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 DacreMC
2/Lt Magnus H Irvin (citation)DCM
241468 Sgt Thomas Annand (citation)Bar to MM
S/9838 Sgt William Gordon MMMM
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 OfficerA 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 TB 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 JC 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 BD 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, JWNote 2/Lt CRUICKSHANK and Lt DOULL,J
8/10th officers, taken on stength after amalgamationFor 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
Carolyn Morrisey