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Casualty List : 5th Battalion Gordon Highlanders

Names in Blue also appear on Battalion Roll

Casualties, Officers' Roll and Awards June 1918

From the Battalion War Diaries

In June 1918 at the RAILWAY CUTTING near ARRAS the 1/5th Battalion amalgamated with the 8th/10th Battalion Gordon Highlanders.  The composite battalion was named the 5th Battalion, as the 5th was the senior unit and Lt. Col.Smith of the 1/5th became the Commanding Officer of the unit.  Lord Dudley Gordon of the 8th/10th went down to the Base to form a training centre. Before the 8th/10th went into battle under his command for the last time, Lord Dudley Gordon gave a touching farewell address to the troops, saying," Gordon Highlanders, remember your motto - 'Bydand' - bide faur ye are. (stand fast)"   In the 5th Battalion's War Diaries for the month of June there appears a list of the officers of the amalgamated formation, which appears below.  The Diaries also list the recipients of Honours and Awards, and the results of a marksmanship competion held on 24th June.

Date              Number Name  Rank  Nature of casualty Notes 
10 June S/15924  Calder, Andrew  Pte Wounded   
10 June  S/12009  Brookless, Andrew  Pte  Wounded  To France 3/8/1915. Discharged 3/1/1919 
10 June  S/9838  Gordon, William  Sgt  Wounded  M.M. and Bar. To France 3/8/1915. Discharged to Reserves 7/2/1919 
15 June  S/3037  Brown, Robert  Pte  Wounded  "D" Coy. Slightly wounded.  To France 9/7/1915.   Discharged to Reserves 5/4/1919
27 June  235415  Milne, Alexander  L.Cpl  Wounded   
27 June  240531  Watson, Henry G  L.Cpl  Wounded  M.M. Buchan Observer 23/7/1918. (Ellon) Cpl Watson has been wounded and is in hospital in England. He is the youngest son of Mrs Watson, Burnside, Shivas, Ellon and before the war was with Mr Ligertwood, Ythanbank Post Office.  (2330)
 

War Diaries for 27th June state: 1 NCO stretcher bearer and 1 man wounded at 9.30 am by mortar shell, from No. 4 platoon


Appendix 14 - Result of Battn Individual Marksmanship Competition
Wakefield Camp Firing Range
14th June 1918
 

1st  -  A Coy  S/17153     Pte   Hislop, Robert G
2nd -  A Coy   292233      Pte   Jeffrey, James
3rd  -  B Coy   S/22334    Pte   Sutherland, William
4th  -  D Coy   S/17518    Pte   Gibb, Alexander
5th  -  B Coy   S/13296    Pte    Dalrymple, James
6th  -  C Coy    290165    L.Cpl Wright, Robert (2468/7 - To France 2/5/1915.)
7th  -  C Coy    7949        L.Cpl Grice, Harry W (Originally 1st Gordons. To France 14/9/1914)

Results of Btn Section Competition
1st  241630Cpl Gillett, Thomas C (4209) & 7 men from D Coy.


Appendix 19 - Honours and Awards for gallantry in the field
during operations from 21st March - 2nd April 1918

Bar to MC
Capt Thomas McNaughton Dacre

MC
2/Lt Magnus H Irvin (citation)

DCM
241468 Sgt Thomas Annand (citation)

Bar to MM
S/9838 Sgt William Gordon MM

MM
242321    Sgt Robert McAllister - Died 8/5/1918 at Dalmeny House Hospital, near Edinburgh
240444    Cpl James Johnston - (Fraserburgh) 2142
241284    Cpl Charles Dunn - (Keith) 3738 
242465    L.Cpl John Smith -
240963    L.Cpl William Milne - (Boddam) Killed 28/8/1918
241311    Pte John Watson -
S/14360   Pte William Thornley - (Manchester) Died if wounds 29/8/1918
242077    Pte Norman W Duffus - (Aberdeen)

Appendix 21 - Birthday Honours

MC
Capt and QM Joseph Marr - Also Buchan Observer 11/6/1918 " Peterhead - Award of Military Cross. Quartermaster and Hon. Captain J. Marr, Gordon Highlanders who was awarded the M.C., was prior to the war in Peterhead a sergeant of a Territorial Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders."

Meritorious Service Medal
115        RQMS  James Chalmers (Peterhead)
838        CQMS  James Taylor (Boddam)
240041  Cpl        Rolland M Neilson (Ellon) Killed 13/4/1918

For a full list of awards to members of the Battalion, see: Military Cross  DCM and Military Medal


Appendix 18 "The following is a list of officers now on the strength of the amalgamated battalion"

Those officers' names marked with an asterisk* came  from 8th/10th Battalion

Headquarters
Lt Col SMITH, G.A DSO  CO
*Major WOOD,J B  DSO, MC 2IC
*Capt GEDDES G P  DSO, ADJ
2/Lt COPELAND A D  Asist Adjutant
Lt REID,J T  Lewis Gun Officer
2/Lt BARRON, J V E Signalling Officer
2/Lt MACDONALD, D S Intelligence Officer
Capt MARR, J MD QM
Lt YOUNGSON, R W Transport Officer
2/Lt SCOTT, W T Asst Transport Officer

A Coy
Lt STEWART, J M Commanding
Lt McHARDIE, J  2nd in Command
2/LT CURRIE, J
2/Lt MIDDLETON, G A
2/LT BROWN, A
*2/Lt KEIR, John
*2/Lt BOWIE, F J T

B Coy
*Capt KEMP, W S Commanding (Aldershot)
Lt WEST, W Acting in Command
Lt BERRY, C M
*Lt KEIR, James
Lt WARRACK, D L MC
2/Lt IRVIN, M H  MC
2/Lt FRAZER, D A D
2/Lt HADDEN, W J

C Coy
* Capt MOFFATT, F J C  DSO Commanding
Lt CURRIE, W T  2nd in Command
Lt ELLIOTT, L B
*2/Lt SMITH, A D E
2/Lt BUCHANAN, A H
2/Lt STRATHDEE, R B

D Coy
* Lt BLACK, R A M Commanding
Lt RUSSELL, J C   2nd in Command
2/Lt CRANNA, A P
2/Lt GILL, I M
2/Lt ANDERSON, D K
2/Lt CAMERON, R A
*2/Lt LOVIE, F W
*2/Lt MORRISON, A
*2/Lt INSCH, J G  MM
Lt KAY, JW

Note 2/Lt CRUICKSHANK and Lt DOULL,J
8/10th officers, taken on stength after amalgamation

For biographical information on officers see Nominal Roll

                               Appendix 17 - Strength                                                    

    Officers OR 
Strength of 1/5th Gordons as at 7th June (at Amalgamation)        40    452
Strength of 8/10th Gordons as at 7th June (at Amalgamation)        11    595
  Total      51  1047
Surplus personnel sent to Base      
 1/5th Gordons      11     54
  8/10th Gordons       -    104
Strength of 5th Bn on Amalgamation      40    889


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Carolyn Morrisey