2/4th Seaforth Highlanders - winter 1916

[brodie]

I have found a relative of my husband who was in the 2nd/4th Seaforth Highlanders. He died 11th Dec 1916 and was bured in Contay British Cemetery. From the information on the CWGC website, it seems most of the burials here at that time were from the 49th and 9th CCS. Can anyone tell from this information where he was likely to have been fighting when wounded?

[Steven Broomfield]

2/4th Seaforth didn't go overseas, so he must have been serving with someone else.

Post a name and as much as you know and someone will sort it out.

[Malcolm]

Private Kenneth Ferguson 4987 was with 4th Battalion Seaforths according to the entry on Scottish National War Memorial and SDITGW. He died of wounds.

Aye

Malcolm

[Hambo]

Brodie

Malcolm's posting puts him in the 1/4th and the battalion history has the following for the fist few days of December 1916 (precis version!)

On the 26th of November they went into huts at Aveluy and during a long period of cold weather they supplied large working parties mainly unloading stores and improving trenches. On the 2nd of December two men were killed and one was wounded.

On the 3rd of December they moved to the Wolfe Huts to relieve the 7th Gordons in front of Courcelette and were employed in building up the defences.

It was wet and dark

Weather very bad; trenches were in very poor state of repair. On the 7th and 8th weather got worse, trenches a series of unconnected posts. On the 9th rain was so heavy that both sides buried their dead under a Red Cross flag

On the night of the 9th they go into huts at Ovillers and on the 10th they go to Bouzincourt where they were billited in barns. The 11th was wet

Looking at SDGW there are 14 men who die during the period 2nd to the 11th. The bulk (9) were killed in action on the 8th so there was clearly more casualties being taken than the battalion history implies.

Nothing specific but hopefully of some interest

Best regards John

[Malcolm]

Hello John,

That is interesting. 51st HD History talks of wet weather, collapsing trenches near Courcelette, shell-hole outposts in mud, trench mortars and snipers being very accurate. They were pleased to leave the place.

Aye

Malcolm

[brodie]

Thanks a lot guys. It is indeed Kenneth Ferguson I am researching. Sorry about the confusion over his regiment, but I took the info from CWGC where it says he was 2nd/4th - clearly an error (or perhaps that was his original unit and he transferred).

[Malcolm]

If you go to Naval and Military Press you can get a 4th Bn Seaforths History for £14.50. Catalogue No 6996.

Aye

Malcolm