B Company, 9th Battalion Black Watch - Gas Attack

[Grant Thomson]

Hello,

 

I am wondering if anyone has any information on B company 9th Battalion, Black Watch Or perhaps a transcription of the unit War diary (the copy I have is very faint). I am looking in to the military record of a relative who served with B company but who died due to wounds received in a gas attack - Alexander Bayne McGregor Graham S/9234. It seems there may have been confusion over the use of gas masks which led an officer to order their removal.

 

Many thanks 

[jay dubaya]

The battalion war diary records on the 29^th April 1916 –

‘Owing either to their not being able to get their helmets on in time, or more probably (from information since gathered by the CO) because the men were told to take their helmets off too soon, the casualties were heavy, the list is not quite complete, but roughly the losses were 140 all ranks, including 2/Lt HM Drummond wounded, Lt J Small Killed (gas) and 2/Lts J Macintyre and JM Dewar (gassed) and Capt JM Rush (gassed slightly)’. If you didn’t know already your man is recorded in the battalion casualty list.

44^th Bde war diary records –

‘The gas which caught the right coy of the 9^th Black Watch….and numerous casualties from it occurred principally amongst men who had not time to adjust their helmets before the cloud reached our trenches’.

[Grant Thomson]

7 hours ago, jay dubaya said:

Thank you - appreciate your help
 

The battalion war diary records on the 29^th April 1916 –

‘Owing either to their not being able to get their helmets on in time, or more probably (from information since gathered by the CO) because the men were told to take their helmets off too soon, the casualties were heavy, the list is not quite complete, but roughly the losses were 140 all ranks, including 2/Lt HM Drummond wounded, Lt J Small Killed (gas) and 2/Lts J Macintyre and JM Dewar (gassed) and Capt JM Rush (gassed slightly)’. If you didn’t know already your man is recorded in the battalion casualty list.

44^th Bde war diary records –

‘The gas which caught the right coy of the 9^th Black Watch….and numerous casualties from it occurred principally amongst men who had not time to adjust their helmets before the cloud reached our trenches’.

 

[sadbrewer]

From The Daily Record, 22nd May, 1916.

Courtesy of the British Newspaper Archive 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 6 September , 2020 by sadbrewer