Border Regt Officer

[Thewebleyman]

I'm looking for some help in understanding the records please. I have a Webley Mk II Service Revolver which has a unit backstrap marking for the Royal Engineers followed by the initials N.C.T.C. and a date of 1912. The gun itself is older , circa 1902. There is also an etched name on the side plate of Lt A J Gowans. This officer I believe to be from the 10th Batt. Border Regt. He is pictured in a group photo of Officers in the book 'Glory is no compensation' about the Border Regt in Gallipoli. The 10th Batt. never left England during the war as it was a reserve battalion. The service record cards show the officer in the 10th Batt and having been attached to the H.L.I. and the Machine Gun Corps. Was it usual to be transferred or attached to 2 different units ? I know he went overseas as his record shows being at Mudros in September 1915 , he also qualified for the Sultans Sudan medal. 

There does not seem to be any connection with the Royal Engineers as far as his record cards indicate. I'd like to know if anyone can clarify this please and also if anyone has heard of a unit with the initials N.C.T.C. please. 

Any help would be gratefully received.

Thanks.

[Mark1959]

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28922/page/7813 - Suspect this is his commission. Right hand side. 

Fits in with this army list entry https://www.fold3.com/image/416496249

 

[sotonmate]

I find mention of a 2/Lt GOWANS serving on attachment with 1/6 Battalion HLI at Krithia (Gallipoli) from Sept 1915. He is shown as being in D Company at that time.War Diary on Ancestry UK under WO95/4321. It runs to the withdrawal from the Peninsular in early Jan 1916. The Battalion moved to Egypt until April 1918 when it moved to France.

The Gallipoli Diary is ponderous and bitty, many appendixes and locations, but may show if he moves elsewhere, as might the Egypt Diary (WO95/4612) or the later France edition, when the Battalion was the 6th HLI (WO95/2898/3)

Edited 19 February , 2020 by sotonmate

[Thewebleyman]

Thanks very much indeed for your help. I shall try and find out more from what has already been offered. 

 

Thanks again.

[travers61]

There may be a later link to the HLI, as the London Gazette 5 Sep 1939 shows:

 

6th Battalion H.L.I.  Alexander James GOWANS (late Lt. M.G.C.) to be Capt 30 June 1939

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34671/supplement/6111

 

This could be the marriage of AJ Gowans:

 

.. Parish Churteh Stonehaven, the 30th June, bv the Rev. A. Scuda forbes, 8.D., assisted by the Rev. J. B. Bur net', Alexander James Gowans, son Mr Willian wowang, Bearsden, to Jessie Longmore Brown , l J? r the Mr William Brown Keith. .MACKENZIE.—On the ...

Aberdeen Press & Journal 20th July 1920

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/results?basicsearch=alexander%20james%20gowans&retrievecountrycounts=false&page=0

 

This connects to 33 trees on ancestry some of which include this newspaper cutting

 

:

 

 

The ancestry trees for this Alexander James GOWANS give among his siblings

 

2nd Lt William Ireland GOWANS Northumberland Fusiliers kia Passchendaele 13 Oct 1917, commissioned from HLI

https://www.highschoolofglasgow.co.uk/media/812648/biographies-part-2.pdf

https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/266475-2nd-lieutenant-william-ireland-gowans-northumberland-fusiliers/

 

and

 

Alan Dakers GOWANS attested May 1916 in Glasgow declared age of 18, medical student, served 2 months in OTC, mobilised Dec 1916 to No 5 OTC, Cambridge.

[Thewebleyman]

Thanks very much travers61.All of this is highly feasible.