Alexander Mackie

The Battalion arrived at Le Havre on the 08/01/1916 and were part of the 101st Brigade, 34th Division. Alexander was killed on the opening phase of the Battles of the Somme at the Battle of Albert, 1st - 13th July 1916 : In this opening phase, the French and British assault broke into and gradually moved beyond the first of the German defensive systems. For the British, the attack on the 1st of July proved to be the worst day in the nation's military history in terms of casualties sustained. It is the aspect of the battle that is most remembered and most written about, and for good reason, but to concentrate on the failures is to entirely miss the point of the Somme and why the battle developed into an epic period of the Great War. On the first day, British forces at the southern end of the British line made an impressive advance alongside the French Sixth Army, capturing the villages of Montauban and Mametz and breaking through the enemy's defensive system. North of Mametz the attack was an almost unmitigated failure. The situation led to a redirection of effort, with the offensive north of the River Ancre effectively being closed down and all future focus being on the line south of Thiepval. There was a stiff fight for Trones Wood and costly, hastily planned and piecemeal attacks that eventually took La Boisselle, Contalmaison and Mametz Wood during the rest of the period up to the 13th of July. The 34th Division were involved in the capture of Scots and Sausage Redoubts. The Battles of the Somme, 1st July - 18th November 1916 : A Franco-British offensive that was undertaken after Allied strategic conferences in late 1915, but which changed its nature due to the German attack against the French in the epic Battle of Verdun, which lasted from late February to November. Huge British losses on the first day and a series of fiercely-contested steps that became attritional in nature. For all armies on the Western Front it was becoming what the Germans would call "materialschlacht" : a war not of morale, will or even manpower, but of sheer industrial material might. The 15/09/1916 saw the first-ever use of tanks in the step known as the Battle of Flers-Courcelette. The British army in France is now approaching its maximum strength in numbers but is still developing in terms of tactics, technology, command and control. 18 Officers and 610 Other Ranks of the 15th Battalion were Killed, Wounded or Missing by the evening of the 3rd July 1916. The 15th had been instructed to advance to a strong point about two kilometres south-east of La Boiselle. As they went 'over the top' at 7.30 am, it instantly became clear that the preliminary bombardment had failed and the soldiers were met with artillery and machine-gun fire. A few survivors somehow managed to reach the German trenches. 14 other men from the Coatbridge Memorial also fell on this day. Alexander's father John received his personal belongings which were his wallet, letters, photos, cards, purse, cigarette case, token and disc (see Service Records 9 and 10). Alexander is also remembered on the Coatbridge Technical College Roll of Honour and at the Family Plot in New Monkland Cemetery x 2 (see photos). See photos for Alexander's Medal Index Card, his Service Medal and Award Rolls, his name on the Thiepval Memorial, his CWGC Grave Registration, the Royal Scots Cap Badge and Alexander's Service Records x 17. Finally, SEE PHOTOS x 25 FOR THE BATTALION WAR DIARY 8th JANUARY - 6th JULY 1916, PHOTOS x 25 FOR THE 34th DIVISION BOOK 1st - 5th JULY 1916 and the 34th DIVISION ORDER OF BATTLE x 15 (the Division Alexander was with when he died).