L/Sgt George Stewart - 9th HLI Glasgow Highlanders

[Guest Jack_Minshull]

This past year I have been researching my family history, and specifically looking for information about my Grandfather. In a chance Google search I discovered an excerpt from 'Come On Highlanders! Glasgow's Territorials in the Great War' by Alec Weir.

After nightfall Sgt 4482/331669 George S. Stewart MM took out a patrol to look for possible crossing places. Just to their north were the small towns of Berlaimont on the west bank of the river and Aulnoye-Aymeries opposite it on the east. The latter was an important rail junction and there were two railway bridges, two road bridges and a lock in the immediate vicinity. The Germans however had blown them all up. The most promising-looking site for a crossing was just north of one of the broken railway bridges, so the plan was for the Royal Engineers to construct a barrel bridge at this spot. This wasn't to be a tomorrow job though - they were told to get on with it straightaway. Amazingly the enemy seemed not to cotton on to what they were doing and apart from one or two shells and a few trench mortars were still apparently firing at random; so the bridge was put together without hindrance.

I was very excited to find this story, and since the story recounted in the book is dated exactly 100 years ago tomorrow, I really felt the need to tell someone about it. I only joined this forum a few weeks ago but I am enjoying reading the posts, in particular the stories shared in remembrance, and I figured that if anyone would be interested in my tale it would be this lot.

My Grandfather survived the war, came to Canada, raised a family, and volunteered for service in the Canadian Military in WWII. He passed away the day before my 6th birthday. I never really got to know him, and didn't know much about him or his life, but I'm slowly discovering more and more all the time.

Thanks for having me and for giving us all a place to share our stories.