Where in France was the 5 th battalion Black Watch Dec. 8 1914

[angusg]

Victor Glass, a colour sergeant was wounded and died of wounds December 8 th and buried DEC 9 th Eastern Cemetery Bouloge sur Mer. 

Victor was 39 years old and come from Friockheim and left a wife Betsy Reid and 5 children.

Victor was the eldest son of John Erskine Glass and Isabella Milne one of 8 children who
grew up in Friockheim his brother John Stephen a Lance Corporal in the Black watch killed 1915
remembered on the wall at le Touret cemetery, France. An other brother Alexander who has emigrated to Detroit Mi USA in 1912 was was inducted into the us Army 26 Sept 1917
as Sgt in 316 th Infantry . Commissioned as 2 nd Lieutenant on? ST Aignon France
Honourably discharged on 26 Mar 1919. A brother George served in the 2 nd Black Watch in India
and his sister Louisa served as a nurse in Egypt. That's 5 siblings serving from one family.

I would like to know more about the where abouts of the 5th battalion when Victor was killed.
Yours Aye,
Angus

[bleckie]

Hi Angus

Try here  http://www.1914-1918.net/blackwatch.htm

Yours Aye
BruceL

[Stephen Nulty]

The Battalion left Scotland on 29th October, bound for Southampton, and from there they sailed for Le Havre, arriving on 1st November. Victor's Medal Index Card confrms that he arrived in France on that date.

I looked in "British Battalions in France and Belgium 1914" (Ray Westlake), but it does not give details of any specific actions between the date of arrival in theatre and the death of CSM Glass. It does say that from 14th November, they were in the front line trenches along the Estaires - La Bassee road opposite Neueve Chapelle, attached to the 1st Sherwood Foresters, coming out of the trenches on 9th December.

[Stephen Nulty]

I assume you're aware that his son, Also Victor, was killed in the Second World War

Dundee Courer, 23rd April 1943

[Stephen Nulty]

A few other items of interest. Publication and Dates are part of the filename and can be seen bwloe the images.

[angusg]

Thank you both ,
Stephen, thank you for the newspaper articles yes I did "know"
but had never seen the Dundee courier articles. I had the one from
Montrose papers.
Much Apperciated. Victor Jr's baby daughter now lives in Australia
with her husband from Tullibody and two children & several grandchildren.

I have copies of letters from Victor to his wife betsy and sons while he was in camp at Barry/Buddon awaiting to embark for France.

I am going to France in July this year and will be going to Boulogne
but would like to get a sense of where he was in the Trenches when he was shot.

He was with a Captain Aubertin who got Victor back to the trenches, and
thence to medical aid.

[ugo]

Have you tried the War Diaries , they Should all be  on-line now.

[Stephen Nulty]

They have all been digitised, but they are not yet all available online

[atom12]

From the War Diary:

Sunday 6th December:  Church Parade at 9 am.

Monday 7th December: The Right half Battalion returned last night and reported the following casualties.  2nd Lt Adam, slightly wounded, 2 Killed, 6 Wounded, 1 NCO died of his wounds at Boulogne.

Tues 8th Dec
Weds 9th Dec
Thurs 10th Dec: Right half of Battalion went out this afternoon only about 150 strong on account of a great many men suffering from rheumatism, the drafty billet which they occupied being largely to blame for this.  Number 4 Company returned and 10 pm and reported 2 men Wounded.  Number 3 Company returned at 11 pm and reported 1 Killed and 3 Wounded.  A good many bombs had been thrown into their trench. One man going up with the ration cart last night was shot.

Friday 11th December: Heavy rain.  Trenches in appalling condition.  Three Wounded last night.

Hope this helps.