CSM DAVID MOODY 12673, Gordon Highlanders RAWALPINDI WAR CEMETERY

[GordonMac]

I'm doing some research into my wife's Great-Uncle, CSM DAVID MOODY 12673, 1st Garrison Bn., Gordon Highlanders who died of heatstroke on 06 June 1918 and is buried in Rawalpindi War Cemetery. Just a couple of queries.. Can anyone give me a quick summary of what the regiment would be doing in India at that time ? - and also, judging by the death certificates, it seemed that fatalities due to heatstroke were an almost daily occurrence...

[Donny Anderson]

GordonMac,

The Garrison battalions were made up of soldiers unfit for front line duty, this decision was made at time of enlistment or after previous front line service where the soldier had suffered wounds or sickness. They were sent to variuos parts of the empire on garrison duties to release fit soldiers for front line duty. The 1st Garrison Bn. of the Gordon Highlanders was formed at Blairgowrie in October 1916 and went to India in January 1917 and remained there, I have a referance to the battalion serving in the Rawlpindi Brigade/Division but I can not find that note at the moment. Some of the soldiers who served in the Garrison Bn's in India served on the North West Frontier in Afghanistan in 1919.

Have you seen your relations medal index card? as he had previous service in the Kings Own Scottish Borders and appears to have gone to France on 11/11/1914. If you have not seen his medal index card and would like it send me your e-mail address by PM and will do the necessery.

Donny

[GordonMac]

GordonMac,

The Garrison battalions were made up of soldiers unfit for front line duty, this decision was made at time of enlistment or after previous front line service where the soldier had suffered wounds or sickness. They were sent to variuos parts of the empire on garrison duties to release fit soldiers for front line duty. The 1st Garrison Bn. of the Gordon Highlanders was formed at Blairgowrie in October 1916 and went to India in January 1917 and remained there, I have a referance to the battalion serving in the Rawlpindi Brigade/Division but I can not find that note at the moment. Some of the soldiers who served in the Garrison Bn's in India served on the North West Frontier in Afghanistan in 1919.

Have you seen your relations medal index card? as he had previous service in the Kings Own Scottish Borders and appears to have gone to France on 11/11/1914. If you have not seen his medal index card and would like it send me your e-mail address by PM and will do the necessery.

Donny

Donny

Thanks for the reply. Much appreciated and I do have the medal card.

Can I ask - would it follow that CSM Moody was also unfit for frontline duty like his men, due to wounds or sickness in his previous postings ?

G

[Donny Anderson]

G

Very possibly that was the case, have you seen this entry from Soldiers Died in the Great War-

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.d...War&indiv=1

it gives his place of birth and enlistment.

Donny

[PPCLI]

One of the men on my village war memorial, Private S/16207 William S Campbell, died while serving with the 1st Garrison Bn., Gordon Highlanders. When researching his write-up for my book, I found about 40 men who died with this unit while stationed in India - mostly in summer/autumn 1918, if I remember correctly.

For your records, David Moody is likely to have enlisted with the KOSB in September 1904 (8973 James Tosh enlisted 13 Sep 1904).

Stuart

[GordonMac]

Thanks to both Stuart and Donny for your help.