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J P Harris' Douglas Haig and the First World War


David Seymour

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As you know the cover photo of J.P.Harris, Douglas Haig and the First World War shows the Field Marshal inspecting the Guard of Honour of C Company, 6th Battalion, Gordon Highlanders. Does anyone know who is the officer walking immediately behind Haig?

Many thanks.

With best wishes,

David

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Cranstoun.jpg

David, it may be Lieut. Col. C.J.E. Cranstoun, though I don't have a photograph of Cranstoun to confirm this. Lieut. Col. J.G. Thom commanded the 6th Battalion up until its amalgamation with the 7th Battalion, which took place at midnight on October 5th 1918 at Frevent-Capelle. Thom then became the CO of the resultant 6/7th Battalion. However Thom was succeeded by Cranstoun on the 17th October. As the picture used for the Harris book is captioned 15 November 1918, it would in fact be the newly amalgamated 6/7th Battalion rather than the old 6th which is shown, and Lieut. Col. Cranstoun would have been its CO at that date.

Source: The Life of a Regiment: The History of the Gordon Highlanders, volume IV 1914-1919, by Cyril Falls (1958), pp. 230 & 252.

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