William (Service No. S/5031) arrived at Boulogne with the 10th (Service) Battalion Gordon Highlanders on the 09/07/1915. They were part of the 44th Brigade, 15th (Scottish) Division. On the 11/05/1916 they amalgamated with 8th (Service) Battalion to form the 8/10th (Service) Battalion. William later joined the Machine Gun Corps "44th" Company who were part of the 44th Brigade, 15th (Scottish) Division from the 12/01/1916 until they moved into "A" Company, 15th Battalion, Divisional Troops, 15th (Scottish) Division from the 17/03/1918. William was reported Killed in Action on the 28/03/1918 until he sent a postcard home from Germany stating he was wounded and a prisoner of war. He was actually wounded and captured during the First Battle of Arras, 28th March 1918 which was part of the German offensives 1918 and a phase of the First Battles of the Somme, 21st March - 5th April 1918 : After transferring very large forces from the now-collapsed Eastern Front, the German Army commits to a series of large-scale offensives. The first, Operation Michael, strikes the British Fifth and Third Armies. A deep advance is made and inflicts large losses, although the second phase, Operation Mars, at Arras on the 28th March, is soon held. In the crisis, the Allies decide at Doullens to appoint French General Foch as co-ordinator, and soon enough, as Generalissimo. Before enough French and British reserves are finally assembled to hold the German advance before it captures the critical railway junctions at Amiens. William died a short time later on the 16/06/1918 in captivity in a War Hospital in Brakel, Germany (see Army Register of Soldiers Effects x 2). SEE PHOTOS x 14 FOR THE 15th BATTALION WAR DIARY MARCH 1918 (This contains detailed information on the date William was reported on being Killed in Action). William is buried in Braine-le-Comte Communal Cemetery. This Cemetery contains the graves of 33 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War, all of whom died as prisoners of war and the graves of 7 Second World War airmen. ALL their graves are available to view
Here. See photos for William's Medal Index Card, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects x 2, his Service Medal and Award Rolls, his CWGC Grave Registration x 2, his Headstone Report, William's Pension Records x 2, Braine-Le-Comte Communal Cemetery, William's grave (1st on the front left), his previous Regiment the Gordon Highlanders Cap Badge and the Machine Gun Corps Cap Badge. Finally, see photos for Newspaper clippings x 7 (Coatbridge Express x 3, Coatbridge Leader x 2 and Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser x 2), PHOTOS x 25 FOR THE 15th (SCOTTISH) DIVISION BOOK MARCH 1918 and the 15th (Scottish) Division Order of Battle x 13 (the Division he was with when he died).
