Pte Kenneth Boag DCM 1st Bn Cameron Highlanders

[Raymond Bell]

Hi Friends

 

Trying to find notes from the 1st Bn Cameron Highlanders war diary for 23rd Sept - 26th September 1914 - It's about a Pte Kenneth Boag (8024) to see if there is any mention of him when he was awarded a DCM - Mention in Dispatches for his actions on 25th September 1914 - I believe the battalion was with 1st Division - 1st Brigade but can't find any record of the Camerons war diary - Don't know if I am reading his Medal Index Card correctly (attached) did he enter war area on the 24th September only to be killed on the 25th? Was he awarded a DCM and mention in dispatches?

 

I have found quite a bit on him through Ancestry - War Graves and the War Records site - but it is the war diary info I was looking for

 

The information is for one of our officers - his relative - Named after him - Kenneth Boag

 

Thank you for any information

 

Raymond Bell (Dinger)

 

 

 

Edited 6 May , 2019 by Raymond Bell

[Rob Bulloch]

No 8024 Private K. Boag. Machine-Gun Section., showed very gallant conduct up to the last moment while the guns were in action, he saved a machine-gun and a Marindin Rangefinder under heavy fire, and two days later, safely rejoined the battalion with both, and with a Private Jackson who was wounded. (Mentioned in Despatches 8th October 1914: DCM 19th. December 1914.) Taken from the History of the Cameron Highlanders.  

[Raymond Bell]

Hi Rob

 

Thank you for your prompt response - looking at your reply it says that he rejoined  his battalion 2 days after the action - The MIC shows he was KIA on 25 Sept 14 as per war graves commission searches - the date he entered theatre shows 24 Sept 14 - you mentioned a document or book The history of the Cameron Highlanders - is this available on linee

 

Still trying to find a link to the war diary if you can help please - tried ancestry!

 

Again thank you for your reply

 

Take Care

 

Raymond

 

 

 

[PRC]

The ist Battalion landed in France on the 14th August 1914 as Army Troops, but only on the 5th September were they assigned to the 1st Brigade of the 1st Division.

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/queens-own-cameron-highlanders/

 

It looks like Kenneth must have been part of an early draft of replacements, arriving in France on the 24th, shipped to the front, and last known to be alive on the 25th. It might be worth checking out on Ancestry his entry in the Army Register of Soldiers Effects as to how the date \ period of death is described. I may be a bit hazy here but I thought a DCM was one of those awards you could not receive postumously, (but I could have got that wrong!)

 

No obvious enquiry made of the International Red Cross.

 

I can't find a War Diary for them either in the Discovery Catalogue at the National Archive, but if it's anything like I'm used to seeing for other Regular Army Units it may be no more than notes on scraps of paper - possibly because the original was lost in the retreat from Mons and then recreated retrospectively. What I tend to go for is the Brigade War Diary, which contains copies of the War Diaries for all the relevant sub-units for the period concerned, quite often typed up and with all the appendices and maps that might have gone walkies from the Battalion copy still attached.

 

The relevant period for the 1st Brigade covers from the 1st August 1914 to the 31st December 1914 and is held at the National Archive under reference WO 95/1264/1

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14052696

As it relates to France and Flanders it should be on Ancestry as well.

 

Hope that helps,

 

Peter

[david murdoch]

There are a couple of newspaper listings for him from October 1914  where he is noted as being mentioned in dispatches. One of these also notes him as being from Rothesay (previously labourer) and having attested in Glasgow 24th September 1907 at the age of 18.

He appears in several newspaper casualty lists dated 22nd November 1914.

His register of soldiers effects and service return both state date of death as 25/9/1914 

Edited 6 May , 2019 by david murdoch

[clk]

Hi Raymond,

 

On ‎06‎/‎05‎/‎2019 at 01:38, Raymond Bell said:

I believe the battalion was with 1st Division - 1st Brigade but can't find any record of the Camerons war diary

 

Ancestry has the diary misfiled under the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), 1 Division. The direct link is here.

 

Regards

Chris

Edited 7 May , 2019 by clk

[Raymond Bell]

Thank you PRC - Dave and clk

 

Dave - I searched for days looking through 1 Div and 1 Brigades diaries on Ancestry was about to go through NA to download a copy when clk came up with the link explaining that Ancestry had filed it under Cameronian (Scottish Rifles) - What a guy clk and thank you for your post - Not that being a Scotsman as I am - I was not trying to avoid parting with my pennies - I was going to (Honestly) subscribe for it then you came to the rescue LOL Thank you

 

PRC - Thank you as well and I will look out for the newspaper clippings on him as you said date of death being 25 September 1914 as per his medal index card although Rob Bulloch has a copy of the Cameron History in which it has that Kenneth safely rejoined the battalion 2 days later with both, (A machine gun and the Maridin Range finder) and with a Private Jackson who was wounded. (Kenneth - Mentioned in Despatches 8th October 1914: DCM 19th. December 1914. LG) Taken from the History of the Cameron Highlanders.    - Kenneth like 100s more were amazing soldiers - and must never be forgotten .....

 

To all the members who have assisted me before in other searches GWF is Number One

 

Thank you

 

Raymond Bell

 

[clk]

Hi Raymond,

 

As a suggestion, it might also be worth looking at the Brigade HQ and Division HQ (General Staff) diaries as they often contain info that augments and adds context to the Bn diary. On Ancestry they are here, and here.

 

I don't have an answer, but I'm uncomfortable with the apparent timeline. Arrived in theatre 24.9.1914 (presumably at one of the ports), to the front line, winning the DCM, then being killed the following day on 25.9.1914 just doesn't seem right/possible. My guess would be that the theatre entry date is incorrect.

 

Regards

Chris

[david murdoch]

Those other 1st Cameron Highlanders who died the same day (on the service return) all have dates of entry of 14/8/14 which appears in numbers on the 14 Star roll. Boag's date of entry is stated on there as 24/9/14 as well

[Raymond Bell]

Hi Clk Thank you for these links - have spent quite a bit of time going through them - very interesting will take time to go through it but certainly educational on what units were involved in

 

David - as you said 24 Sept 14 on the records - sadly according to the records he died the next day - and amazing he earned his awards within that period

 

Our officer also called Kenneth will be coming back next week - and he'll be impressed with the info from you and all the others on the forum - I am always impressed by how helpful all you guys are in helping with information - I am now into this research  hobby and hopefully I will be able to help people at some point

 

Thank you everyone

 

Raymond Bell

[L m Sloan]

Have just found this site ,and am so grateful for all this information on the Cameron highlanders.My grandfather too died on 25th sept in that unit and all this information is wonderful. Ive been a member of Ancestry for years..but no search has offered me a look at the war diaries which give a glimpse into the movements of the brigade between 14th aug  and sept 25th so the links offered by CLk were invaluable. I have his medals and a 'death penny' given to the family but it has the name JOHN AYRE inscribed on it ..not JOSEPH AYRE  as appears on his birth and marriage certs..and indeed his army enrolment papers . So my question is ....is this a mistake by the war office? Did they sometimes get names wrong? Ive searched for a john ayre who died in ww1 and can only find one in an  devon regiment.