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Sec.Lieut.Colin Hamilton Terrot Dunsmure and Pte Hugh Phillips Thomson, 5th Q.O.Cameron Highlanders


Old Owl

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Remembering today Second Lieutenant Colin Hamilton Terrot Dunsmure, O.C. 2nd Machine Gun Team, 5th (Lochiel's) Bn Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, who was wounded in the early morning of 25th September, 1915 during the Battle of Loos and died from these wounds on the battlefield later that same day.  Age 21.

 

He was the younger son of Henry William Henderson Dunsmure, of Glenbruach, Callander, at one time a Director of De Beers Mining Company and a Member of H.M.Scottish Bodyguard, by his wife Alice Mary Terrot Malcolm and brother to Lieut Henry Alistair Henderson Dunsmure, 2nd Bn Q.O.Cameron Highlanders who was killed in action on 20th February, 1915.  Colin Dunsmure was born at

Brenachoile Lodge, Loch Katrine on 25th April, 1894, and was educated at St Peter's Court, Broadstairs; Repton and Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he was studying for Law, but offered his services on the outbreak of war and was gazetted 2nd Lieut Cameron Highlanders on 16th September, 1914.

 

Following him being wounded early on the morning of the 25th September, 1915, it is recorded that his devoted servant Pte Hugh Phillips Thomson tried to carry him into shelter, but was killed before reaching safety.  On the Dunsmure family headstone in the churchyard of the Trossachs Church, overlooking Loch Achray and close to the family home Glenbruach, it is recorded: 

 

"In Grateful Memory of Hugh Thomson, 5th Cameron Highlanders, Who gave his life to shield his Master.  He prayeth best who loveth best."

 

From the Marquis de Ruvigny Roll:

 

Thomson, Hugh Phillips, Private No 10080, 5th (Service) Bn The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, eldest son of Alexander Johnstone Thomson, Linoleum Printer, by his wife Mary Dick, daughter of Hugh Phillips.  Born: Kirkcaldy, co.Fife, 18 Sept. 1892;  educated there; was a Miner, but enlisted 17 Aug. 1914, after the outbreak of war; went to France 10 May, 1915, where he acted as servant to 2nd Lieut C.H.T.Dunsmure, and was killed in action during the Battle of Loos 25th Sept. following, while endeavouring to rescue his master who had been wounded earlier in the day.  He married at Dysart, Janet (23, Fitzroy Street, Dysart, co Fife), daughter of Robert Archibald Henderson, and had two daughters, Grace Henderson, born 25/1/12 and Mary Phillips, born 17/1/14.

 

RIP  :poppy::poppy:

Edited by Old Owl
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  • 1 year later...

Just pushing this back to the top as a means of commemorating Colin Dunsmure and Hugh Philips who died on 25th September, 1915, at the Battle of Loos.

 

RIP 

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Thanks, Old Owl. I missed this last year.

 

And to think - the Dunsmures lose two sons, a wife loses her husband and two wee girls are orphaned. Whatever, as the moving finger writes it leaves so much behind about which we will know nothing.

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6 hours ago, Steven Broomfield said:

Thanks, Old Owl. I missed this last year.

 

And to think - the Dunsmures lose two sons, a wife loses her husband and two wee girls are orphaned. Whatever, as the moving finger writes it leaves so much behind about which we will know nothing.

 

Thanks Steven.  But the story hides further grief because the Dunsmure brothers had already lost their father Henry William Henderson Dunsmure who had died on the 27th September, 1914, from natural causes. Thus their mother, Alice Mary Terrot Dunsmure, had lost her husband and both her sons (her only children) within the space of 12 months--grief beyond grief!!

 

As a result Alice Dunsmure struggled to accept that her youngest son Colin Dunsmure had infact been killed, this mainly because he was reported only as 'wounded and missing'.  She insisted this meant that he must have been made a prisoner of war whilst wounded and continued to question the authorities about this, on and off, for several years.  Eventually, and for official records, Colin Dunsmure was 'officially' reported as having been killed in action on or after the 25th September, 1915, at the Battle of Loos.

 

Alice Dunsmure died on the 26th December, 1942, at Seaford in Sussex, but her remains are buried in the family grave in the churchyard of Trossachs Church alongside her husband and beneath the family cross bearing the names and other details of her two sons.

 

She must have been a very strong spirited lady indeed to have survived such grief for almost 30 years.

 

RIP

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