James and the Battalion arrived at Bolougne on the 11/05/1915 and were part of the 27th Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division. James is listed as being Killed in Action on the 29/09/1915. The Battalion War Diary for that date states - "GRENAY LINES : At 3am Battalion marched back to Billets in BETHUNE". Newspaper clippings state dates of death as 24th / 25th AND 26th / 29th. There are also 2 explanations of how James was Killed. Firstly Sergeant James Brazill of "D" Company 6th Battalion states - "Private James Docherty was leading a party when he was wounded on the hand with a bomb, but he was fatally shot before reaching a dressing station". Secondly he states - "It appears from some of James' chums who saw him last that he had first been wounded in the hand, and when he was walking to the Medical Officer he was killed by a shell" (see Newspaper photos for all information). SEE PHOTOS x 10 FOR THE BATTALION WAR DIARY 24th - 30th SEPTEMBER 1915. The Battle of Loos, 25th September - 15th October 1915 : The first genuinely large scale British offensive action but once again only in a supporting role to a larger French attack in the Third Battle of Artois. British appeals that the ground over which they were being called upon to advance was wholly unsuitable were rejected. The battle is historically noteworthy for the first British use of poison gas. British casualties in the main Loos front between the 25th September and 16th October 1915 (Formations that lost more than 5,000 men) - 15th (Scottish) Division : 6,896 of which 228 Officers, 9th (Scottish) Division : 6,058 of which 190 Officers, 1st Division : 6,030 of which 246 Officers, 7th Division : 5,224 of which 220 Officers. More than 61,000 British casualties were sustained in this battle. 50,000 of them were in the main fighting area between Loos and Givenchy and the remainder in the subsidiary attacks. Of these, 7,766 men died. Casualties were particularly high among Scottish Regiments who lost a huge amount of brave men at Loos. Here is a list of Infantry Battalions who lost more than 500 men at the Battle of Loos from 25/09/1915 to 16/10/1915 - 7th Cameron Highlanders 687, of which 19 Officers, 9th Black Watch 680, of which 20 Officers, 6th King's Own Scottish Borderers 650, of which 20 Officers, 10th Highland Light Infantry 648, of which 20 Officers, 7th King's Own Scottish Borderers 631, of which 20 Officers, 8th Devons 619, of which 19 Officers, 8th Royal West Kents 580, of which 24 Officers, 8th Buffs 558, of which 24 Officers, 12th Highland Light Infantry 553, of which 23 Officers, 8th Black Watch 511, of which 19 Officers, 5th North Staffordshire 505, of which 20 Officers, 8th Seaforth Highlanders 502, of which 23 Officers. James was 1 of 99 men from the Coatbridge Memorial who fell during and from injuries from the Battle of Loos. James is also remembered on the St. Patrick's Church Roll of Honour (see photos). See Newspaper clippings for a letter to James' family from Sergeant James Brasill, "D" Company, 6th Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers. See photos for James' Medal Index Card, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls x 2, his CWGC Grave Registration, his name on the Loos Memorial Panel List, James' name on the Loos Memorial x 2, his Pension Records x 2 and the Royal Scots Fusiliers Cap Badge. Finally, see photos for Newspaper clippings x 9 (Coatbridge Express x 2, Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser x 7), wreath placed by myself remembering the men on the Loos Memorial in July 2023 x 2, myself at the Royal Scots Fusiliers panel at the Loos Memorial in July 2023 (James listed bottom left), the 9th (Scottish) Division Order of Battle x 12 (the Division he was with when he died), PHOTOS x 31 FOR THE 9th (SCOTTISH) DIVISION BOOK 25th - 30th SEPTEMBER 1915 and PHOTOS FOR 20 PAGES FROM THE MOST UNFAVOURABLE GROUND BOOK REGARDING THE BATTALION and DIVISION 25/09/1915 (fantastic book on the Battle of Loos kindly signed by the author Niall Cherry). The History of the 9th (Scottish) Division book is available to read online
here
