH Peterhead	Lt William A Duguid 5th VBGH Ballater	Lt A M Robertson 6th VBGH Aberchirder

Volunteer Service Companies

Following the great losses to the Regular Army in "Black Week" 9th - 15th December 1899, the Government moved quickly to accept offers of help from the Volunteer battalions.

It was decided to raise one additional company for each Line battalion which was serving in, or about to depart for, South Africa. Each company would consist 116 men made up of one captain, three subalterns one sergeant instructor, four sergeants, two buglers, five corporals ninety-nine privates and two stretcher bearers. The volunteer company would be attached to the line battalion and placed under the overall command of the officers of that battalion. Each man would receive a gratuity of £5 at the termination of his service.

The new companies were titled Service Companies.

To overcome the technicality that prohibited Volunteers from serving as a unit outside of the UK, the men were enlisted into the regular Army for a period of one year or the duration. Upon attestation the Volunteers were renumbered, in the case of the Aberdeenshire contingent receiving numbers in the 8000 range in accordance with the Army Order that stated: "The regimental numbers given to the members of the Volunteer companies will form a portion of the regimental series, but, in order to avoid the confusion which would result from the assignment of numbers to Volunteers and ordinary recruits indiscriminately ... the Volunteer numbering should run consecutively, with an interval of a clear thousand between the last number received by an ordinary recruit". (Army Order 29) Men with previous service in the Gordon Highlanders, such as Colour Sergeant Reynolds, used their original Regular Army number .

Every Volunteer had to be between the age of 20 and 35 years, be a first-class shot under Volunteer rules, efficient for the last two years, be of good character and meet the standards of physical fitness required in the Recruiting Regulations. Preference was given to unmarried men or childless widowers.

The Gordon Highlanders had two battalions serving in South Africa and so raised two extra companies. The 1st Service Company Gordon Highlanders consisted of men drawn from the 1st (HQ Aberdeen). 2nd (HQ Oldmeldrum) and 4th (Donside) Volunteer Battalions Gordon Highlanders [VBGH]. It left Aberdeen on February 16th 1900 and sailed from Southampton for the Cape Colony aboard "RMS Guelph" on 17th February, arriving in Cape Town on March 15. The company eventually joined the 1st Gordon Highlanders, serving as "M" Company . After compltion of its tour of service, the Company departed Cape Town aboard the "Templemore" on 13th April 1901 and arrived back in Aberdeen on 3rd May.

The 2nd Service Company was composed of members of the 5th (HQ Banchory) and 6th (HQ Keith) Battalions (see below) as well as members of the London Scottish (not listed here). It left Aberdeen one week after the first Company, departing from Southampton on 24th February aboard the "RMS Mexican", arriving in Cape Town on 23rd March. The company eventually joined the 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders. The Company left the Cape on 10th April 1901 aboard "RMS Tagus", arriving in Aberdeen on 30th April.

Each Service Company also had relief drafts that left Aberdeen in May. The relief draft for the 2nd Company consisted of men from the 3rd (HQ Peterhead) Battalion (see below), under the command of Lt A W Robertson. The draft joined the 2nd Company at Fort Macready in Natal on 17th July. The 2nd Service Company departed the Colony a few days before its sister unit, arriving in Aberdeen on 30th April 1900.

Donald Sinclair The History of the Aberdeen Volunteers, Aberdeen 1907.

James Grierson Records of the Scottish volunteer force, 1859-1908. 1909.

Hugh Cunningham Volunteer Force : a social and political history 1859-1908, Croom Helm, 1975.
Ian F W Beckett Riflemen Form : the Raising of the Rifle Volunteer Movement 1859-1908, Midas Books, 1982.

Battalion	Number	Rank	Name	Location	Notes
5thVBGH		Lt	Duguid, W A	Ballater
	8113	Sgt	Ross, J M	Banchory
	8114	Sgt	Scott, G	Glenmuick
	8117	Cpl	Merson, J S	Banchory
	8119	L.Cpl	Blacklaws, E	St Cyrus
	8139	L.Cpl	Shaw, G	Banchory
	8140	L.Cpl	Hay, J	Tarland
	8224	L.Cpl	Adams, A P	Stonehaven
	8115	Pte	Leggatt, J	Banchory
	8116	Pte	McGillivray, P	Banchory
	8118	Pte	Lindsay, A	Laurencekirk
	8120	Pte	Morrison, J	Portlethen
	8121	Pte	Cowie, G A	Portlethen	Wounded at Rooikopje 24th July 1900
	8122	Pte	Silver, J	Skene
	8123	Pte	Ogg, W	Skene
	8124	Pte	Jamieson, J	Skene
	8125	Pte	Illingworth, J	Tarland
	8126	Pte	Fyfe, G	Tarland
	8127	Pte	McHardy, G	Ballater
	8128	Pte	Duguid, F	Ballater	Slightly wounded at Rooikopje 24th July 1900
	8129	Pte	Milne, R	Ballater
	8130	Pte	Kilgour, J	Ballater
	8131	Pte	Stewart, A	Ballater
	8132	Pte	Mercer, W	Ballater
	8133	Pte	Allan, W	Stonehaven
	8134	Pte	Ainslie, J	Stonehaven
	8135	Pte	Gibb, W	Stonehaven
	8136	Pte	McGregor, J	Stonehaven
	8137	Pte	Stuart, P	Stonehaven	Killed at Lydenburg 8th Sep 1900 (Commemorated on GH Memorial Edinburgh)
	8138	Pte	Smith, J	Stonehaven
	8166	Pte	Coutts, G	Crathes
	8167	Pte	Thomson, A C	Nigg
6th VBGH	-	-	-	-	-
	-	Lt	Robertson, A M	Aberchirder
	1520	Col-Sgt Instructor	Reynolds, E J	Dufftown
	8141	L.Sgt	Margach, J	Dufftown
	8147	Cpl	Cumming, H	Aberlour
	8150	L.Cpl	McRae, John Fowlie	Aberlour	Enlisted for war service 19th January 1900. Aged 27. Occupation: joiner. Father: William McRae, 54 Charlotte Street Fraserburgh. In South Africa from 23rd Feb 1900. Wounded at Lydenburg 8th Sept 1900. Transferred to Railway Pioneer Regiment 31st Dec 1900.
	8142	Pte	Thomson, J	Keith
	8143	Pte	Rhind, James	Keith	Enlisted for war service 19th January 1900. Aged 20. Occupation: butcher. Father : Gordon McRae 159 Mid Street Keith. Served South Africa 23rd Feb1900 to 22nd July 1900. Home: 23rd July 1900 to 5th Oct 1900 - discharged at own request - services no longer required.
	8144	Pte	Stott, G	Banff	Severely wounded both legs. (Times casualty list 31 August 1900)
	8145	Pte	Geddes, A	Banff
	8146	Pte	Trail, J	Banff
	8148	Pte	Urquhart, P	Aberlour
	8149	Pte	MacDonald, A	Aberlour
	8151	Pte	Tough, G	Gleninnes
	8152	Pte	McKay, G	Aberlour
	8153	Pte	Stuart, D E	Dufftown	Slightly wounded at Rooikopjes 24 July 1900. Killed at Lydenburg 8th Sept 1900
	8154	Pte	Cowie, W	Dufftown
	8155	Pte	McKenzie, J A	Dufftown
	8156	Pte	Taylor, John	Buckie
	8157	Pte	Bowie, John	Buckie	Scotsman 10th May 1901 - Two Buchie men arrive home to hero's welcome.
	8158	Pte	Grant, R	Aberlour
	8159	Pte	Campbell, John	Buckie	Scotsman 10th May 1901 - Two Buchie men arrive home to hero's welcome.
	8160	Pte	Brown, William	Aberlour
	8161	Pte	Smith, A	Aberchirder
	8162	Pte	Neish, R	Aberlour
	8163	Pte	Pedder,	Ccornhill
	8164	Pte	Wilson, W	Banff
3rd VBGH	-	-	-	-	-
Relief Draft	-	Lt	Robertson, Alexander Walker	Peterhead	Son of Lt Col R. Robertson ; born Peterhead, 1875. In December 1915 Robertson enlisted in the 2nd Berkshire Regiment and served as a Lance-Corporal with that Regiment in France from April 1916 until his death on 1st July 1916. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial
	8239	Sgt	Noble, A	Fraserburgh
	8244	Pte	Noble, J	Fraserburgh
	8252	Pte	Burr, A	Fraserburgh
	8253	Pte	Burr, Charles	Strichen	Wounded Lydenburg 8th Sept 1900
	8240	Pte	Birnie, G	Fraserburgh
	8241	Pte	Milne, J	Fraserburgh
	8242	Pte	Walker, J	Fraserburgh
	8243	Pte	Burns, A	Fraserburgh	Wounded at Rooikopjes 24th July 1900
	8245	Pte	Waterson, Robert	Fraserburgh
	8246	Pte	Morrison, Thomas Roger	Fraserburgh
	8247	Pte	Burnett, Andrew	Fraserburgh	Enlisted for war service 18th April 1900. Aged 21. Occupation: joiner. Father's address: 15 Charlotte Street, Fraserburgh. Served in South Africa from 19th May1900. Transferred to Railway Pioneer Regiment 31/12/1900.
	8248	Pte	Macintosh, J	Fraserburgh
	8251	Pte	Shand, Alexander	Strichen	Wounded Lydenburg 8th Sept 1900
	8254	Pte	Gauld, F	Peterhead	Wounded Lydenburg 8th Sept 1900
	8256	Pte	Mitchell, John G	Longside
	8257	Pte	Wilson, A	Peterhead
	8258	Pte	McMichael, Wilfred L	Peterhead	Enlisted for war service 25th April 1900. Aged 20. Occupation: cabinet maker. Born: Edinburgh. Mother's address: 53 Marischal Street, Peterhead. Served in South Aftrica from 19th May 1900. Transferred to Railway Pioneer Regiment 31st Dec 1900.
	8237	Pte	Mitchell, George H	Mintlaw
	8269	Pte	Purdie, A	Fraserburgh

Actions that resulted in casualties:

Rooikopjes, Transvaal, 24th July 1900: From a report by Colonel W A Scott, 2nd Gordon Highlanders - "I am sure it will please the volunteer battalions of the regiment to know that the volunteer company attached to my battalion, under Captain Rogers, London Scottish, and Lt A W Robinson, 3rd VBGH, received their baptism of fire on Tuesday, 24th July, at the attack on Rooikopjes. I placed them in the firing line, and they behaved magnificently, showing the greatest dash and coolness under fire. They carried out my orders perfectly and the only fault I had to find was that they were so keen they pressed on rather too quickly. I am sorry to say one of them was killed and the Captain and four others wounded." [Pte E Murray, London Scottish, dangerously wounded, later died.]

Lydenburg, 8th September 1900 : During an action around Lydenburg and Spits Kop the Company was hit by shell fire. From the Scotsman "General Buller had 13 men killed and 25 wounded. Fully one half of these were accounted for by a shrapnel shell which exploded above the Volunteer Company of the Gordon Highlanders. Nineteen of the company came within the zone of destruction and three were killed outright. [D.B Stuart, Dufftown, 6th VBGH, P. Stuart, Stonehaven 5th VBGH and Sgt W.F. Budgett, London Scottish.] The company continued to advance as steadily as if nothing had happened."

A member of the Company wrote, "We saw the puff as the gun was fired, then about thirty seconds later heard the shell hissing through the air, then it burst and nineteen of the Company were lying on the ground, two killed."

An example of the Attestation form completed by Volunteers can be found in Miscellaneous items here