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Remembered Today:

5th Cameron Highlanders 1918


o j kirby

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Hello,

I have started researching a soldier who joined the 8th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in 1914, but only went abroad in February 1918 being transferred at the start of the month to the 5th Cameron Highlanders. He was 220326 Sgt.John M Leitch from Lochgilphead. His record survives. He earned an MM on 25th april 1918, I am assuming during an action at Kemmel, gazetted 29/8/18 but with the wrong number, and was wounded and out of action on 19th july 1918, I would imagine at Meteren. He had two brothers, Duncan and Neil, who both died with the 8th Argylls in 1917.

Does anyone out there have access to the war diary for February to the end of july, and any accounts of the battalion during that priod or any reference to Sgt. Leitch?

 

Many thanks,

Owain.

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The war diary is on Ancestry here

or can be downloaded from TNA https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7352537 for £3.50

 

A quick look has no mention of awards nor Sgt Leitch.  It does describe the action on the 25th April in some detail noting how the officers and NCOs by their actions stiffened the resolve of the battalion when it was heavily bombarded and outnumbered.  One particular action was that when the Battalion was running out of ammunition some men went forward to an abandoned SAA dump and carries ammunition back to the line under heavy fire.

 

As you have surmised he was probably one of 73 wounded during the attack at Meteren.

 

Ken

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Hello Ken,

Thanks for the reply. I will check that one out.

Cheers,

Owain.

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  • 3 months later...
On 24/06/2019 at 14:18, o j kirby said:

Hello,

I have started researching a soldier who joined the 8th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in 1914, but only went abroad in February 1918 being transferred at the start of the month to the 5th Cameron Highlanders. He was 220326 Sgt.John M Leitch from Lochgilphead. His record survives. He earned an MM on 25th april 1918, I am assuming during an action at Kemmel, gazetted 29/8/18 but with the wrong number, and was wounded and out of action on 19th july 1918, I would imagine at Meteren. He had two brothers, Duncan and Neil, who both died with the 8th Argylls in 1917.

Does anyone out there have access to the war diary for February to the end of july, and any accounts of the battalion during that priod or any reference to Sgt. Leitch?

 

Many thanks,

Owain.

Hello Owain,

 

I am researcing my great uncle who was wounded on the 25th April giving heavy fire support (9th Bn The Machine Gun Corps) to the 5th Camerons at St Eloi area(Ypres Salient) during the 2nd Battle of Kemmel...they were heavily engaged in that area and  many invlcted many casualties to the Germans...they eventually pulled back to the Vierstraat and Chepside line before being taken out of the line....but 5th Cameron definatley located at St Eloi....

Edited by mikereme
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Hi,

Thanks for the message. Do you have access to the 5th Camerons war diary for february to the end of july 1918? I would be keen to have a bit of a context to add to my research.

Cheers,

Owain.

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On 08/10/2019 at 11:57, o j kirby said:

Hi,

Thanks for the message. Do you have access to the 5th Camerons war diary for february to the end of july 1918? I would be keen to have a bit of a context to add to my research.

Cheers,

Owain.

Hi Owain,

 

I cant download any more diary...but if you got the PRO  the 5th Camerons war diary is in the location....WO-95-1767-1-3

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