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Remembered Today:

Aberdeen University OTC & U Company 4 Gordon Highlanders


rolt968

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Aberdeen University OTC consisted in 1914 of one section field ambulance. (Westlake: British Army of 1914) However there was also U Company 4 Gordon Highlanders, which I think I understand was the university company. When 4 GH was mobilised U company seems to have been broken up.

Unfortunately since all of 4 Gordon Highlanders was Aberdeen based I have never seen a breakdown of where the companies were. Was U company over and above the other eight?

As far as I can see Robert Gordon's College had no OTC in 1914. I think I have gathered that the prewar practice was for senior pupils of the school to join U Company Gordon Highlanders. Can anyone confirm this?

R.

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Don't know whether of any use to you, but you could try contacting the Old Boar's Association (for former AUOTC members).

They have a Facebook page and a separate website with quite a few photos, including pics (with background material) from the pre-WW1 and WW1 eras. Here's a link:-

http://theoldboars.smugmug.com/Images/20th-Century/1900-1929/

In the historical section you'll find the names of the Commanding Officers back to WW1.

The current Chairman of the Old Boars is Nick Maxton. I have his email address. Drop me a private message if you think it might be worthwhile writing to him.

This link also provides some information regarding U Coy and Robert Gordons:-

http://www.abdn.ac.uk/library/roll-of-honour/highlights/u-company/

Edited by Ron Abbott
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U coy was not broken up

I have a lot of details on all of this (some of it is on my website www.4thgordons.com) I have the locations of all the battalions but off the top of my head I don't want to risk it so let me look these up

You could also check out John McConachie's 'Student Soldiers" which is the "Full" story of U Coy

Upon mobilization the companies were doubled and U Coy became half of D Coy 1/4th Gordons, they suffered significant losses at 2nd Bellewaarde

They are interesting because to my knowledge they are the only University Coy (TF) to serve in the war as a unit. As a result there are a lot of university educated men who served as O/Rs at least in 1915

Alexander Rule wrote a book about it ("Student Soldiers") and there was a memoir published posthumously of another U Coy Sgt (JK Forbes) called "Student and Sniper Sergeant"

I have several photos of U Coy and Aberdeen Uni has some interesting material in its archive.

I cannot confirm/deny your suggestion regarding Gordon College (I will check my material) however I think Gordon College WAS used as a gathering point upon mobilisation (I have some diary extracts to this effect)

I have been collecting material on the 1/4th Gordons for a some time and have begun to build up the beginnings of a database.

Chris

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U coy was not broken up

I have a lot of details on all of this (some of it is on my website www.4thgordons.com) I have the locations of all the battalions but off the top of my head I don't want to risk it so let me look these up

You could also check out John McConachie's 'Student Soldiers" which is the "Full" story of U Coy

Upon mobilization the companies were doubled and U Coy became half of D Coy 1/4th Gordons, they suffered significant losses at 2nd Bellewaarde

They are interesting because to my knowledge they are the only University Coy (TF) to serve in the war as a unit. As a result there are a lot of university educated men who served as O/Rs at least in 1915

Alexander Rule wrote a book about it ("Student Soldiers") and there was a memoir published posthumously of another U Coy Sgt (JK Forbes) called "Student and Sniper Sergeant"

Chris

Thanks Chris,

That answers most of my questions. The two U Company men I have looked at so far were in D Company and were killed early. I had wondered if it was a straight merger when the double companies were formed. I will look out for McConachie's book.

I'm not sure that there was another university company (of an infantry regiment) as such. I think all the rest were OTCs. St Andrews seems to have had an artillery unit which was part of the local volunteer artillery battery pre-1908 (or earlier) but it did not continue.

A book was published a few months ago about the Robert Gordons OTC/CCF. I thought it was a bit expensive at the time as I was only interested in the WW1 content and was secretly hoping to pick up a remaindered copy later.

R.

Thanks Ron

I will follow those up.

R.

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  • 10 months later...

U coy was not broken up

I have a lot of details on all of this (some of it is on my website www.4thgordons.com) I have the locations of all the battalions but off the top of my head I don't want to risk it so let me look these up

You could also check out John McConachie's 'Student Soldiers" which is the "Full" story of U Coy

Upon mobilization the companies were doubled and U Coy became half of D Coy 1/4th Gordons, they suffered significant losses at 2nd Bellewaarde

They are interesting because to my knowledge they are the only University Coy (TF) to serve in the war as a unit. As a result there are a lot of university educated men who served as O/Rs at least in 1915

Alexander Rule wrote a book about it ("Student Soldiers") and there was a memoir published posthumously of another U Coy Sgt (JK Forbes) called "Student and Sniper Sergeant"

I have several photos of U Coy and Aberdeen Uni has some interesting material in its archive.

I cannot confirm/deny your suggestion regarding Gordon College (I will check my material) however I think Gordon College WAS used as a gathering point upon mobilisation (I have some diary extracts to this effect)

I have been collecting material on the 1/4th Gordons for a some time and have begun to build up the beginnings of a database.

Chris

A new book on U Company has been published. The author recently posted this on the Old Boars facebook page:-

"I've now published the book I've been writing based on the 1915 diary of Alexander Rule, a member of U Company before the First World War. 'Yet Another Glorious Day' is based on the transcript of that diary and it shows how Private Rule’s teenage enthusiasm and excitement at reaching the Front – “Saw a shell bursting for the first time!” – change as the realities of seeing friends killed and the often harsh living conditions sink in. Yet it is not all doom and gloom. Visits to local cafés are numerous, mail arrives regularly, singsongs are frequent and there is tremendous camaraderie.

This book enhances the transcript with accompanying illustrated notes, explanations and analysis and will be of interest to all ages, both those new to accounts of The Great War, as well as to readers who have some knowledge of WW1 and the part played in it by the North East of Scotland.

The book is now available - by contacting me, through the Gordon Highlanders Museum and their website, on eBay or on Amazon.

The Old Boars Association has generously provided funding to allow a copy to go to each secondary school in the Grampian and Moray areas.

Graham J Shanks"

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Thanks for posting this Ron

I was aware the book was in the making but not that it had been completed. It will be interesting to compare to Rule's own work "Student Soldier" and the couple of other first person accounts of this period in the Battalion's history.

Chris

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Thanks for posting this Ron

I was aware the book was in the making but not that it had been completed. It will be interesting to compare to Rule's own work "Student Soldier" and the couple of other first person accounts of this period in the Battalion's history.

Chris

No probs Chris, I thought you might be interested. Not sure whether access is for 'members' only, as it says' closed group', but if not; here's where Graham mentioned the book (actually he posted within the past 24 hours):-

https://www.facebook.com/groups/31564428504/?fref=ts

I'm just a member because I was a piper in the AUOTC in 1983.

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