Peter Caird

Killed in Action on the 18/09/1916 at the Contalmaison sector during the Battle of Flers-Courcelette (part of the Battles of the Somme 1916)

The 8th (Service) Battalion arrived at Boulogne on the 10/05/1915. On the 07/05/1916 they moved to Bethune and transferred to 44th Brigade, 15th (Scottish) Division. 4 days later they amalgamated with the 10th (Service) Battalion and became the 8/10th (Service) Battalion. From the 8/10th War Diary - Contalmaison sector on the 18/09/1916 : "The Battalion was relieved in the trenches by the 9th Black Watch about 7pm on the 17th September. The relief was held up by shelling and two platoons were made to wait till 7am. Today a wet day and the trenches are in very bad condition. We have moved into LANCS trench and BACON trench as Private Reserve. It rained persistently all day and the men have no shelter. At 5pm : The 23rd Division has begun to relieve the 15th Division in the line which moves tonight into Corps Reserve. The 11th West Riding Regiment is taking over from our Battalion. Relief under wretched conditions otherwise without incident. We moved into Camp near Albert and we finally settled about 8pm. Tent accommodation is good but the ground is very wet and muddy." This was part of the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, 15th - 22nd of September 1916 : This was a large-scale general renewal of the offensive after the weeks of attritional fighting for the third German system at Pozieres, High Wood, Delville Wood, Guillemont and Ginchy. It is historically noteworthy for being the first time that tanks were used in battle. Few in number, mechanically unreliable and as yet without proven tactics for their best use, the small numbers of tanks that actually went into action had an important positive effect. High Wood and Delville Wood were finally cleared, and a deep advance was made to Flers and towards Combles. The Canadian Corps entered the Somme fighting for the first time. The 15th (Scottish) Division captured Martinpuich. SEE PHOTOS x 25 FOR THE 15th (SCOTTISH) DIVISION BOOK FROM 27th JUNE - SEPTEMBER 1916 and PHOTOS x 12 FOR THE BATTALION WAR DIARY SEPTEMBER 1916. Peter is also remembered on the Barony Church War Memorial Roll of Honour in Kirriemuir. See photos for Peter's Medal Index Card, 2 more photos of him (1 in colour), the Kirriemuir War Memorial x 2, Peter's name on the Kirriemuir War Memorial, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls, his name on Thiepval Memorial x 2 (fellow Coatbridge resident Private James Callaghan (12914) is listed below Peter on the Memorial), his CWGC Grave Registration and the Gordon Highlanders Cap Badge. Finally, see photos for another one of Peter's name on the Thiepval Memorial taken by myself in July 2023 and the 15th (Scottish) Division Order of Battle x 13 (the Division he was with when he died ).