The Battalion arrived at Boulogne on the 14/08/1914 and were part of the 5th Brigade, 2nd Division. The Division took part in the Battle of St. Quentin, 21st – 23rd March 1918, the First Battle of Bapaume, 24th – 25th March 1918 and the First Battle of Arras, 28th March 1918,. These were phases of the First Battles of the Somme, 21st March to the 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 of 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. SEE PHOTOS x 18 FOR THE BATTALION WAR DIARY FROM 1st MARCH 1918 - 12th APRIL 1918 AND PHOTOS x 6 FOR THE NARRATIVE OF OPERATIONS 20th MARCH - 27th MARCH 1918. John is listed as GALLOCHER on the Coatbridge Memorial. Grave photo kindly donated by Mick McCann at the British War Graves website who supply photos FREE OF CHARGE
here. A huge thank you to Stephen Gallacher (John was his Great Uncle) for the huge amount of information and pictures he sent me. See photos for John's Military career x 8, Stephen's photos from where John received his injuries x 2 and a picture of John's original grave and cross with sporran, 2 pictures of John's Grave taken in 2016 by Stephen and his son. 1 is the main Grave photo. Also read Stephen's comment at the bottom of this page. See photos for John's Medal Index Card, photo taken around 1917 (back row left to right - James, Agnes, Margaret (Peggy). front row left to right - Elizabeth (Lizzie), Alfred (Alfie) and Bridget), photo of the Family grave from 1926 in Old Monkland Cemetery laid by John's mother in Memory of his father John (John's brother, sister, grandmother and himself also listed), his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls, his CWGC Grave Registration x 2, his Headstone Report x 2, Family listed on the 1911 Census (John's mother listed as Lizzie ?), Doullens Communal Cemetery Extension No 1, more photos of John's Grave x 2 (including close up with Cap Badge and John's cigarette case), the Highland Light Infantry Cap Badge and John's Pension Records x 2. John's grave inscription reads "HE DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE THY WILL BE DONE". Finally, SEE PHOTOS x 54 FOR THE 2nd DIVISION BOOK, the 2nd Division Order of Battle x 12 (the Division he was serving with before he died) and Newspaper clippings x 4 (Coatbridge Express x 2, Coatbridge Leader x 1 and the Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser x 1).
