Padres Hunter & Gordon - Y Ravine - 51st HD

[Tom A McCluskey]

Hi all,

Does anyone have information to both of the padresa listed above. I believe they were in 1/6 and 1/7 Black Watch at the battle of Beaumont Hamel, 13 November 1916. Over the war, Padre Hunter may have been in both battalions.

They may have both been Church of Scotland ministers and they did some remarkable work to recover every Black Watch soldier in the battle for Y Ravine and Beaumont Hamel (I have no doubt they helped recover who else had fallen, or was injured too).

I wonder if they were given any recognition for this feat?

I believe that it is from Padre Hunter's efforts that Hunter's Cemetery is named. Please look at the link below which illustrates the number of Black Watch soldier that were buried in this cemetery:

http://www.silentcities.co.uk/cemeteryh/Hu...umont-Hamel.htm

The information is in 'A History of the Black Watch In The Great War,Volume Two, Territorial Force', page 152. The following is written:

"The chaplains, Gordon and Hunter, did splendid work on the days following the fight, searching the battlefield under continuous shell fire, and so well did they carry out this work that every missing man of the Battalion was accounted for"

In advance, Many Thanks to those that contribute to this thread

Yours Aye

Tom McC

[Tom A McCluskey]

PARA 1 - Does anyone have any information concerning...

That's what I get for rushing

[John84]

Tom, I think I might have found one???

There is a Chaplain Reverend John Mercer Hunter, Army Chaplain's Department attached Black Watch...It appears he may have been MID twice...I say may, because there is one other Chaplain, with the name John Miller Hunter....who could also have been the one MID....or perhaps they were MID once each?

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...1&resultcount=9

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...1&resultcount=9

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...1&resultcount=9

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...1&resultcount=9

With regards to Gordon ...I found 8 Chaplains on the medal index cards....only one appears to have been possibly MID twice but he served with the Australian Imperial Force/Chaplains Unit.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...Spec=Score+desc

I only done a quick check on the medal index cards...so there may be more men that I haven't found.

John

[Tom A McCluskey]

John,

Thanks for the National Archives MIC references.

Much appreciated

Tom McC