Highland Light Infantry - Somme Battles

[mcderms]

Hi,

I am looking for help in tracking down any personal accounts from HLI veterans in any format. I have stacks of stuff from the PRO at Kew (cannot praise them highly enough) but am at a loss where to go next. Does anyone know of a regt museum or any specialist shops?

Grateful for any assistance!

Thanks,

Stewart.

[Peter Beckett]

Stewart,

in the book, Courage Past by Alex Aikens, which is about the Glasgow Highlanders, HLI, there are quite a few personal quotes in Chapter 9 with soldiers names and their numbers. These only refer to High Wood involvment however.

Are they of use to you as I could scan them and email them to you?

Peter

[James Brown]

Hi,

Try the link below. The people here are always ready to help in any amall way.

Be warned, they did have a break in some years ago, and the museum library upstairs was set on fire. Irreplaceble material was lost forever.

They still have a wealth of information in the Dept. upstairs.

It does help to let them know you are going though, and let tham know what you are researching, this will allow them to try and sort out some documents before you arrive.

The Royal Highland Fusiliers Regimental Museum, (Royal Scots Fusiliers and Highland Light Infantry), 518 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow G2 3LW.

Tel: 0141 332 5639

E-mail: reg.sec@rhf.org.uk

Website:Royal Highland Fusliers

Good Luck

James Brown

[Adam Harland]

I back up James on the helpfulness of the staff at Sauchiehall st. There are the printed volumes for the 15,16,17th HLI, (32 Div) whose 'Somme' lasted all of a morning, and there was later involvement ( notably Sept 15th) by the 15th Div bttns of the HLI (10/11 and 12th), although these do not have individual bttn histories.

There is the regimental journal (of which there is a copy at the museum) and I believe there are some HLI interviews among the IWM collection in London. Generally they appear to have lived up to the taciturn reputation of the Scots!

I am not aware of a lot with the liddle collection at Leeds, but their catalogue is on line, so you may find something there.

I would imagine that you would find some material in the Glasgow newspapers, as the 15-17th bttns were 'pals', with active post war associations and rememberance services.

Best of luck

Adam

[KAYJAY]

Hi Stewart,

I have copies of the Battalion Histories for the 15th, 16th & 17th (pals) battalions H.L.I for WW1, if I can be of any help let me know.

Regards

Kayjay

[roger]

I’ve just come across this thread and perhaps someone might be able to help with information about the following soldier or what the battalion was doing on this day.

He is commemorated on my local war memorial.

GEORGE MEGSON

Private 241708

9/(Glasgow Hds.) Bn., Highland Light Infantry,100th Brigade, 33rd Division

who died on Tuesday 25 September 1917. Age 30 KIA

Husband of Edith Alice Wallis (formerly Megson), of 14, Durham St., East Hartlepool, Co. Durham.

Born, Bedale. Enlisted, Richmond. Resided, Catterick.

1901 Census Grocers apprentice in Bedale

HOOGE CRATER CEMETERY Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.

Roger.

[grendav2001]

there is a west hartlepool local newspaper report dated 24 july 1918 - missing presumed killed 25 septemeber 1917. "east" hartlepool has never legally existed - it was used by the railway to distinguish it from west hartlepool.