1st Garrison Battalion, Scottish Rifles (Cameronians)

[sailoncj]

I am endeavouring to obtain details of the 1st Gn Bn Scottish Rifles' deployment to India in February 1916 and more specifically any information about about L/Cpl Frank McKenzie who died there in 1918. A family photograph depicts what appears to be a lone monument erected in his memory and it would of course be of particular interest to know the likely location of this - the 4-tier plinth with stone cross atop bears the following inscription: 'In memory of No. 24126 L/Cpl F. McKenzie 1st Gn Bn Scottish Rifles Died 17th Oct 1918 Aged 42yrs Erected by the Officers and other Ranks of the Battalion' . The cross bears the religious 'IHS' motif.

Little else of Frank's service life and death is known other than a service record that indicates he enlisted in Edinburgh and which has the following tail note:

'Formally 1604 RGA' (or possibly 'A.G.A')

Any assistance would be much appreciated

Kind regards,

[JOVE23]

Hello and welcome!

I can't help a whole lot, but I do know that RGA most likely stands for Royal Garrison Artillery.

Best,

Justin

[Tom Lang]

You might try contacting the Regimental Museum in Hamilton.

http://www.cameronians.org/museum/index.html

Tom.

[sotonmate]

Welcome to the Forum !

Long Long Trail,link at top left of this page, shows 1 GB Scottish Rifles left for India in Feb 1916 and were there for the duration of the war.

Other sources show they were attached to Jubbulpore Brigade of 5 (Mhow) Division of the Indian Army from Mar 1916 to Oct 1917 and then transferred as Divisional Troops to 7 (Meerut) Division of the Indian Army from Oct 1917 to 1919.

Frank is shown as in earlier service with the Royal Garrison Artillery,but likely pre-war.

He is buried in Meerut Cantonment Cemetery,some 85 kms NE of New Delhi. Over three years there are 16 soldiers from this unit buried in the cemetery,first one listed on 18 Sep 1917 and last one on 7 Sep 1919. Earlier at Jubbulpore two other soldiers died from this unit, none at Meerut.

The memorial you mention may well be within this cemetery. I have seen similar within the Netley Military Cemetery in Hampshire,if pre-WW1.

[rolt968]

Hello and welcome,

A number of odd bits and pieces from various sources, some of which you have probably seen:

1 Garrison Battalion was formed in Hamilton in February 1916 and went to India at the end of the month (Edwards).

It is worth looking at the CWGC note on their graves in the Meerut Cantonment Cemetery:

"The CWGC graves are located in different plots of the cemetery. .........

Plots 6, 7 and the RC Plot are all to the left of the central avenue, with Plot 6 [Frank McKenzie] to the far left, ......

All the CWGC graves have a steel tag marked ‘CWGC’ behind the grave marker."

I wonder if this would make it appear as a lone monument?

The grave stone gives his age as 42. No other source gives his age. According to Soldiers Died in The Great War, he was born in Forres, Morayshire. (SDGW says Forres, Aberdeenshire!) No Frank McKenzie is registered as born in Forres at the appropriate date. According to SDGW he enlisted in Edinburgh.

Curiously I have found a Frank McKenzie, born in Forres, who served in RGA. However he attested in Linlithgow on 13 March 1903, aged 19. He was invalided out on 12 January 1905 on health grounds, aged 20 years and 10 months. His number was 15259. I can't find a birth registered in Forres that matches that either! On his discharge, he declared that he was going to live in 70 Cromwell Road, West Minster, Sheppey. On his enlistment he gave his next of kin as an elder brother, N(?) McKenzie,12 William Street, Forres. (Pension record in findmypast.)

There is a death certificate, but I'm not sure what details it would give: MCKENZIE, Frank; S.R. (1st Garr.); Lance Corporal; 24126; 1918; Vol. I.10; Page 422. GRO War Death Army Other Ranks (1914 to 1921).

I'm not sure if any of this helps!

Roger.

[sailoncj]

To: JOVE23

Tom Lang

sotonmate

rolt968

Thank you Gentlemen most sincerely for your splendid responses which together provide me with some excellent leads on the lost years and final resting place of Franklin Walker

'Frank' Mckenzie.

Kind regards

sailoncj

[barrieduncan]

Drop an email to lowparksmuseum@southlanarkshireleisure.co.uk - we have a transcription of the 1st Garrison Battalion War Diary which covers May 1916 to February 1917. Its a fairly short account, more of a summary - but it may be of interest.

[sailoncj]

FAO barrieduncan

Many thanks for your interest and contact information which I will certainly follow-up.

Kind regards,

[sailoncj]

Further to my original enquiry regarding L/Cpl Frank McKenzie, posted 04.01.2014:

In his very interesting and helpful reply, rolt968 referred to L/Cpl McKenzie's first period of service in the RGA from 1903 to 1905 - also to his declaration at discharge that he was going to live in Sheppey, Kent.

From other souces, it is clear that Frank McKenzie was as good as his word and marriage records confirm that he was married and settled there in 1905.

The implications of this sequence of events is that Frank met his future wife whilst serving in southern England.

Could I therefore make a further request for any information regarding the RGA being based in a service establishment in North Kent or thereabouts in the period 1903 to 1905?

Many thanks

[STANSGRANDS]

Hello sailoncj this is a new bag of worms for the family we were under the impression G.Grandfather was buried in INDIA ,However thanks to the G.W.F. Its quite possible he is not and as it reads he was released so? the big question is would he of been called up again ? if so what regiment perhaps it may be worth a look in the Kent regiments as he moved there..Looks like I will have to re write The Ancestry .Com pages again .this may account for no birth records in Forres Abberdeenshire .But thank you G.W.F for the addition information .

[rolt968]

There is a sergeant Frank McKenzie born in Sheppey in 55 Company RGA, married aged 38 in the overseas military in the 1911 census. They are based in Arabia/Cyprus/Gibralter section.

R