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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Anyone recognise these Scottish officers, July 1914?


ACCD

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My grandfather Fred Davidson (the one not wearing whites) appears in this shot taken in the summer of 1914 when he was medical officer with the 1st Cameronians. I believe it shows a party of officers playing tennis at the Duke of Atholl's estate in Perthshire, where the Cameronians, 2nd Argyll and Sutherland and Cameron Highlanders were on manoeuvres, shortly before being mobilised for the British Expeditionary Force. None of the faces look familiar from other photographs of Cameronians which Fred and his friend Robert Money took. I wondered if anyone out there recognised them? I'm guessing they may be Argylls or Camerons, but would love to know. The photograph appears uncaptioned in one of a trio of albums left by Fred.

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I thought the chap in the cap, seated left, might have been James Jack - but the more I look the less convinced I am. Next to him, pipe in mouth and looking to his left, might be Harry Becher, killed 13th March 1915 (http://www.sllcmuseumscollections.co.uk/search.do?id=139509&db=object&page=1&view=detail). I may well be clutching at straws!

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Thanks, you may be right - I had discounted the Cameronians but the problem in identifying them may be that these men look (understandably) rather less gaunt than the more familiar pictures of them taken just months later in the trenches! Here are Becher and Jack in January 1915, with the latter already suffering from pneumonia.

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