12th Royal Scots Fusiliers

[derekspiers]

Can anyone please provide details of where this unit was throughout August 1918.

Also, where do I source details of the circumstances for which a Military Medal was awarded to a particular soldier?

I do of course have the man's name and number.

Thanks

[Malcolm]

From LLT site

12th (Ayr & Lanark Yeomanry)Battalion

Formed in Egypt on 14 January 1917 from dismounted yeomanry and placed in 229th Brigade, 74th (Yeomanry) Division.

1 May 1918 : embarked at Alexandria for Marseilles, landing 7 May.

21 June 1918 : came under orders of 94th Brigade, 31st Division.

see

http://www.1914-1918.net/31div.htm

Aye

Malcolm

[Charpoi Warrior]

31st Division was part of Second Army and took part in the battles around the Salient in Summer 1918.

[derekspiers]

31st Division was part of Second Army and took part in the battles around the Salient in Summer 1918.

Thanks CW

My man, John Nimmo died August 19th, if he was KIA, where was his Battalion on this day or shortly before?

I have seen reference to the start of an offensive on Aug 18th in the Ypres area. Anything more specific, such as war diary extracts would be most welcome.

[GraemeClarke]

Hi

Looks like its available to download

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details/AssetMain?iaid=C4555517&isFullDescription=False

Regards,

Graeme

[WilliamRev]

Soldiers Died in the Great War (vol 26) says that he died of wounds, so you'd do well to download the war diary using Graeme's link, and see if it becomes clear which action in July or first half of August he is likely to have been wounded in.

(Buchan's History of the Royal Scots Fusiliers is rather useless for August 1918 - so many battalions of the regiment were doing so many different things, and he rather gives up trying to keep track of them: 12th battalion doesn't get a mention between arriving on Western Front in June 1918 until September.)

[soldiers Died full entry for him reads: "Nimmo, John, born Straiton Ayreshire, enlisted Ayr, 295409 Pte., Died of wounds France and Flanders 19/8/18 , M.M."]

William

[WilliamRev]

To answer your main question: use the search facility to follow a whole load of forum threads over the past few years of people also trying to find citations for Military Medals to see if you can pick up any tips.

William

[Guest Scott1965]

Derek, John Nimmo was my gret uncle. I have a letter from his OC to his parents informing them of his death, during an action to capture the village of Vieux Berquin on the 13th of August 1918. In the letter he is refered to as one of the 'old hands', he was a few weeks short of his 23rd birthday.

[munce]

He was originally in the Ayrshire Yeomanry. "The Proud Trooper" (history of the Ayrshire Yeomanry has this to say about this period:

On the night of 11/12 August the Yeomen were going into the line when the order was received that they were to attack next morning. the objective was the3 village of Vieux Berquin, which was to be taken bt the Battalion and a defensive line then established to the east of it... the Yeomen infiltrated into the enemy defences, which were strong and fully manned, with a series of fighting patrols which would take one trench or strong-point after another. The next thus being outflanked or overlooked, it would be taken in its turn. The principle was therefore to use mobility and ground - in the best cavalry tradition - instead of embarking on a slogging match behind a slow-moving barrage. For three days this process went on, until on the night of Aug 14/15 all objectives had been taken. It was then that the expected counter-attack came in, but it was driven off. This extraordinary operation demanded the greatest degree of dash and initiative on the part of all the junior ranks, on whose leadership and decision its success entirely depended. Congratulatory messages were received not only from the Divisional Commander, but from the Corps and Army Commanders as well. the Yeomen took sixty prisoners during the fighting and inflicted heavy losses. they themselves lost two officers killed and four wounded, and sixty-five other ranks became casualties, mostly wounded. Decorations awarded for the action were two DSOs, two bars to MCs, three DCMs and twenty-one MMs. the day after the battle the Battalion was relieved by the 12th Norfolks, and were in support for four days before going back into reserve at Wallon Cappel.