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1st Battalion, Cameron Highlanders (Queens Own)
The 1st Battalion, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders was in Edinburgh when war broke out in August 1914. They proceeded to France with the British Expeditionary Force, landing at Le Havre on the 14th of August 1914. On the 5th of September they joined 1st Brigade in 1st Division and saw action at The Battle of Mons, The Battle of the Marne, The Battle of the Aisne, the Actions on the Aisne heights and the First Battle of Ypres. They were involed in the winter actions leading into 1915 when they saw action at The Battle of Aubers and The Battle of Loos. In 1916 they fought in the the Battles of the Somme, having been reinforced by troops from 1/4th Battalion which has been disbanded. In 1917 they took part in the The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line and the Third Battle of Ypres. They were in action at the Battles of the Lys, the Second Battles of Arras, the Battles of the Hindenburg Line, The Battle of the Selle and The Battle of the Sambre in 1918. After the Armistice the 1st Division advanced into Germany and formed part of the Occupation Force at Bonn.
31st Aug 1914 Breathless Heat & Cold
1st Sep 1914 Outpost Duty
2nd Sep 1914 Rear Guard
3rd Sep 1914 Advance Guard
3rd Sep 1914 Retirement
4th Sep 1914 In Action
6th Sep 1914 In Reserve
19th Sep 1914 Reliefs Complete
24th Oct 1914 Withdrawl
30th Oct 1914 Shelling
31st Oct 1914 Divisional HQ Hit
15th Nov 1914 Orders
31st Dec 1914 In Action 
31st Dec 1914 Orders
1st Jan 1915 Machine Gun Post
2nd Jan 1915 Reliefs
12th Jan 1915 Holding the Line
20th Jan 1915 At Rest
21st Jan 1915 Reliefs
22nd Jan 1915 In the Line
23rd Jan 1915 Relief
24th Jan 1915 In Reserve
25th Jan 1915 In Action
26th Jan 1915 Reliefs
27th Jan 1915 Stand To
28th Jan 1915 In Reserve
29th Jan 1915 Reliefs
30th Jan 1915 Reliefs
31st Jan 1915 Officers
1st May 1915 Bombardment
9th May 1915 The Battle of Aubers Ridge: The Souther pincer Richebourg L’Avoue. At 4.06am: sunrise and all very quiet on this front.
5.00am: British bombardment opens with field guns firing shrapnel at the German wire and howitzers firing High Explosive shells onto front line. German troops are seen peering above their parapet even while this shelling was going on.
5.30am: British bombardment intensifies, field guns switch to HE and also fire at breastworks. The lead battalions of the two assaulting Brigades of 1st Division go over the top to take up a position only 80 yards from German front. (2nd Brigade has 1/Northants and 2/Royal Sussex in front and 2/KRRC and 1/5th Royal Sussex in immediate support; 3rd Brigade has 2/Royal Munster Fusiliers and 2/Welsh in front, with 1/4th Royal Welsh Fusiliers in support). Heavy machine-gun fire cuts the attackers down even on their own ladders and parapet steps, but men continue to press forward as ordered.
In the area of the Indian Corps, the lead battalions of the Dehra Dun Brigade of the Meerut Division (2/2nd Ghurkas, 1/4th and 1st Seaforth Highlanders) were so badly hit by enemy fire that no men got beyond their own parapet and the front-line and communications trenches were soon filled with dead and wounded men.
5.40am: British bombardment lifts off front lines and advances 600 yards; infantry assault begins. Despite the early losses and enemy fire the three Brigades attempted to advance across No Man's Land. They were met by intense crossfire from the German machine-guns, which could not be seen in their ground-level and strongly protected emplacements. Whole lines of men were seen to be hit. Few lanes had been cut in the wire and even where men reached it they were forced to bunch, forming good targets for the enemy gunners. The leading battalions suffered very significant losses, particularly among officers and junior leaders. Around 100 men on the Northants and Munsters got into the German front, but all were killed or captured. The advance of the supporting battalions suffered similarly, and by 6.00am the advance had halted, with hundreds of men pinned down in No Man's Land, unable to advance or fall back.
6.15am: A repeat of the initial bombardment is ordered, with the added difficulty of uncertain locations of the most advanced troops.
7.20am: Major-General Haking (CO, 1st Division) reports failure and asks if he should bring in his last Brigade (1st (Guards)). He offered his opinion that it would not be successful.
7.45am: A further one hour bombardment starts, ordered by Lieut-General Anderson (CO, Meerut Division). Its only impact is to encourage German artillery to reply, bringing heavy shelling down onto British front and support trenches. German fire continued until about 10.30am.
8.00am: First reports reach Haig, but they underestimate losses and problems. Haig also hears of early French successes in Vimy attack; he resolves to renew the effort in the Southern attack, with noon being the new zero
hour. This was subsequently moved when it was learned from I Corps how long it would take to bring supporting units up to replace those that had suffered in the initial attacks. The new attack at 2.40pm would again be preceded by a 40 minute bombardment. The various movements of relief forces were achieved only with much confusion and further losses under renewed enemy shellfire. The time was again moved, to 4.00pm. In the meantime, the German infantry in the Bois de Biez area was reinforced.
3.20pm: Bombardment repeated and seen to be a little more successful, blowing gaps in the wire and in the enemy front-line.
3.45pm: Bareilly Brigade, moving up to relieve the Dehra Dun, loses more than 200 men due to enemy shelling.
3.57pm: The leading companies of the 1/Black Watch of 1st (Guards) Brigade, brought in to replace the shattered 2nd Brigade, went over the top despite the 1/Cameron Highlanders being late to arrive and moved at the double across No Man's Land. Some reached the German breastwork just as the bombardment lifted; most were however killed or captured in the German firing trench although a small party reached the second position. The two lead companies of the Camerons, coming up on the left of the Black Watch a few minutes later, suffered heavy machine-gun casualties in crossing between the front lines. At approximately the same time, the two fresh battalions of the 3rd Brigade, the 1/Gloucestershire and 1/South Wales Borderers began to advance but were cut down without reaching the enemy. Meerut Division orders Bareilly Brigade to advance, even though it is clear that conditions are unchanged: few men even reached a small ditch 20 yards in front of their own front line, and the Brigade suffered more than 1000 casualties within minutes.
4.35pm: 1st Division orders another 10 minutes shelling but it is seen to have no effect.
4.40pm: Large explosion at German ammunition dump in Herlies, hit by a long-range British heavy shell. Smoke clouds drifting towards British lines caused a gas alarm. Br-Gen. Southey (CO, Bareilly Brigade) reports that further attempts to advance would be useless.
5.00pm: General Haig, hearing of the continued failure of the Southern attack, orders 2nd Division to relieve 1st Division with a view to a bayonet attack at dusk, 8.00pm.
9th May 1915 Attack Made
24th of May 1915 Zeppelin under observation
6th Aug 1915 In Billets
24th Aug 1915 Reliefs
5th October 1915 Draft arrived
6th October 1915 Reinforcements
14th October 1915 Old German Front Line
14th October 1915 Reliefs
16th Oct 1915 The Derby Scheme
13th November 1915 Operational Order No.42.
1st Dec 1915 Derby Scheme Armlets
11th Sep 1915 Last day of Derby Scheme Recruitment
10th Jan 1916 Group System Reopens
9th February 1916 Call Ups
9th Jun 1916 Orders
9th June 1916 Orders Received
13th Jun 1916 Orders
10th of July 1916 Heavy Firing
20th Sep 1916 Reliefs
16th of November 1916
16th Dec 1916 Comforts Fund
1st Jan 1917 Moves
9th Jan 1917 Working Parties
10th Jan 1917 Moves
17th Jan 1917 Heavy Snow
22nd Jan 1917 Working Parties and Training
23rd Jan 1917 Moves
24th Jan 1917 Moves
31st Jan 1917 Very Cold Weather
6th Feb 1917 Reliefs
6th Feb 1917 Reliefs
7th Feb 1917 Reliefs
8th Feb 1917 Reliefs
9th Feb 1917 Reliefs Complete
10th Feb 1917 Hard Ground
11th Feb 1917 Quiet
12th Feb 1917 Quiet
10th December 1917 Trench Warfare
3rd Mar 1918 Trench Raid
1st Apr 1918 Hostile Artillery
2nd Apr 1918 Trench Raids
3rd Apr 1918 Quiet
4th Apr 1918 Orders
5th Apr 1918 Moves
7th Apr 1918 Moves
8th Apr 1918 Moves
9th Apr 1918 Artillery Barrage
26th April 1918 Company training in Bois De Dames.
6th February 1919 Postings
21st February 1919 Orders received to send 5 Officers and 150 men to 5th Battalion.
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.
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Those known to have served with1st Battalion, Cameron Highlanders (Queens Own) during the Great War 1914-1918. - Bishop Harry. Pte (d.24th February 1917)
- Boag John. L/Cpl (d.29th July 1916)
- Brown Donald Morton. Lt. (d.17th October 1918)
- Brown John. Pte. (d.13th October 1915)
- Burns Samuel. Pte. (d.22nd Dec 1914)
- Donaldson John. Pte. (d.5th March 1915)
- Harris James. Pte. (d.5th Nov 1914)
- Home William. Cpl. (d.14th Sep 1914)
- Kennedy Roderick. Pte. (d.27th January 1915)
- Law Richard. L/Cpl.
- Linkston John. L/Cpl (d.23rd Apr 1915)
- MacDonald Norman. Pte. (d.2nd Jun 1916)
- Mackintosh MM. James Samuel. Pte.
- MacKintosh MM. James Samuel. Pte.
- Matheson Murdoch. Pte. (d.11th Nov 1914)
- McQuade James. Pte. (d.9th May 1915)
- Mercer George. Pte. (d.14th December 1916)
- Millar Robert. Pte. (d.26th Mar 1915)
- Millar Robert. Pte. (d.26th March 1915)
- Mitchell Charles. Pte. (d.3rd Sep 1916)
- Murray Thomas Salton. Pte. (d.14th Sept 1914)
- Old Thomas. Pte. (d.25th Sep 1914)
- Ramsay George. Pte. (d.11th March 1915)
- Ridge Patrick. Pte. (d.28th Jan 1915)
- Samuel John Alexander Munro. L/Cpl.
- Smith Alexander. Pte. (d.10th Jul 1915)
- Thomson John. Pte. (d.18th Apr 1918)
- Tollerton Ross. Sgt.
- Walker . Cpl.
- Whigham James. Pte. (d.11th Nov 1914)
All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please Add a Name to this List
Records of 1st Battalion, Cameron Highlanders (Queens Own) from other sources.
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Pte. Thomas Salton Murray 1st Btn. Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders (d.14th Sept 1914) Doing genealogy research of my mother's side of the family, I came across Pte. Thomas Salton Murray. I had already researched his brother, Cpl Andrew Murray MM, killed during the Battle of Cambrai, as my mother's middle name was Andreen to commemorate him.
Both had joined the 1st Btn. The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders; Thomas in 1914 and his brother a little later.
The tragic thing is that neither body was found and therefore they did not have a grave; what this did to my great-grandmother is unimaginable. Fortunately, all seven of the other children survived. The family has a picture of each soldier and my cousin has the medals of both men.
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Pte. Samuel Burns 1st Btn. Cameron Highlanders (d.22nd Dec 1914) Samuel Burns was called up as reservist in August 1914 and went with the 1st Battalion, Cameron Highlanders directly to France. D Company was allocated as guard unit for General Haig. They advanced to Mons then fell back with the retreat. Samuel continued with the battalion until his death at the Battle of Givency.
He had served as a regular soldier from 1892 till 1904 with the 1st Battalion and saw action in the Sudan with General Kitchener at Khartoum.
At time of his death he left a widow and 3 young children, the eldest being my father.
His brother in law, Robert Kilpatrick serving with the 2nd Argylls, was killed at Ploegsteert six weeks earlier on 10th of November 1914.
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L/Cpl John Boag 1st Battalion Cameron Highlanders (d.29th July 1916) John Boag is my 3x great uncle. He was the son of Thomas Boag and Elizabeth Stewart who were from a wealthy Glasgow merchant family. John and his brother, Thomas, both died during WWI. John having served in the 1st Batalion Cameron Highlanders died on 29th July 1916 "at home" and "of wounds".
His brother, Thomas, served in the 12th Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers and after serving in Italy and the Middle East campaigns died on 28th June 1918 of injuries from British shrapnel that was fired to help their advancement in France.
Their sister, Mary Hastie Boag, was my 2x great granny. I never met her but my father has memories of her. There were 5 children before the war, three girls and 2 boys and my father said that Mary never quite got over the loss of her brothers.
The above is from my own research as there is no family member surviving who has the information on John and Thomas to hand as neither were married or had issue before the war.
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L/Cpl. Richard Law 1st Btn. Cameron Highlanders Grandfather Dick Law was an Old Contemptible with the 1st Cameron Highlanders. He was wounded and captured at Langemark on the 25th of October 1914. He was repatriated as unfit for further service to Switzerland in May 1916.
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L/Cpl. John Alexander Munro Samuel 1st Btn. B Coy. Cameron Highlanders Jack Samuel suffered from shell-shock and could not resume work as an auctioneer after the War. He was my grandfather and a gentleman. I have no photos of him.
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Lt. Donald Morton Brown 7th Btn then 1st Btn Cameron Highlanders (d.17th October 1918) Donald Brown corresponded with Helen Isabella Wilkie throughout the war period having known each other at university. His last correspondence was dated 26th May 1918.
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Cpl. Walker 1st Btn. Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders Cpl. Walker was a prisoner in Gustrow POW Camp.
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Pte. George Ramsay 1st Btn. Queen's Own Cameron Highlands (d.11th March 1915) Pte George Ramsay, aged 32, died of typhus pn 11th March 1915 during the outbreak at Wittenberg POW Camp. He is buried in Berlin South Western Cemetery, grave XIX.C.12.
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Pte. James Whigham 1st Battalion Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders (d.11th Nov 1914) James Whigham died fighting at the Battle of Nonne Bosschen.
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Sgt. Ross Tollerton Cameron Highlanders  In 1914 Ross Tollerton was working in the Irvine Shipyard as an engine keeper, having left the army in 1912 following seven years service. As a reservist he was recalled to the Cameron Highlanders at the outbreak of war.
On the 14th September the 1st Cameron Highlanders were involved in an attack on German lines and lost 600 men to machine-gun fire. Amongst the wounded was Lieutenant J. S. M. Matheson, Tollerton's commanding officer,
who lay in full view of the German gunners. Without regard for his own life, and under heavy fire, Tollerton rushed towards him and carried him over his shoulder to a place of greater safety. Despite being wounded in the head and hand, he rejoined his company’s firing line and remained there until the order was given to retreat.
Completely surrounded by the German army, Private Tollerton returned to Matheson and remained with him for 3 days, with only water to sustain them, until they were both rescued. Matheson who had been shot in the spine, survived the ordeal.
Tollerton was awarded the Victoria Cross for his act of bravery. The medal was presented to Tollerton by King George V at a ceremony at Glasgow Green on 18th May 1915. His Citation reads: His citation reads:
“For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty on the 14th September at the battle of the Aisne. He carried a wounded officer under heavy fire as far as he was able to a place of safety, then, although himself wounded in the head and hand, he struggled back to the firing line, where he remained till his battalion retired, when he returned to the wounded officer and lay beside him for three days until they were both rescued.â€
Promoted to Sergeant, Tollerton returned to the Western Front and survived the war.
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Pte. James Samuel MacKintosh MM. 1st Battalion Queens Own Cameron Highlanders James MacKintosh was my late wife, Joyce MacKintosh's Grandfather and the Great-grandfather of our three sons; James, Matthew and Joey DeGaeta. My wife's father, also named James MacKintosh, served with the British Army in China in 1945.
The photo of Pte. James Samuel MacKintosh and three close friends from 1st Bn. The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, was taken at the end of the Great War. The Medals are the ones he is wearing in the photograph, they include the Military Medal. I believe James went on to be a Bobbie in London. My wife's aunt told her that when James passed away, three close friends who served with him in WWI (perhaps the same three in the photo) attended the funeral and told her how bravely he fought in a hand to hand battle with the Germans on a bridge - she claimed they told her that he was one of the reasons they held the bridge and that is where he earned the Military Medal. I am trying to find the citation, if anyone can help, I’d like to hear from them.
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Cpl. William Home 1st Battalion Queens Own Cameron Highlanders (d.14th Sep 1914) William Home was my great uncle. I have his medal trio and cap and badge, but, sadly, no photo or death plaque,
William enlisted in 1906 in Edinburgh. He was my grandfather's brother who served in the Great War with 1st Battalion Scots Guards and was badly wounded at Loos in September 1915. He was discharged due to wounds in 1917.
He is commemorated on the War Memorial at Clatt, Aberdeenshire.
He was born William Home Andersen, but gave his name as William Home due to enlisting underage at 15.
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Pte. Robert Millar 1st btn. Cameron Highlanders (d.26th March 1915) Robert Millar died on the 26th of March 1915, aged 21. Buried in the Niederzwehren Cemetery in Germany, he was the son of Robert and Mary Millar, of 12, Waterside, Peebles.
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Pte. James Harris 1st Btn. Cameron Highlanders (d.5th Nov 1914) I am proudly named after my great grandfather Pte. James Harris a brave Scottish Soldier who died on 5th of Nov 1914 at Ypres.
My great grandfather was 29 years old at the time of his death. he left behind a wife and two children, one of which was my late grandfather David Harris. My grandfather was eight years old at the time his father died, he grew up not knowing his father. His mother Agnes Harris never remarried and devoted her life to her children and later, until her own death, her grandchildren.
War is filled with horror and tragedy but at times a necessary evil for good to succeed over evil. A wall that stops the spread of evil consuming the peace of the world and the security of its children. I can only imagine the horrors and fear that my great grandfather and his comrades endured. Each day and night withstanding treacherous cold fierce weather, entrenched in mud holding their position slowly driving back a relentless enemy. The deafening sounds of artillery fire exploding over head and around them. What courage and bravery each one of these brave men drew from the very depths of their souls that others shall be free. And how soon the free forget.
My great grandfather never came home his body lays with his fallen comrades in a land that is not of his own, but one he died for.
His body buried eternally at Tyne Cot cemetery.
His Soul among the Brave and just.
When life gets tough and we have doubts or fears, think about the courage of these brave souls and what they endured for us Perhaps you day is not so bad. God Bless all who serve for truth and freedom.
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Pte. James Samuel Mackintosh MM. 1st Battalion Cameron Highlanders My grandfather, James Samuel Mackintosh, son of James Mackintosh, Farm Manager of Dalcross Farm, Inverness, now the site of Inverness airport, fought in the Great War and gained a Military Medal at the Battle of Epehy as part of the Battles of the Hindenburg lines - Spetember 8-24.
All I know is he was awarded the medal for gallantry under fire and during his campaign received some mustard gas poisoning. He went on to become a Chief Inspector of the Galsgow Police in the 1950's.
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Pte. Robert Millar 1st Btn. Cameron Highlanders (d.26th Mar 1915) Robert Millar served with the 1st Battalion, Cameron Highlanders during WW1 and died on the 26th March 1915, aged 21. He is buried in Niederzwehren Cemetery, Germany.
He was the son of Robert and Mary Millar, of 12, Waterside, Peebles.
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Pte. Patrick Ridge 1st Btn. Queens Own Cameron Highlanders (d.28th Jan 1915)  Patrick Ridge was born on 15/3/1887 at 20 Cumberland Street,Glasgow. At the age of 20, whilst living at 32 Portugal Street, he married his sweetheart Elizabeth(Lizzie)Murphy at St.Luke's church on 2/12/1907.
Later, he joined the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders on 5/9/1914 when he was 27 years old. His recruitment papers state that he was 5'6", with a pale complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. He also had a tattoo which I've discovered was two hearts with both their initials PR & EM, on the front of his left forearm. Patrick was in the 1st battalion but before he was sent to the front, he wrote a poem to his wife Lizzie. He seemed to have a presentiment of his coming fate in his words "and if I am amongst the dead" but says "my King and country need me".
His date of entry on his medal card is recorded as 15/11/1914 and just over two months later,on 25/1/1914, he was seriously wounded at La Bassee in France. He was bayoneted in the chest and when his belongings were sent home to his wife, there was a bloody hole through his pay book that had been in his breast pocket. Sadly, he died three days later in no.1 casualty clearing station on 28/1/1915. He left a widow and four young children.The eldest was my Grandad John Ridge(age 8), Mary(age 4),James(age 2) and the youngest was baby Catherine, born only a few months earlier in October 1914.
Patrick is buried in grave I.A.7 at Choques military cemetery, which is about 4km north-west of Bethune, on the road to Lillers in France. I have also seen his name mentioned in the rolls of honour books at the Scottish National War Memorial inside Edinburgh castle. The year 2015 marks the centenary of his death. Patrick may be gone but he is not forgotten. RIP x
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Pte. Norman MacDonald 1st Battalion Cameron Highlanders (d.2nd Jun 1916) Norman MacDonald was only 18 years old when he was killed. He was born in Askernish, South Uist, the son of Malcolm and Sarah MacDonald. It is believed that he joined up to get a new set of bagpipes. He was described as a tall blonde lad whom everyone was fond of. His parents never got over the tragic loss of their son.
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