John and the Battalion arrived at Boulogne on the 19/09/1915 but soon moved and by November 1915 was at Salonika. John and the Battalion arrived in Salonika from Marseilles on the 26/11/1915. They were part of the 77th Brigade, 26th Division. John suffered an attack of dysentery. He was confined to barracks 3 times in 1915 for overstaying his pass. The 3rd Battle of Doiran was fought from the 18th September to the 19th September 1918, with the Greeks and the British assaulting the positions of the Bulgarian First Army near Dojran Lake. The Battle ended with the Bulgarians repulsing all attacks. The Battle : On the left, the British XII Corps made up of the 22nd and 26th Divisions, reinforced by the Greek Seres division was to attack the difficult Pip Ridge. The British concentrated 231 pieces of artillery, including heavy 8 inch howitzers. The bombardment took place over two days, included gas shells and concluded with a rolling barrage behind which the infantry was to advance. The British spent the time before the battle practicing and preparing for the assault. Facing them was the Bulgarian 9th Pleven Division with 122 guns, in very well prepared defences. On September 19th, the XII Corps attacked again. Because the XVI Corps attacks north of the lake had failed, the XII Corps would attack alone. The Greek Seres Division repeated the previous day's performance, taking some Bulgarian trenches before being thrown back by heavy artillery, machine gun fire and counterattacks. The British attacked with the 77th Brigade, the weakened 65th Brigade, and later the 2nd French Zouaves. The 77th Brigade took some Bulgarian trenches, but it was in an exposed position, being hammered by artillery and eventually retreated before the Bulgarians counter-attacked. The Brigade suffered about 50% casualties. 10 days after John's death Bulgaria (Germany's ally) surrendered and this piece of the War was over. Casualties in the Salonika campaign - Killed : 146 Officers and 2,653 other ranks, Died of wounds : 76 Officers and 1,349 other ranks, Died of disease : 103 Officers and 4,110 other ranks, Wounded : 794 Officers and 16,214 other ranks, Missing / Prisoners : 118 Officers and 2,556 other ranks, Totals : 1,237 Officers and 26,882 other ranks. John's name on the Doiran Memorial kindly donated by Mick McCann at the British War Graves website who supply photos FREE OF CHARGE
here. John is also remembered on the East United Free Church and Maxwell Parish Churches Rolls of Honour and on the Diamond War Memorial Roll of Honour, Londonderry (see photos). See photos for John's Medal Index Card, his Newspaper clippings x 4, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls, his name on the Doiran Memorial, his CWGC Grave Registration, his name on the Doiran Memorial Panel List, John's Pension Records x 2, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Cap Badge and John's Service Records x 17. Finally, see photos x 14 for the 26th Division Order of Battle (the Division he was serving with when he died).
