1/10th and 2/10th Royal Scots, 1916

[rob ewing]

My first time on the Great War Forum - unable to post personal messages so far. Just like to thank Swally for posting information re the 1/10th and 2/10th Royal Scots in April 2007.

My great-grandfather enlisted in the 2/10th Jan 1915; family history had it that he was shot in the head whilst serving in France, and died in Dec 1916.

However, when I started to look up details of the Royal Scots 2/10th - turns out they were a territorial batallion, stationed at Berwick until 1918... Couldn't find any mention of this batallion going to France, until I found Swally's posting... his great-uncle was one of the 160 men who put 'their names in the hat' to go off to France, as, presumably, was my great-grandfather.

His name was Robert Ewing, reg number 2662. I'd like to find out more about what happened to these 'lucky' men.. mainly, though, I'd like to thank Swally for his posting (for some reason I can't send personal messages at present.)

Cheers

Rob Ewing

[AlanCurragh]

Rob- welcome to the forum. You'll be able to send private messages once you have reached 10 posts. In the meantime, I'll send Swally a message alerting him to your post

Alan

[kenf48]

You're in luck

Both his MIC and Service Records are on Ancestry (died of wounds 8.12.1916)

There are 28 pages of records

Ken

[rob ewing]

That's fantastic, ta very much.

[rob ewing]

Thanks Ken. Had a wee look on Ancestry. Brought home the scale of the conflict to me when I found that at least 3 different soldiers called Robert Ewing were killed in 1916 alone...

Rob

[dycer]

Rob,

I think you are being churlish re losses,in WW1,about Royal Scots.

I'm sure the Historian's,on the Forum,will give you details of the Regiment's formation.

For some reason the Regiment,prepared for War,before WW1,and was split into component parts, as the Political Leaders at that time ,saw fit.

The one thing the Political Leaders,forgot to realise,was what, the Cap Badge,meant to men,who were serving,in the Regiment.

It is unsurprising to me,that someone,from a Cyclist's Battalion,wearing a Royal Scots Cap Badge,would not choose to serve in the Regiment.

George

[kenf48]

Dunno what that last rant was about the 'Old Army' was virtually gone by 1915

Not sure what you mean by a 'wee look' definitely worth your while to get a free trial with Ancestry if you haven't done so also well worth looking at

http://www.1914-1918.net/tf.htm for information about how members of the TF 'volunteered' for France.

Just for the record your man attested in the Territorial Force on 23 Jan 1915 for service in the UK with the Royal Scots. He signed the form 624 on 6th June 1915 and for a while was an acting unpaid L/CPL (we've all been there!). On 30th July 1917 he reverted to Private on transfer {deleted in record} attachment to the 7/8th KOSB Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He went to France with them, again see http://www.1914-1918.net/kosb.htm and was wounded on 18th August 1916.

He was evacuated back to the UK on 2 September and succumbed to his wound on the 8th December 1916 at the Alexandra Red Cross Hospital Christchurch Hants.

His transfer was cancelled on 16th September 1916 but by then I don't suppose he, or anyone else, cared what cap badge he wore. He died on 8th December 1916

Incidentally 32 of his comrades in 7/8 KOSB were killed on 18.8.16. so I guess it was one of the Somme battles but I'm sure someone will put us right on that. For some reason the CWGC is returning no results on Ewing at the moment (probably just a temporary glitch) although I had a look at Christchurch Cemetery and he doesn't appear to be there.

Robert was in France for just 35 days.

Ken

[dycer]

Ken,

No rant.

I can wax lyrical about the 8th Royal Scots,whom if memory serves me correctly were a TF Battalion,and two members of whom were my Uncles,pre-War Terriers,and chose to go with the Battalion to France in November 1914.

Whether,they chose to go,through coercion or held an deep held belief in their Regiment,is open to debate now.

It is easy to presume that men associated with the Royal Scots,were forced to join the fighting Battalions,in WW1,I choose to believe differently.

Best wishes

George

[kenf48]

It is easy to presume that men associated with the Royal Scots,were forced to join the fighting Battalions,in WW1,I choose to believe differently.

George

Sorry, and sorry to go a little off topic (esp. a new member's first) but I wonder how much choice an acting (unpaid) L/Corporal had in 1915.

Due to a personal interest I find this whole business of how men ended up where they did so random and dictated by the fortunes of war it's a rich vein of study on it's own.

I wonder how Private Ewing felt on being 'attached' to the KOSB. He'd been in the Royal Scots Cyclist Bn. no doubt with his mates for over a year but then ended up as a replacement or the 'new guy' (never a good thing ) and was thrown straight into the Somme where he was shot in the head.

Incidentally (and getting back on topic) I see most of those who died on the 18th August, the day he was wounded are either on the Thiepval Memorial or in Caterpillar Cemetery, so it was definitely the Somme.

Hopefully a KOSB expert can tell us what they were doing there.

regards

Ken

[rob ewing]

Ken you have been incredibly helpful. I am a newcomer to ancestry and could only find his enlisting papers and death certificate - you have discovered far more in a few hours than I could in a whole week!

The family history I have is that he was shot by a sniper and had to be repatriated to the UK; I only knew the hospital as 'Hants' so again you have filled in the blanks. Robert began writing letters home to my great-grandmother from hospital: but something in these letters did not seem right to her, and she wrote back to the hospital asking if they would take a closer look at him.

He was subsequently operated on and unfortunately died on the operating table. He never saw my grandfather - who was born in 1917, just a few months later.

I'm a doctor. My guess is that he developed a brain abscess, or meningitis, and they decided to operate to remove remaining shrapnel. His body was returned and buried at Redding, Falkirk.

As a postscript: years ago I was in the Royal Scots Museum at Edinburgh Castle. There was a recreation of the cell of a prisoner, whose name happened to be my grandfather's... wondered if the auld lad got himself into trouble. I am back in Edinburgh over christmas, so I'll go in and see if it's still there, and what the date of his confinement was.

Many many thanks for your help here.

Rob Ewing

[Swally]

Rob,

No problem and glad that my post proved helpful to someone. I too have been very lucky with people helping me out on the forum. My Great Uncle James who was with the Royal Scots was originally from Aberdeen, I can only presume that he was visiting my grandfather (his elder brother) in Bo'ness that he was pursuaded to join up.

You say he is buried in Redding, Falkirk?

If you know what boneyard and if you don't have a picture I'll get you one, I stay in Wishaw but work in Falkirk.

Cheers,

Swally

[eltoro1960]

Hi there

A lad named Jimmy Allan from my village of Newtongrange was killed on the day your Great Grandad was wounded he is pictured here in this squad photo taken in 1915 at Berwick when they were stationed there, you never now outside chance he may be in it. Large numbers of men from the 10th were sent as replacement for numerous other battalions of the Royal Scots and the KOSB an HLI.

John

[rob ewing]

Thanks John. The man in the front row first left looks a bit like him... but maybe that's the eye of faith. We have one portrait picture (taken about 1915) at home - I will get it out and compare. He's in uniform - would it be worth scanning and uploading to the forum?

Many thanks again.

Rob

[eltoro1960]

Thanks John. The man in the front row first left looks a bit like him... but maybe that's the eye of faith. We have one portrait picture (taken about 1915) at home - I will get it out and compare. He's in uniform - would it be worth scanning and uploading to the forum?

Many thanks again.

Rob

Fire away Rob, I have a better quality scan on my PC to check against, the one on the website is reduced quality.

John

[kenf48]

We have one portrait picture (taken about 1915) at home - I will get it out and compare. He's in uniform - would it be worth scanning and uploading to the forum?

Rob

I'd like to have a look at him too! I don't think he was a rogue but he seems a character.

btw I think he was probably wounded in the fighting around High Wood because as I mentione before some of his regimental comrades are in Caterpillar Valley. http://www.ww1battlefields.co.uk/somme/longueval.html note the Pipers Memorial that may be a clue!

Coincidentally I was there in April although I was on the D929 shown to the North of the map, so didn't go down that way.

I was already on the long way home after visiting Arras!

At Pozieres the 2nd Australian Division memorial is well worth a visit, there is a well preserved dug out and a modern look out post that gives a view across the fields towards the Thiepval Memorial. The Thiepval Memorial has a relatively new and interesting visitor centre which adds a new dimension. Also nearby is the Newfoundland Battle Park but I had to give that a miss this year.

Well worth a visit I recommend you find out as much as you can before you go as when you're there time slips away.

Welcome to your new obsession, you'll never be bored again, have nothing to read or nowhere to go!

Good luck - I think. I had to retire to keep up

Ken

[rob ewing]

Once again, thanks Ken.

You were absolutely spot on - my sister (who's ex-army herself) informed me that Pt Ewing's details don't immediately come up on the WGC, though he's in a war grave at Camelon Cemetary, nr Falkirk.

Your earlier point was an interesting one and probably more in keeping with this forum: what's it like to be a lone soldier posted to another regiment? How do you fit in, do the others give you the cold shoulder to start with? And with this in mind, was it usual for single soldiers to fill single places - or was there an attempt made to post a number of lads who knew each other into an unfamiliar place?

Rob

[dycer]

Rob,

Your definitive answer would lie in the KOSB War Diary.

This is a War Diary entry from the 8th Royal Scots.

24th February 1915-Arrival of a Draft of about 190 N.C.O's and Men principally drawn from the 8th H.L.I..

As the War went on,detailed information,as above,became less sparse. Total number of Men,in a Draft, were faithfully recorded,but less often was where they came from,other than occasionally a Base Depot,in France,but rarely previous Unit.

George

[kenf48]

Your earlier point was an interesting one and probably more in keeping with this forum: what's it like to be a lone soldier posted to another regiment? How do you fit in, do the others give you the cold shoulder to start with? And with this in mind, was it usual for single soldiers to fill single places - or was there an attempt made to post a number of lads who knew each other into an unfamiliar place?

Rob

Forgive a little romantic licence. I think you answered the question in your first post, in which you say volunteers were sought from his battalion. He was in all probability, as has been mentioned part of a draft and you will need to see the war diary of the 7/8 KOSB. If you ask on the forum someone may have a copy, alternatively you could try the Regimental Museum who hold the diaries http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/rec...p;cid=13-1#13-1 They are usually very helpful and appreciate a small donation as they tend to be run by volunteers.

As has already been commented on in this thread regimental loyalty was the glue that held them together.

Richard Holmes in Tommy recounts how an old soldier from the Black Watch was posted as a deserter from the base depot at Etaples when he turned up at his battalion he explained it was because he feared being posted among 'strangers', as Holmes says, 'tartan being stronger than regulations his crime was expunged' and he was allowed to carry on.

As the attrition continued the need for replacements meant many battalions of the old regiments were virtually destroyed but somehow their tradition survived and it was often a source of resentment that replacements or wounded soldiers returning to the front were 'rebadged' at the base depot. This does no seem to be the case with your great grandfather.

Ken

[Guest tgreen952]

Hi

DESPERATLEY seeking more info on my granddad

JOHN MCBRIDE - BATHGATE

10TH ROYAL SCOTS (CYCLISTS BATTALION..TERRITORIAL FORCE )

RANK - PTE

COY - D

APPARENTLY WAS A IMPERIAL SERVICE VOLOUNTEER APPROX.. SEP 1914...

I ALSO KNOW HE WAS A DRUMMER IN ARMY BAND

HAD A NICKNAME ( GUNNER) WHETHER THAT HAD ANY REF TO HIS STATUS IN THE ARMY I DONT KNOW..

would be soo grateful if you cud help or if u know of anyone who could

many thanks..

tracy green

[WilliamRev]

Hi Tracy

You asked the same question on another thread, and I posted a reply Here;

William

[Crossar]

I am new to this site too - and I am researching my great uncle who enlisted with the 2/10th royal Scots - and I am wondering if he spent any time overseas - as when you research this Battalion, it looks like they stayed in Berwick area and then went to Ireland and late in the war went to Russia.  His details are:  Thomas Higgins Service # 52278.  He got the Victory Medal and the British Medal so does this mean that he would have engaged in fighting?  I have transcribed the diary of the 10th Gordon Highlanders - my great grandfather served with them and survived the war and I would love to track Thomas's time in the war too.  Thomas also was lucky to survive the war too.  

 

Any assistance would be appreciated. 

 

Ann

[alf mcm]

Hello Ann,

 Welcome to the forum.

 Thomas would certainly have served abroad, though not until 1916 at the earliest. Can you give more details, such as his place and date of birth, and possibly where he was living when he enlisted. It would be a good idea if you could start a new thread, titled perhaps Thomas Higgins - 2/10 Royal Scots, or similar.

 

Regards,

 

Allan McMurchie

[robbie56]