Help required understanding service

[Skipman]

Robert McDougall was born on the 20th of July, 1898, he was KIA on the 23rd August, 1917, serving with the 9th Black Watch as Private S/43186. He was originally with the 1/6th Black Watch and landed in France some time after 1/1/1916 as Private 1614. I'm trying to figure out his service and think that he enlisted in the 1/6th Black Watch (date as yet unknown) as Private 1614.

 

 

[Signaller 2655 George Allen (see attached)  disembarked France 30/7/1916 and was posted S/43193 to the 9th Black Watch on the 14th September, 1916, a draft of 30 joining the 9th battalion on the 17th of September, 1916]  Could S/43186 Robert McDougall have disembarked at about same time, and been posted to the 9th Black Watch at the same time, as part of that draft of 30 that joined on the 17th. (He would only have been 18 years and 1 month old at that time. Is it more likely he was held at an IBD and sent to the front line about his 19th birthday, on the 20th of July, 1917.

 

Can anyone help with a rough issue date for the 1/6th Black Watch number 1614?

 

Mike

[charlie962]

A couple of near numbers for 6th BW may help ?

1611 Galloway attested 11/5/14, 4yrs TF, 6 BW, embodied 5/8/14
1627 Halley  attested 14/4/14,  4yrs TF, 6 BW,  embodied 5/8/14

 

Charlie

PS don't ask me why the months go backward as the numbers go forward!

 

Edited 14 January , 2021 by charlie962

[Skipman]

Many thanks Charlie that's helpful. I wonder if it 1607, would his number not be lower than Galloway's if he attested before him? So it looks like McDougall enlisted pretty early but never got to France until 1916. William McIntosh exactly 1 month younger than McDougall certainly did go to France with the 6th on 2/5/1915. Wonder how he got away with that

 

Mike

[charlie962]

Territorials had to agree to overseas service in the beginning. Could his employer have held him back ?

 

charlie

[Skipman]

1 minute ago, charlie962 said:

Territorials had to agree to overseas service in the beginning. Could his employer have held him back ?

 

charlie

 

Possibly, he was a postman. Have very little to go on. No service record no medical records yet.

 

Mike

[charlie962]

Courtesy Ancestry, these men on same BWM/VM Roll as McDougall did not earn 14/15 Stars either

[Skipman]

Thanks Charlie. Right enough. I went through quite a few until I found the service record of George Allen. So now we know that:

 

McDougall attested April/May 1914 Went to France some time in 1916.  Posted to 9th battalion about middle September 1916 and was KIA on the 23rd August, 1917. Any other thoughts most welcome.

 

Mike

[Skipman]

Am still struggling with this one. Not sure it helps but found that for 1628 Duncan Henderson  of B Coy 6th Black Watch and S/43060 9th Black Watch there is a Medical record on FMP Click that shows he had served for 2 years with 5 months in the field by 2/3/1916 giving an enlistment date of about March 1914 and a date of entry into Theatre of about October 1915.

Mike