The Right Honorable Captain James Boyle

[James Brown]

Hi

I've been researching the Memorials in Ayrshire and I came across this MIC for the subject named above in the title. He is commemorated on the Fairlie War Memorial in Ayrshire.

I understand most of the details, but if you look closely the details for the 1914 Star are missing from the Roll Table on the card.

Or is it?

WS/3/1853 is scribbled outside the boundary box.

Would that be the Medal roll number?

I know he is entitled to the Trio as he landed France with the 1st Battalion RSF on the 22nd August 1914. And i have his record of MID (London Gazette p1661 17th Feb 1915.

He was Killed in Action the 18th October, 1914 and is commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial: Panel's 12 and 13.

I subscribe on an Annual basis to Ancestry.com.

Thanks

JB

[James Brown]

I should have said he it was pronounced KIA on that date, as he had told the men to move to a safer position, while he went forward to try and observe the Germans. that was the last time anyone seen him alive. Three witnesses have said the same story.

[woollamc]

JB

Here is a link to his entry on the 1914 Star roll. The reference number for his 1914 Star is IV/761/M (and, for the clasp and roses, IV/339/W).

Someone else may be able to tell you what the reference WS/3/1853 relates to (although the Long Long Trail says here that many of the codes "have no useful meaning") but it is used on both the '14 Star and British War Medal/ Victory Medal rolls and I don't think it specifically relates to his 1914 Star.

C

[kenf48]

The Roll is inside the box RSF (vertical text) Off(icers) page 37

The medals were sent by registered post to the address on the back of the card with an Issue Voucher (IV) in this case Issue Voucher 339/date/3rd October 1921/; WS/3/1853 is an administrative reference which you will also note appears against the separate entry marking the Issue of the Clasp and Roses for the 1914 Star which were sent out on the same date.

Normally officers had to apply for their medals but it seems they were sent out by the War Office to deceased officer's next of kin, discussed recently on this thread http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=210967&hl=

His Star was sent to the next of kin against I.V. 761 on 27th February 1919. All these dates accord with the distribution of the Campaign medals. The card is an earlier type which would have had details for the 1914 Star. The same card was used when the BWM and VM were issued and this was noted with the rubber stamp. The reference to the 1914 Star Roll is in fact Officers 49/1, the black ink entry top right, and confirmed top left on the Roll page, i.e. Officers 49 pages 1 to 5.

While the full meaning of the administrative reference is lost it does seem to occur where the recipient is deceased.

Find My Past have just added 'the Bond of Sacrifice' to their collection and there is a photograph and biography of this officer, a career soldier and the third son of the 7th Earl of Glasgow.

Ken

[angelab]

James, I can' t answer your query about the 1914 Star, but his title is Honourable, not "Right" Honourable.

So it looks as if he should be referred to as Capt the Hon James Boyle.

Angela

[AnnMcD]

Just as an aside to all of the above, I'm interested in James Boyle as he was the son of a Governor of New Zealand, Lord Glasgow (1892-1897), and was partly educated at Wanganui Collegiate so appears in my records of "New Zealanders" who served in other forces. His name appears in lists published in New Zealand of "New Zealanders" awarded the 1914 star. His widow married Hugh Trenchard.

Ann

[Moriaty]

You may know that Captain Boyle's family erected a private memorial at Illes in France. There is an article on the Western Front Association web site which says that Souvenir Francais had kept it clean and tidy, but in 1994 it was to be moved due to a road widening scheme. This was to be done with the agreement of the family. In 1998 the memorial was vandalised, it was subsequently restored and on 18 October 2014 it was re dedicated.

The WFA biography of Captain Boyle reads:

The Hon James Boyle who was born in Scotland on 11th March 1880, the second surviving son of the 7th Earl of Glasgow and his wife, was educated at Wanganui College, New Zealand, and Trinity Hall Cambridge. He joined the Ayrshire Militia in 1898 serving throughout the Boer War, and then in 1903 joined the regular army being commissioned into the Royal Scots Fusiliers. Boyle served as ADC to the Governor of Victoria and from 1912-1914, to Gen Sir Horace Smith-Dorien.

Attacking from the north west, 9th brigade was directed towards the village of Herlies, the objective of the Scots Fusiliers being the chateau in the wood, (the Bois Chombart is still there, to the south of the village, halfway to Illies and some 1100 yards from their start line.) They had to cross a dip with a small farm at the bottom and advance through a maze of ditches. Ahead they could see the ground rising to the La Bassee Road (now the A41). The wood was surrounded by entrenched German machine guns. Held up on the left the Scots were forced to dig in 500 yards short of the objective under heavy fire. Just as it was getting dark the Battalion was ordered to continue the attack and 'D' Company under Capt Boyle was sent up in support. By 5.30 pm they were only 60 yards short of the wood but with their flanks in the air they were ordered to retire.

Capt Boyle, says the "History of the Royal Scots Fusiliers" (J Buchan, Nelson 1925), fell as he reached the German trenches, but according to research by Geoff Bridger (see WFA publication Stand To! No 22, Spring 1988), Boyle and Capt Lyon found themselves in a German trench occupied by dead Germans. "For some unaccountable reason Capt Boyle prodded a dead German with his stick, a move which awakened the, in reality, sleeping soldier who promptly bayoneted and killed him." He was buried by the Germans but the grave was subsequently lost.

Captain Boyle and his wife had three children. She was the sister of Captain Bowlby (qv) and later married 'Boom' Trenchard, who became Marshall of the Royal Air Force Viscount Trenchard. She died in 1960.

After the War Captain Boyle's family erected a memorial in the form of a Cornish stone cross with surrounding plinths and corner posts by the La Bassee road opposite the wood where he fell. The inscription on the base reads:

'IN MEMORY OF CAPT. HON. JAMES BOYLE ROYAL SCOTS FUSILIERS KILLED IN ACTION 18th OCTOBER 1914.'

copyright Western Front Association

[kenf48]

Just as an aside to all of the above, I'm interested in James Boyle as he was the son of a Governor of New Zealand, Lord Glasgow (1892-1897), and was partly educated at Wanganui Collegiate so appears in my records of "New Zealanders" who served in other forces. His name appears in lists published in New Zealand of "New Zealanders" awarded the 1914 star. His widow married Hugh Trenchard.

Ann

Thank you Ann that explains the reference to Lady Trenchard on the mic which had me mystified, so the the 14 Star was posted to Mrs James Boyle (w) widow and the other two medals and the clasp and roses to Lady Trenchard she having remarried in the intervening period - fascinating.

Ken

[WilliamRev]

James

We have discussed him on the forum before, most notably HERE a couple of years ago - hopefully you'll find a few extra details of interest.

William

[James Brown]

Hi Pals

Thanks for the help woolamc, Ken, Angela, Ann, Moriarty and William.

I understand his MIC better now, it can be confusing as not all MIC's are the same. Especially when it comes to Officers. I thought i had some good knowledge deciphering, but it's always good to get a second opinion. Captain Boyle is commemorated on the Fairlie War memorial in North Ayrshire as well as the memorial at Le Touret, Pas de Calais.

William and Moriarty I had a look at the link for the previous discussion, fascinating entry for the war diary giving the account of what happened. Never happened across this before. Or maybe I did when I did a previous search but didn't pay enough attention. The last part where it says he was bayoneted by the sleeping Germans did I presume come from the surviving Captain Lyons.

Thanks again Pals really appreciate the help

James

[Jacks Grandad]

Hello there,

 

I am not sure if anyone will find this interesting. I have been having a trundle around the Loos battlefield area and was on my way to see the grave of Captain Albert BallVC at Anneoulin. I was just driving through a small town called Illies when I was distracted by a sign for a german Military cemetery and having passed that relied on my satnav to get me back on track for Annoeulin.

 

It took me on a track alongside the N41 ( I was told in no uncertain terms by 2 French ladies that cars were not allowed along this track - farm machinery only!) Anyhow it was on this track that I noticed a memorial so I stopped  at it. It was a memorial to Captain James Boyle of the Royal Sots Fusiliers.

If you are interested I attach the photographs that I took

 

Best regards

 

Jacks Grandad

p.s. it is probaby safer if you park just off the N41 /D22 roundabout on the north side. You should see the memorial from the track on the north side on the N41

 

[mbriscoe]

There is a window in Fairlie Parish Church, just been adding to the WMR.

The inscription is partially obscured unfortunately.