Richard Boland

Died of Shell Wounds 12/03/1916 at a front line Field Ambulance Medical Unit. Wounds received at Ploegsteert Wood

The Battalion arrived at Boulogne on the 11/05/1915 and were part of the part of the 27th Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division when Richard fell. Richard died of shell wounds at a Field Ambulance Medical Unit on the 12/03/1916. He had previously received 7 shrapnel wounds in 1915 at the Battle of Loos. The Division casualties at Loos, 25th - 28th September 1915 : Officers Killed 63, Wounded 100, Missing 27. Other Ranks Killed 798, Wounded 3,037, Missing 2032. Total casualties : 6057 (see photos x 20 for the Most Unfavourable Ground book on the Battle of Loos 1915). The Field Ambulance was a mobile front line medical unit (it was not a vehicle), manned by troops of the Royal Army Medical Corps. Most Field Ambulances came under command of a Division, and each had special responsibility for the care of casualties of one of the Brigades of the Division. The theoretical capacity of the Field Ambulance was 150 casualties, but in battle many would need to deal with very much greater numbers. SEE PHOTOS X 6 FOR THE 9th (SCOTTISH) DIVISION FROM DECEMBER 1915 - MARCH 1916 (the Right. Hon. Winston Churchill arrived to take over Command of the 6th (Service) Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers early January 1916). Richard is listed as ROYAL SCOTS on the Memorial. Big thanks to Hugh Boland (his Grandfather was Richard's brother) for the Co. Mayo information above. Richard is also remembered on the Gartsherrie Works Roll of Honour, in the St. Augustine's Parish (book) and St. Patrick's Church Rolls of Honour (book) (family Information, see photos). See photos for Richard's Medal Index Card, his CWGC Grave Registration x 2, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls, Lancashire Cottage Cemetery, the Royal Scots Fusiliers Cap Badge, Richard's Pension Records x 2 and his Headstone Report. Finally, another photo of the plaque remembering Richard in the Gartsherrie Bowling Club, Coatbridge kindly donated by my friend Davie Johnstone, see photos for Newspaper clippings x 5 (Coatbridge Express x 2, Coatbridge Leader x 2 and Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser x 1) and the 9th (Scottish) Division Order of Battle x 12 (the Division he was with when he died), 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 BATTALION WAR DIARY x 8 FROM JANUARY - MARCH 1916 and the HISTORY OF THE ROYAL SCOTS FUSILIERS BOOK (6th Battalion) x 5 (covers early months of 1916).