2nd Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders

[fredchannell]

Hello,

Looking for info on the 2nd Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders who my Great grandfather William James Scott fought and died for. His service # is s/7642 or 3/7642 depending on how you read it. Ancestry.com medal roll is 3/7624. Looking for info on what they were carrying out when he died 8/18/1916. Also any pictures of regiment or tips on news articles etc... Just beginning my research.

Thanks for any response.

Fred Channell

(his grandaughter married a yank)

[truthergw]

Hi Fred, welcome to the forum. 18/August 1916 The 2nd Argylls attacked High Wood. The attack was notable for the use of flamethrowers and Livens projectors firing burning oil canisters. They made repeated attacks but were unsuccessful. 2nd Argylls were part of 33rd Division. They were regulars. For future reference, the nearest town/village was Longueval. This was all part of the Battle of the Somme which had started 1/7/1916. Might I suggest you get used to our way of writing a date, it will help in your research.

[scott henderson]

Hi Fred.

I believe that an S before a service number denotes that he was in a Scottish battalion and was reruited for war service only.

I could however be very wrong and i await correction.

Anyway, i hope that i have been of some help.

Regards.

Scott.

[carolm]

Hello Fred and welcome to the Forum.

My great uncle Stuart McKay was in the 2nd Bn A & SH. He was a Regular. He won the MC at High Wood so consequently, although I'm not researching the battalion, I have the war diaries for that month. Unfortunately I can't get the scan size for an image of the entry for 18th low enough to add here, but would be happy to email it (and the days leading up to it) to you directly if you want to send me your email address. Here is a transcription of the entry:

"18th August 1916 HIGH WOOD. The Battalion attacked the German trenches in High Wood at 2.45 pm. The attack was preceded by an artillery bombardment at irregular intervals during the 17th and 18th insts. and was going to have been supported by 2 flamenwerfers, which were unfortunately put out of by our own shell fire before the commencement of the attack. Backed by "oil firers" [The inverted commas are in the original document] the attack was launched at the given hour, but was met by heavy machine gun fire and a certain amount of bombing. Companies attacked in the following order from right to left:- C, D, B with A in support. Only a few men in B company under Capt. R.J. McKay managed to get into the German trench and these were eventually forced to to come back to our own front line and in the end the position finally was exactly the same as before the attack.

Casualties: Officers - Capt H.S. Smith, 2/Lt W. Brown, 2/Lt G.C. Carmichael and 2/Lt R.M.P Gardner were killed. 2/Lt J.F. Logan, 2/Lt C.C. Cunningham, 2/Lt W.E.G Millar and Capt. R.J. McKay were wounded.

Other ranks:- 26 killed, 119 wounded and 36 missing."

There is a useful book called "The Hell They Called High Wood" by Terry Norman (1984) that outlines the battle.

Hope this is useful

Carolyn

[fredchannell]

My email is uechika@msn.com

I didn't see a place to send it privately, so I'll put it here.

Thanks a bunch for all the great replies.

I'll try to find that Book on Highwood. May not be easy here in the States.

I have a photo of him as well. I don't mind sharing as I feel it's a good way of preserving it.

Is the 10/January 1915 on his medal card the day he landed in France or is that the beginning of training?

Any other advice on researching him gratefully accepted.

Fred

[4thGordons]

Fred - Amazon have "The Hell they called High Wood" (there are also used copies on there).

I got mine in the US no probs.

Chris

[carolm]

The date on the medal card would be the date he went to France. I'll get those diary pages to you in a day or so. I'd like to see a photo if it's not too much trouble.

Carolyn

[fredchannell]

Hi,

No trouble just tell me where to send it.

I already have it scanned.

Also one of my U.S. grandfather. He was in the Army but worked on planes. The frame is a carved out tip of a prop.

One of my most treasured items. Unfortunately my Grandfather in the Argyll and Sutherland forces medals which I can still picture in my grandmothers dining room, seem to be lost. If only I could go back 20 years.

Fred

[carolm]

Hi Fred,

I've emailed the Diary pages for the period 12/8 to 18/8/1916.

Carolyn

[Mark Abbott]

I was very interested in this post as I the Geo V Army Long Service and Good Conduct medal awarded to Robers James McKay (awarded when he was a RSM in the RAMC).

Robert was awarded a DSO for his bravery at High Wood on 18 August 1916. He had previously been awarded a Military Cross in 1915 whilst serving in the RAMC.

As a result of the wounds he received at High Wood, he never saw further service on the Western Front. On recovering from his wounds, he was posted to the Gold Cast Regiment and received the MBE for his service.

Mark

[rksimpson]

Hi

One of my relations died in that attack - 3/6814 Private James McIntosh 2nd Batallion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders , and here is a map of the plan of attack -

With the 3 I think it means he joined up in 1913 as did James, or it could mean 3 as in 3rd regiment - James joined up in the 3rd in 1913 but was posted to the 2nd in 1914 - I have his service records

regards

Robert

[Stefan]

Hi.

I have accounts of two of the defenders from that day. They were Walter Heinert and Albin Dittrich from 1st Company / IR 134. Most of the casualties of the A&S went on account of these two men. I can post it if it will be of interest.

Gruß Stefan

[Bart Metselaar]

Hello Stefan,

Hope you are still on this forum, because I would be very much interested in this account. I am doing research on High Wood for a publication in the Battleground Europe Series of Pen & Sword Books.

Thanks in advance

Bart

[Michelle Young]

@Stefan hasn’t visited since 2015. My tag might alert them. 

[Bart Metselaar]

Thanks a lot Michelle <3