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Remembered Today:

MMs to 7th Seaforth Highlanders, 26th Infantry Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division, for 12th October 1916


Ivor Anderson

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7th Seaforth Highlanders, 26th Infantry Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division.

 

On the 12th October 1916 they were in action near Eaucourt L'Abbaye attempting to take the Butte de Warlencourt. The attack was unsuccessful as they came under severe hostile machine gun fire. Total casualties among other ranks for 10-12th October 1916 were 69 killed, 346 wounded and 38 missing. 2 officers were killed, 10 wounded, 1 missing. Pte. N. Coates of B Coy. was mentioned in the WD. His was one of 10 MMs awarded for the action. T/Capt. Angus MacMillan was awarded a MC (citation in  LG 29898, 10 Jan 1917).

 

10 MMs in LG 29912, 22 Jan 1917 (on awards list in 9th Division A&Q war diary December 1916):

 

65881 Pte. Neil Coats 10671

65885 Pte. Archibald Barton S/3814

65887 L/C William Boyle S/8832

 

These have no schedule nos. on MM Index Cards:

A/CQMS W. McDougall S/1458

Cpl. Murdo McFarlane 3/7147

Cpl. J. Harry Hall S/9204 (att'd 26 TMB) Bar to MM

Pte. Walter D. Ewart S/2402 (att'd 26 TMB)

Cpl John Crawford Hunter S/2654 (att'd 26 TMB)

Cpl. Andrew Fiddes S/4330

L/C Bert Rigby S/2885

46737255_ScreenShot2021-06-01at09_15_03.png.af7780c77c9b079c8bcf6016666cb6cc.png

 

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Corporal John Crawford Hunter S/2654 was born in the Barrhead and Levern district of Glasgow on 4th Aug 1892 to Patrick Hunter and Catherine (nee Crawford).

They had married in 1888. John was living in the Nitshill area of Glasgow before & after WW1. He enlisted on 1 Sept 1914, entered France on 10 May 1915, and was discharged wounded on 28 Dec 1917. He married Jeannie Baird 1st Dec 1922, but died in Barrhead on 21st October 1929 aged 37. MM Index Card image from TNA:

Screen Shot 2021-05-31 at 12.50.12.png

Edited by Ivor Anderson
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Ivor

The 10 MMs are named in the WD of 9 Div A&QMG in Routine Orders 31/12/1916 under Honours and Awards (Ancestry p 556/718). Captain McMillan and another Officer of 7 Seaforths, 2/Lt C E Anderson, are named in Routine Orders 06/12/1916 under Honours and Rewards (Ancestry p 555/718).

TNA WO 95/1744 / Ancestry.

Lt Anderson is not in the LG 29898.

Brian

43112_1744_0-00554.jpg.ea6d8fe4ebfff78755feabe42c4f01b7.jpg

 

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Thanks Brian. I think they meant C. B. Anderson (they have JC Hunter typed wrongly as G Hunter on the next page):

1417199836_ScreenShot2021-06-01at09_16_46.png.93b5b6c3ad6a0b5877df952ae0961393.png

1356986914_ScreenShot2021-06-01at20_48_23.png.0da2a54733450eb2c5dc3ec14d63d037.png

 

 

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Ivor

Thanks, I could not find him in the LG although he had to be there. I searched under Anderson and LG 29898.

Both Officers are mentioned in the Unit WD for 12/10/1916 at 5.15 pm

Brian

Edited by brianmorris547
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Thanks Brian. It is a very detailed account in the WD of the 12 October 1916.

An interesting hand drawn map from the Bn. WD showing SNAG TRENCH and the Butte de Warlencourt:

1542479708_ScreenShot2021-06-01at23_21_58.png.4ccba12649cf9a75fc562010608f505d.png

 

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The large number of dead and wounded on the 12th made their recovery very problematic. This section mentions this and names Pte. Neil Coats:

Screen Shot 2021-06-01 at 23.32.57.png

Edited by Ivor Anderson
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Ivor

I just tried to search the LG again using Anderson and LG 29898 and it came back with one hit. William Bruce Anderson. Had I checked Charles Barrington Anderson is the name above him on page 455.

I always like to read the WDs when you post these, you obviously put in a lot of work. I am just starting on the WD of 42 Div A&QMG 1917-1919 for the Honours and Rewards for the RFA in particular 211 Brigade, the Bolton Artillery.

Brian.

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  • 1 year later...

Hunter's MM was among a large number for the action at Eaucourt L'Abbaye on the Somme during 12-13th October 1916 - listed in the Bn WD on 1 Jan 1917:

SEAFORTHS 7th WD Jan 1917 1.png

SEAFORTHS 7th WD Jan 1917 2.png

Edited by Ivor Anderson
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On 01/06/2021 at 21:54, Ivor Anderson said:

<snip>

Among them CSM John Stevens 342 <snip>

 

Here is a link to my research on CSM 342 John STEVEN.

Larkhall War Memorial - STEVEN, John DCM

Kindest Regards,

Tom.

STEVEN John DCM - CSM 342 7th Bn Seaforths KIA 12 Oct 1916 - Daily Record 15 11 1916.jpg

STEVENS John DCM - CSM 342 7th Seaforths DCM Citation - snippet.jpg

Edited by Tom Lang
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13 hours ago, Tom Lang said:

Here is a link to my research on CSM 342 John STEVEN.

Thanks Tom, A great addition to the record of so many brave men in 7th battalion.

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The MM of John Crawford Hunter S-2654 has suffered some scratching since his early death in 1929 aged 37.

MM JCH 2.jpg

MM  JCH.jpg

Edited by Ivor Anderson
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On 01/06/2021 at 18:05, Ivor Anderson said:

Corporal John Crawford Hunter S/2654 was born in the Barrhead and Levern district of Glasgow on 4th Aug 1892 to Patrick Hunter and Catherine (nee Crawford).

They had married in 1888. John was living in the Nitshill area of Glasgow before & after WW1. He enlisted on 1 Sept 1914, entered France on 10 May 1915, and was discharged wounded on 28 Dec 1917. He married Jeannie Baird 1st Dec 1922, but died in Barrhead on 21st October 1929 aged 37.

SWB listing shows that he was 25 years 149 days old at discharge on 28 Dec 1917. This roughly ties in with his known DoB on 4 Aug 1892 (Ancestry).

He was 24 when he won his MM in Oct 1916.

image.png.088b474541dd0e299ac0e824446078ab.png

Edited by Ivor Anderson
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