Tom Wilkie, 1st Black Watch

[Mark Wilkie]

Thanks, Ian,

Mark

[Ian Robertson]

Yesterday I met up with my relation, Dave Gall who is in this country on holiday from Australia. He had a bag with him which he gave to me saying "This is for you". In it was Tom's war penny which had been given by my Grandmother to her half brother Jim in 1971. I had tracked it down and it was in the possession of Jim's son Nicoll who lives in Melbourne. When Dave had visited him a few months ago Nicoll had handed the War Penny to him saying "When you are in the UK give this to Robbo, I think he's looking for it". I hadn't asked for it but I'm absolutely chuffed to get it back to have along side Tom's trio, ending a search which started 8 years ago.

[dundeesown]

Chuffed to bits for you Ian great re-unite

Gary

[Ian Robertson]

Commemorating the 100th Anniversary today of Tom's death, KIA 30th April 1916. Still remembered by family members across the World. Also that of his Comrade in arms John Guthrie Cameron, probably killed by the same shell and now buried in the adjoining grave.

[dundeesown]

RIP

[Derek Black]

Just read this thread and enjoyed the excellent photos. They really are a treasure.

 

Regarding Joe Casells book, sadly it's part fact, part fiction and fully unreliable.

 

Cheers,

Derek.

[Derek Black]

On 18/11/2006 at 09:14, Ian Robertson said:

it looks as if John Smith and George Green may be two who did manage to survive. I had a quick recce in Balhousie castle yesterday and neither are mentioned in the roll of honour which bears out the information on their medal cards. It is interesting to note that on Tom Wilkie's, John Smith's and George Green's medal card it gives their entry into the theatre of war as 13/08/1914; does this mean that their active participation was seen as starting when they embarked rather than when they landed in France. All three have been awarded the addition of the clasp to the 1914 star as you would expect.

Ian,

 

I've been doing a little research on George Green as part of my wider research on the 1914 Black Watch men, I thought you might be interested to learn more about him.

 

George was born in 1894 in Burntisland, Fife to James Green and Agnes Duncan, who were married in Collessie in 1887. The 1901 census has his father working as a maltman in the towns distillery.
 

On the 25th of January 1913, George who turned 18 that year, enlisted into the Black Watch along with his 16 year old friend Charles Henderson. They were both posted to the 1st battalion at Aldershot.
Going abroad with the initial cohort of the btn in August, 1914, George was wounded, slightly in his hand, at the end of September. He was sent to Hospital in London via Southampton, where he landed on the 3rd of October. The wound being only slight, George was soon back with his battalion.

George's friend Charles was killed at the battle of Gheluvelt on the 27th of October, a piece of shrapnel striking his head, he was 18 years and 3 months old. George wrote to the mother of Charles in early November, informing her of her sons death, this arrived before any official notification had done so.

Shortly after the outbreak of war Georges two brothers, John and James, enlisted.

James joined the Black Watch serving in first the 10th btn, then by 1916, with the 14th Btn in Palestine. John served with the Army Service Corps. Both survived the war.

The next time George was wounded was late August, 1915, this time in the right leg, he was sent to a Base hospital in France, then to hospital in Sheffield for treatment. Once released from hospital in early October, he was able to spend time at his parents home in Hampden Place, Burntisland recovering.

A year later on the 19th of October, 1916, George was home on a short furlough. No more is yet known of his service, other than to say he did not serve with any other unit or appear to be discharged before the wars end, although he may have been posted to the UK.

George was a painter in 1921 when he married Elizabeth Morris in Kirkcaldy, he being 26 and she 24. George died in Kirkcaldy in 1975 aged 81.

Cheers,
Derek.

[Ian Robertson]

Hi Derek,

Not on this site so often now so unfortunately missed your post of the 18th Sept 2019, so apologies for not responding at the time. Fascinating stuff about George and really happy to receive some facts about one soldier at least that appears in Tom's album. I have reason to believe that two others featured are brothers called Clark(e) from Kirkcaldy but that is just an educated guess based on some family stories.

 

Cheers for the info

 

Ian