roughdiamond Posted 2 June , 2010 Share Posted 2 June , 2010 It contains a list of Officers who served as well as some photos of them, it also contains an OR's roll of honour. PM me if you want any look ups. Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianmccallum Posted 24 July , 2010 Share Posted 24 July , 2010 Hi Sam Looking for info on a Pte James McMahon 7 A&SH killed by a shotgun wound to head on 17 February 1915. He must have been one of the first casualties and we still being instructed in trench warfare. Any info regarding the incident or whereabouts of the battalion at the time would be great. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
27thBN Posted 25 July , 2010 Share Posted 25 July , 2010 It contains a list of Officers who served as well as some photos of them, it also contains an OR's roll of honour. PM me if you want any look ups. Sam Hi Sam do you have anything on a Captain/Major Francis W Heys OBE,MC,TD he got this MC with the 7th in march 1918 Thanks Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roughdiamond Posted 26 July , 2010 Author Share Posted 26 July , 2010 Hi Sam Looking for info on a Pte James McMahon 7 A&SH killed by a shotgun wound to head on 17 February 1915. He must have been one of the first casualties and we still being instructed in trench warfare. Any info regarding the incident or whereabouts of the battalion at the time would be great. Ian Hi Ian I can confirm James is indeed listed on the roll of honour at the back of the book but I'm afraid there is no mention or detail of his death, the book however does contain the following passage for 1915: - "At Helfaut the Bn was re-organised on a four company basis as in Regular Bn's, instead of having eight single companies as at first. Thence it moved by Hazebrouk and Bailleul to Nieppe, where it was initiated during January and February 1915 into the mysteries of trench warfare as part of 10th Infantry Brigade, 4th Division. During this time parties of Officers and N.C.O.'s went into the line for instruction by the 2nd Seaforth Highlanders and other units of the 10th Brigade just north of Ploegsteert. The Bn's first independent tour in the trenches took place on 1st March 1915." The Ploegsteert reference above would tie in with the location of the Cemetery in which he's buried. If you can, it would be worth getting a look at the Bn War diary, I know it's not on line yet at Kew, but it is held there, it maybe worth contacting the Argyll's museum at Stirling Castle to see if they have the pages of the War Diary relating to the date of his death, as they kindly supplied the pages relating to the death of my Gt Uncle listed in my signature below. Another avenue of research, as he was a native of the town, would be in the microfilm copies of the Falkirk herald which are held in Falkirk library, they did list those killed and regularly included photos. I hope this is helpful? All the best. Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianmccallum Posted 26 July , 2010 Share Posted 26 July , 2010 Hi Sam Thank you for the prompt reply and the information which was most helpful. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roughdiamond Posted 26 July , 2010 Author Share Posted 26 July , 2010 Hi Sam do you have anything on a Captain/Major Francis W Heys OBE,MC,TD he got this MC with the 7th in march 1918 Thanks Tony Hi Tony I sent you the pages from the book relating to Capt Heys in June by e-mail if you remember? Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianmccallum Posted 4 September , 2010 Share Posted 4 September , 2010 Hi Sam Could I bother you again to have a look in the 7th Argylls book for me. I am researching a Lennoxtown man, Hugh Dougan who was killed on 11 September 1916. Apparently he was killed by a shell while returning from the cookhouse at Armentieres. Could you confirm if possible. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimSmithson Posted 4 September , 2010 Share Posted 4 September , 2010 Hi Sam Is there a particularly good description of the units action on the 9th to 14th April 1917 on the Scarpe. If so is it possible to get a scan of those pages? A lot to ask so I will understand if you can't. Let me know by PM if you wish. Thanks Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roughdiamond Posted 6 September , 2010 Author Share Posted 6 September , 2010 Hi Sam Could I bother you again to have a look in the 7th Argylls book for me. I am researching a Lennoxtown man, Hugh Dougan who was killed on 11 September 1916. Apparently he was killed by a shell while returning from the cookhouse at Armentieres. Could you confirm if possible. Ian Hi Ian Sorry, the book gives only a scant outline of the War and very rarely mentions Other Ranks by name, his name however is in the roll of honour. Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roughdiamond Posted 6 September , 2010 Author Share Posted 6 September , 2010 Hi Sam Is there a particularly good description of the units action on the 9th to 14th April 1917 on the Scarpe. If so is it possible to get a scan of those pages? A lot to ask so I will understand if you can't. Let me know by PM if you wish. Thanks Jim Jim Just this short extract I'm afraid: "On the 9th April the general attack on Vimy Ridge was launched and the Battalion performed it's part in pushing forward the line to within striking distance of Bailleul. The system of the enemy's trenches there was very elaborate, and because of the damage to them done by our guns, definate locations could only be identified with great difficulty. at one point an inevitable delay while help was being given to hard pressed troops in front caused the Battalion to lose its creeping barrage and to suffer accordingly. The fighting went on till the night of the 11th, trench after trench being taken by bombing, by sudden rushes, by stealth in the dark or by straight-forward forward assault in co-operation with the Artillery, in one place the Argyll's captured a Regimental Commander, all his staff and 70 men. The relief in the morning of the 12th of April was carried out in a blizzard of extraordinary severity. Tired men staggered rather than marched along, chilled in every lim, their feet and kilts heavy with mud and slush." The book then moves onto the 23rd April and the attack on Roeux and its chemical works. Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
27thBN Posted 7 September , 2010 Share Posted 7 September , 2010 Hi Sam i interested in the time from Jan 1916 to April 1918 .As i have a an officer that was Killed on 24 March 1918. Lt William Maclean Cheers Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimSmithson Posted 7 September , 2010 Share Posted 7 September , 2010 Sam Thank you for taking the time to copy out the entry. I am amazed that it is so short for one of the most successful assaults the army made pre 1918. You can see how frustrating it can be when researching an action. Imagine waiting ages for the book to be fetched from the depths of a library or waiting for inter-library loan arrivals to then find that you have a paragraph, possible less detailed than the battalion war diary entry! Again thank you! Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roughdiamond Posted 7 September , 2010 Author Share Posted 7 September , 2010 Hi Sam i interested in the time from Jan 1916 to April 1918 .As i have a an officer that was Killed on 24 March 1918. Lt William Maclean Cheers Tony Tony He is not listed as serving with the 7th Bn and is not listed in it's Roll of Honour, according to CWGC he was 5th Bn attached 1/9th. Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianmccallum Posted 8 September , 2010 Share Posted 8 September , 2010 Hi Sam Thanks for the reply. I just hoped it might mention the incident. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amor Posted 12 October , 2010 Share Posted 12 October , 2010 Hi Sam, Can you let me know if your book has any info for Pvt S/13414 William Guthrie Mill KIA 25/03/1918? Rgds, Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roughdiamond Posted 29 October , 2010 Author Share Posted 29 October , 2010 Hi Sam, Can you let me know if your book has any info for Pvt S/13414 William Guthrie Mill KIA 25/03/1918? Rgds, Alex Alex Sorry it has taken so long to reply but I don't check this forum very often that's why I asked anyone looking for info to PM me. William is not named in the book other than in the roll of honour. What I can tell you is that when the German Spring Offensive started on the 21st March the 7th were occupying a line astride the main road from Bapaume to Cambrai. By the 25th the Bn had been forced back to Grevillers via Bertincourt on the 23rd and a line from Beaumetz to Morchies on the 22nd. The following is from the book covering the 25th: "On the 25th the Bn was ordered to hold a line covering Warlensourt. It had now been reorganised into the 2 companies under the command of a Captain and was deployed in depth of three lines. At 4am it was found that there was no one on the right flank. The enemy developed his attack round that way. Once more the Argylls turned a defensive flank, faced the enemy and fought on. Reinforcements were promised, eagerly awaited, but did not come. The enemy field guns were firing at point-blank range and our men were physically exhausted after 5 days of ceaseless fighting without proper food and entirely without rest. The whole position was withdrawn at night to Serre-au-Bois, where the Bn occupied an out post line until 11am on 26th." According to the Service returns he is shown as "Died in the Field on or since 25/03/1918" it also lists him as 22 wich contradicts the CWGC site which lists him as 19. Sorry mate that's all there is. Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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