- 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards during the Great War -
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2nd Battalion, Scots Guards
12th Aug 1914 Training
12th Aug 1914 Review
6th Oct 1914 7th Division Embark for Belgium
6th Oct 1914 LoadingTroops of the 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards and the 2nd Battalion, Gordon Highlanders on board SS Lake Michigan troopship, 6th of October 1914.
IWM
7th Oct 1914 7th Division land at Zeebrugge The 1st and 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders and the 2nd Scots Guards land at Zeebrugge as part of the 7th Division BEF.
8th Oct 1914 On the March2nd Battalion, Scots Guards marching out of Bruges along the Bruges - Torhout road. The Battalion was ordered to join the 7th Division on the 8th of October 1914 to cover the landing of the 3rd Cavalry Division at Ostend. © IWM (Q 57141)
IWM
9th Oct 1914 Defence WorkTroops of the 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards constructing a machine gun emplacement near Ghent. © IWM (Q 57166)
IWM
11th Oct 1914 2nd Scots Guards on the March
12th Oct 1914 2nd Scots Guards on the March
19th Oct 1914 First Fatality
19th Oct 1914 Hard Fighting
20th Oct 1914 Defensive Line
21st Oct 1914 Hard Fighting
22nd Oct 1914 Bombardment
23rd Oct 1914 Under Fire
24th Oct 1914 Enemy Break Through
25th Oct 1914 Murder
25th Oct 1914 Enemy Break Through
26th Oct 1914 Forced Back
27th Oct 1914 Orders Received
28th Oct 1914 Artillery Active
29th Oct 1914 Hard Fighting
30th Oct 1914 Hard Fighting
31st Oct 1914 Hard Fighting
18th Dec 1914 Attack Made
5th Jan 1915 In the Trenches
17th Jan 1915 Divine Service Held
28th Apr 1915 Instruction
29th Apr 1915 Instruction
30th Apr 1915 Heavy Shelling
1st May 1915 Stand To
27th Sep 1915 Through the Ruins
8th October 1915 Enemy Attack
16th Oct 1915 The Derby Scheme
16th Oct 1915 In the Trenches
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
12th Feb 1916 Longing for Home
7th January 1917 7th London Regt. Church parade cancelled
24th Oct 1917 Attack Made
22nd of March 1918 Retirements
31st of March 1918 Relief Completed
23rd May 1918 Change of Brigade Commander
7th Jun 1918 Reliefs
8th Jun 1918 Reliefs Complete
23rd Aug 1918 ReliefsIf you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
Want to know more about 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards?
There are:5277 items tagged 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.
Those known to have served with
2nd Battalion, Scots Guards
during the Great War 1914-1918.
- Barbour Robert. Gdsmn. (d.31st July 1917)
- Barry J.. Pte. (d.18th January 1918)
- Clarkson Alfred Oliver. Sgt. (d.15th Sep 1916)
- Clements Thomas. Pte. (d.18th April 1915)
- Davion MC MM Henry. WO1 (RSM)
- Eneas Alfred. Pte. (d.1st Mar 1915)
- Greig William George. Pte. (d.15th Mar 1917)
- Henderson George Mckenzie. Gdsmn. (d.16th May 1915)
- Holden Henry. Pte. (d.13th Apr 1918)
- Hunt A.. Dmr.
- Hunt William Newland . Drummer (d.28th Oct 1914)
- Lockwood William. Pte. (d.26th December 1916)
- Mackenzie VC. James. Pte. (d.19th Dec 1914)
- Marino Nicolas. Pte. (d.19th Apr 1916)
- McKechnie John. L/Cpl. (d.16th May 1915)
- Murdoch Kenneth Cameron. Pte. (d.19th April 1916)
- Reid Isaac. Pte. (d.9th Apr 1915)
- Rose Charles William. L/Cpl. (d.4th July 1917)
- Scott George. Pte. (d.30th Nov 1917)
- Wilson David Smart. Pte. (d.16th May 1915)
- Wilson William. Pte. (d.16th May 1915)
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 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards from other sources.
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Pte. David Smart Wilson E Coy. 2nd Btn. Scots Guards (d.16th May 1915)An iron moulder born on 9th of May 1880 to Scottish parents in Thornaby-on-Tees, Yorkshire, David Wilson moved with his family to Tameside, Manchester shortly after his birth, before returning to the family's native Falkirk.He enlisted at Abbot's Foundry, Falkirk, on 31st of August 1914, initially to the 3rd Res Btn, Scots Guard joining them at Caterham two days later and completing his training there. On 25th of March 1915 he was transferred to the 2nd Battalion and on the same day he deployed to France. On 16th of May 1915 he was killed in action at the Battle of Festubert and is remembered with honour at the Le Touret Memorial.
Andy
Gdsmn. George Mckenzie Henderson 2nd Btn. Scots Guards (d.16th May 1915)George Henderson was my uncle. My father, William Henderson, often spoke about his brother George who was killed at the Battle of Festubert on 16th of May 1915.Bruce Henderson
Pte. Nicolas Marino 2nd Btn. Scots Guards (d.19th Apr 1916)Nicolas Marino was my great-grandfather, the son of Joseph Marino, a professional violinist from Italy. He was killed in action at the age of 19. He had one child, my grandmother, Helen Marino, who was born in June 1915. He is remembered at the Menin Gate in Ypres.Linda Carlin
Pte. William George Greig 2nd Btn. Scots Guards (d.15th Mar 1917)William Greig was accidentally killed. I have no details, but a family member seems to remember a story that someone was cleaning his rifle and it went off accidentally killing my Grandfather.Brenda Farnaby
Pte. Thomas Clements 2nd Btn. Scots Guards (d.18th April 1915)Thomas Clements arrived in France on 2nd of April 1915 and 16 days later was killed in action on the 18th of April 1915. Research is continuing to confirm actual place of death, but his unit was engaged in successfully defending Hill 60 on this date.David Rosewarne
Gdsmn. Robert Barbour 2nd Battalion Scots Guards (d.31st July 1917)Robert Barbour was born 18th March 1886 at Balmaclellan, Kirkubrightshire, Scotland, the son of William Barbour, a shepherd, and Elizabeth Isabella Shankland. He worked as a farm labourer prior to the War in Kirkubrightshire. He was my 2nd cousin, twice removed.Colin Young
WO1 (RSM) Henry Davion MC MM 2nd Battalion Scots GuardsMy grandfather, Henry Davison, served in WW1 as did his 3 brothers, William, Alfred George and Frank. Henry enlisted into 2nd Battalion Scots Guards in 1905 and completed various courses including a Physical Training course from which he was attached to the Lincolnshire Regiment as a PT Instructor (L/Sgt).He returned to the Guards before leaving UK for France in June 1915. He fought at the Battle of Loos winning the Military Medal. Very soon after this he took over as RSM of this battalion. In the New Year honours list he was awarded the Military Cross.
On 17th January 1917 he took over as RSM of 6/7th Battalion Gordon Highlanders. He continued to serve with the Gordons eventually serving as depot RSM from where he retired in 1926 and returned to Faversham.
Whilst researching our family history I noted that he had been married and divorced in August 1918. Whilst going through his regiments war record it states that in August 1918 the 'RSM on leave'.
After the war ended he took over as RSM of 2nd Battalion Gordons and was based in Glasgow where he married my grandmother whose husband had been KIA whilst serving with the Argyles. It was after this that he was posted to the depot who were based in Aberdeen and this is where my father was born. After he retired the family moved back to Faversham. During the 2nd WW he was the Chief Air Raid warden in Faversham.
He passed away in September 1953 just as I was starting school, my other grandfather passed away on Boxing day the same year.
Ian Davison
Sgt. Alfred Oliver Clarkson 2nd Btn. Scots Guards (d.15th Sep 1916)Alfred Clarkson was my grandfather; prior to joining the Scots Guards he served with the Liverpool City Police. I knew nothing about him until I began researching my family tree about 30 years ago. My mother (his daughter) never talked about him, neither did my grandmother. He was killed in action on 15th September 1916.Ernest Bullock
L/Cpl. John McKechnie 2nd Battalion, F Company Scots Guards (d.16th May 1915)John McKechnie was the elder brother of my grandfather James, sons of Walter and Christina. John was born at Airdrie Hill Farm, New Monkland, Lanarkshire on 6th March 1890. He became a member of the Chapelhall Boys' Brigade, the Chapelhall Cricket Club and the U.F Choir. He was a baker by trade.In late 1914 John enlisted with the Scots Guards and was sent to Caterham for his basic training. John was killed at Festubert on the morning of 16th May 1915 aged 25 years.
A letter received by his parents following his death stated that John's body was found some time later by some of his pals who placed his body in a marked grave. However, if this was so this grave was later lost as he has now has no known grave and is commemorated in the Le Touret Cemetery.
John was part of the action that led to the story of the 'Immortal Eighty'. The story goes that one of John's comrades faced a Field General Court Marshal on 26th March 1915 at La Gorgue where he was convicted of desertion and was executed on the 9th April at Laventie. It is recorded that John was called to submit evidence at this Court Marshal. The story continues that following this execution members of his company met at a local estaminet (a cafe) and decided to fight to the last man to regain their honour. Just over a month later, at the attack at Festubert, John's company lost two officers and eighty other ranks, one of who was John, fighting to the last man having been cut off. Although the facts of this action are never likely to be proven due to the fog of war and the possibility of some embellishment by recorders after the action, the sacrifice of these men impacted on the course of the battle, breaking up a German counter attack and leading to the surrender of a local strong point known as the Quadrilateral.
John's younger brother James survived the war, met my grandmother Lucy in London on being demobbed, married her and set up a blacksmith's shop in Old Dover Road, Blackheath. James had a photo of his brother in uniform but this was destroyed when a V2 demolished the shop late in World War 2 killing many people in the street but, luckily for me, all my family survived one of whom was my mum Joan, who was 18 at the time.
Peter West
Pte. Kenneth Cameron Murdoch 2nd Btn. Scots Guards (d.19th April 1916)Kenneth Murdoch was born in Aberdeen on 25th June 1883. By 1911 he had moved to Edinburgh and was employed as a brickworks labourer. At the time of his death in Flanders, he was married to Margaret to whom he left all his possessions. He has no known grave but is commemorated on Panel 11 of the Menin Gate.
Pte. J. Barry 2nd Btn. Scots Guards (d.18th January 1918)Private Barry was a POW at Sennelager camp in Westphalia where he was shot dead by guards. He is buried in plot V.C.5 at Niederzwehren Cemetery, Kassel.
Pte. William Wilson 2nd Btn. 'F' Coy. Scots Guards (d.16th May 1915)William Wilson was killed in action on 16th May 1915 at Festubert, France. He was one of the 80 men later known as the Immortal Eighty of F Company 2nd. Btn. Scots Guards who broke through the German lines, had no backup, and were surrounded and killed to a man. They were never recognised for their bravery or sacrifice. Their remains were found later surrounded by dead German soldiers. They were never given a proper burial. He was 31 when he was killed, had a wife and two children. He was my Grandfather.William Wilson
Pte. George Scott 2nd Btn. Scots Guards (d.30th Nov 1917)George Scott was born in Coultre, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He joined the Scots Guards, age 22, and was killed at the Cambrai Front. His older brother, John Whytock Scott, also of the Scots Guards, age 27, was killed at the third battle of Ypres on 31st of July 1917. My great grandfather, James Scott, was the brother of George and John. I grew up knowing my great grandfather, who died at the age of 91 when I was 20. He never discussed the war with me, so it was surprising to learn of the details of his brothers’ service.My mother and I were fortunate enough to visit Manor Church in the Peebles area and attend a service in May of 2014. We were so impressed with the number of war memorials we discovered throughout Scotland. The names of George and John are included on the memorial plaque in Manor Church and Manor Hall as well as the memorial outside the library in Peebles, the Book of Remembrance and within the National War Memorial in Edinburgh Castle. It is heartwarming to witness the importance placed on remembering those who served and fell during such a critical period of mankind’s history. I always assumed some of my ancestors must have fallen. Even though my mother and I never knew them personally, the emotional connection still exists.
Laurie Piskun
Dmr. A. Hunt 2nd Btn. Scots GuardsDrummer A Hunt Served with the 2nd Scots Guards, he had enlisted on the 18th of January 1904 and was discharged on the 24th March 1916 after being wounded at Festubert on the 16th of May 1915 and being a patient at the Royal Star & Garter Home in Richmond.Mike
Pte. Henry Holden 2nd Btn. Scots Guards (d.13th Apr 1918)Harry Holden served with the 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards during WW1 and was killed in action on the 13th April 1918, aged 25. He is commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial to the Missing in Belgium. He was the son of Mr and Mrs Thomas Holden of 63, Clarence Street, Newton Common.S Flynn
Pte. James Mackenzie VC. 2nd Btn. Scots Guards (d.19th Dec 1914)James Mackenzie served with the 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards during WW1 and was killed in action on the 19th December 1914, aged 27. He is commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial to the missing in Belgium. He was the son of Mrs. Marion Mackenzie, of 22, Terregles St., Maxwelltown, Dumfries.An extract from The London Gazette, dated 16th Feb., 1915, records the following:-
For conspicuous bravery at Rouges Bancs on the 19th Dec., in rescuing a severely wounded man from in front of the German trenches, under a very heavy fire and after a stretcher-bearer party had been compelled to abandon the attempt. Private Mackenzie was subsequently killed on that day whilst in the performance of a similar act of gallant conduct.
S Flynn
Pte. Isaac Reid 2nd Btn. Scots Guards (d.9th Apr 1915)Pte. Isaac Reid served with the Scots Guards 2nd Battalion. He was executed for desertion on 9th April 1915 and is buried in Longuenesse (St. Omar) Souvenir cemetery, Longuenesse, France.s flynn
Pte. Alfred Eneas 2nd Btn. Scots Guards (d.1st Mar 1915)Alfred Eneas was my mothers uncle, he and his brother Will Eneas were killed during WW1. My mother's father Herbert Eneas survived WW1, serving in the Royal Navy, as was Will. Like many families in the UK nothing was ever mentioned about the men in the family that had died. My mother was 15mths old when Will Eneas died and many years later was told briefly how he and his brother had died. Through just snippetts of conversation with my mother I have managed to find out alot more about these young men. Will Eneas left behind a wife and a baby daughter, he was awarded the Royal Humane Society's Bronze Medal for saving life at sea. Alfred Eneas was not married.They are still remembered with affection within our family.
Jennifer Davies
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