A COLLECTION OF INVERURIE SOLDIERS’ STORIES FROM

THE GREAT WAR

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October 7, 1914, p 2 – Aberdeen Evening Express – LETTER FROM INVERURIE GORDON – A Terrible Ten Hours at Mons Mrs A Reid, 20 North Street, Inverurie, has received a letter from her son, Douglas Reid, of the 1

st Gordons who was through the heavy fighting at

Mons. He says:- “I received your welcome letter all right. It was ever so fine to have news from the old home just now. It puts new heart into you altogether when you are lying in wait for the next German to pop his head up. I suppose you have seen by the “Journal” that the Gordons got a hard hit on Sunday, 23

rd August and on Wednesday, 26

th. It

was the two hottest corners I ever was in in my life. I can tell you this much, that if the Germans had any pluck in them at all, I would not have been able to write this letter. They were about five to one on Sunday at Mons. We got up on Sunday morning about 5 am and went away to dig trenches. We got that done all right, and then at noon we got our dinner, and had just finished nicely when ping they kicked off, and I can tell you we got it hot for about ten hours. Machine guns, heavy artillery, and all sorts and sizes. It was wonderful how cool we young chaps were considering it was the first time under the real thing. We just sat watching, until they came about 800 yards from us, and then we let them have it for all we were worth darkness came down, when they ceased firing. “Then we got the order to retire, and we were retiring all the time until Wednesday, when we had our next scrap. There were trenches all ready waiting us, only we had to give the finishing touches to them. W Brown and myself were having some bread and jam when they started. We finished it, mind you. Anything sweet, you know, goes all right here. We kept up the firing until we got the word to retire again, and this time it was clincher. We had to retire about 300 yards right in the open before we could get any cover, and the bullets were spitting all round us. It was a miracle that was worked that day, I am certain. [1]

November 19, 1914, p 8 – Aberdeen Daily Journal – INVERURIE DISPATCH RIDER’S LETTER Mrs Strachan, Balquhain, has received a very interesting letter from Dispatch Rider Robert Gammie, son of Mr Alexander Gammie, cattle dealer, Inverurie. He acknowledges the receipt of a bundle of garments which was sent him by Mrs Strachan, who is one of the committee of the Inverurie and District Ladies’ Committee, and says – “I am still in the thick of it, but we will win, and the German officers know that. They are a bad lot, but we are too good for them. Tell all the Inverurie

young men who have not yet joined the colours that we want them out here to help us.” (NB – Robert Gammie – killed in action

23/04/1915.) [1]

December 16, 1914, p 4 - Aberdeen Daily Journal – DISTRICT WAR NEWS - INVERURIE COMPANY IN THE TRENCHES Letters received yesterday by friend in Aberdeen from Captain George Smith of Pittodrie, who is meantime with the 6

th Gordon Highlanders in

France, stated that part of the battalion had already been in action. In the course of another letter to an Inverurie gentleman, Captain Smith, who is in command of the Inverurie company says – “We left, where I wrote you last, on Friday morning of last week, and it took us two days to march here. “We are in wonderfully comfortable quarters again. E Company (Inverurie) seems to be fortunate. I hope it always will. We will likely take our turn in the trenches in four days.” The letter is dated December 10. [1] (NB – Captain George Smith – killed in action at

Neuve Chapelle on 13/03/1915.)

[1] Thomson, DC, “British Newspaper Archive,” BrightSolid, 2014. [Online]. Available: www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/. [Accessed May 2014].

[2] Leng, J, The People's Journal (Aberdeen, Banff & Kincardine), John Leng & Co Ltd, Bank Street, Dundee.

[3] Robert Currie - photographs & family story, Reproduced by kind permission of Mr S Watson, Inverurie, 2014.

January 1, 1915, p 2 – Aberdeen Evening Express – TERRITORIALS IN THE TRENCHES Private John Ewen, of the 6

th Battalion Gordon

Highlanders, in a letter dated 21st December to an

Inverurie friend says – “I am getting on all right. We have been in the trenches for six nights and five days, so that isn’t at all bad for a start. “We were a sorrowful looking sight when we came out of the trenches. You would not have known us, for we were covered from head to foot with

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mud, but a day amongst the straw made us wonderfully clean. “Several of the boys had no boots or socks when we arrived at our billets. Friday night was the worst of all. I could not adequately describe it. “We were attacking. The guns were booming all around. It was pitch dark before the attack began, but the whole place was soon lighted up with the flash of the guns and the searchlights. “I think I had only four hours’ sleep all the week, but it is grand sport. “The German trenches are only about 150 yards from ours. It is quite easy for us to shout to one another, in fact we signal shots to each other with a stick or spade after we have fired. “There were no casualties in our company, but a good few were laid up with rheumatism, for it is terribly cold here.” [1]

January 7, 1915, p 7 - Aberdeen Daily Journal - 6

th Gordons’ Casualties – FOUR BURIED ON

CHRISTMAS DAY Private Bert Henry, E Company 6

th Gordon

Highlanders (Territorials), who is attached to the 20

th Brigade, 7

th Division, British Expeditionary

Force, writes the following interesting letter under date December 29, to Mr Tait, Broomhead, Inverurie:- “We have been four days in the trenches, and are now out for a few days’ rest. “On Christmas Day we had a holiday in the trenches – an armistice having been declared after a week of determined attacks. The Germans came out of the trenches and started shouting ‘A Merry Christmas,’ so we jumped out, and they shook hands with us. “We never experienced anything like it, and such a thing must never have been known to occur between two enemies on the battlefield. We exchanged tobacco with them. We then buried the poor fellows who had been struck down – Scots Guards, Grenadiers, Borderers etc. Of the 6th Gordons there have been 4 killed and 13 wounded.” [1] (NB – Private Bertie Henry, killed in action on 31/07/1916.)

January 8, 1915, p 2 – Aberdeen Evening Express – INVERURIE MEN AND THE GERMANS Another batch of letters written in the trenches on New Year’s Day has been received at Inverurie.

The same friendly spirit which prevailed on Christmas Day was experienced on New Year’s Day. In acknowledging the boxes of chocolate sent by the committee of the dairy produce sale, Private Robert Joss says – “This is New Year’s Day. We were over shaking hands with the Germans again this morning, but owing to my lack of education we had not much conversation.” Private Bert Burnett writing on the same day, says – “I had a shake of a German’s hand this morning, and my breakfast off a German loaf, but it wisna sae good as the hame anes. I am sittin’ in a corner o’ the trench enjoyin’ yer chocolate, but I wid rather be kickin’ a fitba’ at hame.” [1]

March 13, 1915 – People’s Journal – LETTER FROM INVERURIE GORDON – FOOTBALL AT THE FRONT Members of the 6

th Gordons have been engaging

in a football match at the front. In a letter home, an Inverurie Territorial at present with the battalion in France writes: “We have got a shift from our old place, and suffice to say that we are very comfortable where we are, and hope to have seen the last of the trenches for some time. It is not in my power to tell you how long we are to be away from them, but however long or short, it will be a big relief to us all. I do not mean to say we did a lot of fighting, but to have fought the elements for the past three months is no mean task, and a rest is surely nothing more than we are entitled to. Don’t you think so? “I may state that we emerged from the trenches the last time all safe. Our casualties for the battalion number ___ killed, and ___ wounded, quite a large number. Our company, which we considered to be extremely lucky, had one killed and three wounded, so you will see that the remaining companies have suffered very heavily compared with ours. A Football Match “We had a football match with the ___ Gordons the day before we left, and a great crowd witnessed a splendid game, there being close to one thousand spectators present. It being the final for the brigade, it caused great excitement, and when the 6

th scored the one and only goal well through the

second half, the cheering could not have been greater had it been Aberdeen winning the Scottish Cup. The 6

th now enter the semi-final for the

Division, and mean to take the cup. I am sending you a list of the team. I hear the members of the team are each to get a wristlet watch as a memento in beating the ___. We are having fairly good weather just now – what we wold call typical “Mairch” weather – rather windy, but dry.

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“6

th Gordon’s Team:

Coal – Brown (2d Mugiemoss) Backs – Cameron (Mugiemoss) and Reid (2d Mugiemoss). Half-backs – Johnstone (2d Mugiemoss), Burnett (Inverurie Locos), and Singer 9Inverurie Locos). Forwards – Mechin (Buckie Wednesday), Ross (Buckie Thistle), Wyper (Huntly United), Stewart (Buckie Thistle), and Bain (2d Mugiemoss).” The deletion in numbers were made by Censor. [2]

March 22, 1915, p 8 – Aberdeen Daily Journal - NO MORE INVERURIE LOSSES Numerous letters were received in Inverurie on Saturday from the 6

th Gordons, but no further

casualties are reported. All day they came through a very trying ordeal, but “not a man flinched.” One private says:- It was simply raining bullets, and was hell let loose, and we had the misfortune to lose Colonel McLean before the charge. A letter was received from Captain Kellas, who is lying in a hospital in France. He is wounded in the leg and back. [1]

April 15, 1915, p 3 – Aberdeen Evening Express – A MOONLIGHT FLITTING AT THE FRONT – “Just a Wee But and Ben” – Inverurie Lad’s Letter One of the Inverurie Gordons, writing home from the front, says :- “We are in the trenches again, but I am not anxious about that, as we are in clover. They are a lot more comfortable than the last billet we were in. “I am in a ‘topper’ of a dug-out, with kitchen and sleeping hut adjoining. Just a wee butt and ben. “There is a stove and a splendid oven, also chairs, tables, and verily curtains. The last tenants (Germans) had to vacate it in a hurry. In fact they took a “meenlichty flittin.’” [1]

May 1, 1915, p 2 – Aberdeen Evening Express – DCM FOR INVERURIE 6

TH GORDON – Private

James S Watt Mr Alexander Watt, butcher, 2 Commercial Lane, Inverurie, has received a letter from his son, Private James S Watt of the 6

th Gordons, stating that

he has been awarded the DCM. The letter is written

from a hospital in France where the gallant soldier is now lying with appendicitis. He says:- “You will be surprised to hear that I have been awarded the DMC. I can tell you I was surprised to receive such an honour. Really, I could hardly believe my ears when Captain Fleming told me about it, and I had actually to see it in orders before I could believe it.” Private Watt is attached to the B or Keith Company. He served his apprenticeship in Keith, but emigrated to the United States where he was qualifying as a surgeon. He was home on a three months’ holiday when war broke out, and being an old member of the Territorials he joined his old comrades. There are no details to hand of how he has earned the coveted distinction, but he was in the Neuve Chapelle fight, and it was no doubt in the hard fighting there where he won his DCM. [1]

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FAMILY INFORMATION Robert CURRIE Robert Currie was my mother's eldest brother, who was born on 24th February, 1899, had just left school and was serving as an apprentice clerk when World War 1 broke out, and much to my Grandmother's dismay, was one of the first to sign up, and marched off with the other Inverurie volunteers as a Gordon Highlander. In a quirk of fate, my own Grandfather, JJ Watson, was the sergeant who led these young men out of the town despite his age - he spent his 50th birthday in the trenches - and survived the conflict to return. Robert Currie was not so lucky. Somehow, he had been transferred to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in the meantime. Not an uncommon happening, I'm led to believe, as the Argylls had suffered bad losses and their numbers were made up from other Scottish regiments. On 9th April, 1918, a few months before the Armistice, Robert was killed, taking a bullet through the heart, and is buried in the village of Bienvillers, about 18 kilometres from Arras. His mother never got over the loss of her first-born son, and loathed the annual Remembrance Day ceremony which was held outside her own front door. I have many sad memories of her sitting at the window watching her annual torment, with tears streaming down her face. Bizarrely enough, JJ Watson was vehemently against the War Memorial being situated in the Market Place back in the early '20's, as he did not want to be reminded each morning as he opened the doors of his shop, of all his comrades, many of whom were little more than boys, who had been slaughtered in that needless conflict. "Pit it doon

by the Bass" he thundered, "Whaur a' oor deid are buried!" The Bass being the site of the early church and the Burgh's graveyard. [3]

Robert Currie’s war grave in Bienvillers which bears the inscription:

“22860 PRIVATE

R CURRIE ARG & SUTH’D HIGHRS

9th April 1918 AGE 19

Beloved & Eldest Son

Of Robert & Jessie Currie Inverurie”

Robert’s name also appears on the Dyce and Mortlach War Memorials.

References

[1] Thomson, DC, “British Newspaper Archive,” BrightSolid, 2014. [Online]. Available: www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/. [Accessed May 2014].

[2] Leng, J, The People's Journal (Aberdeen, Banff & Kincardine), John Leng & Co Ltd, Bank Street, Dundee.

[3] Robert Currie - photographs & family story, Reproduced by kind permission of Mr S Watson, Inverurie, 2014.