258903 L/Cpl. John Mackin British Army 14th Btn. Highland Light Infantry from:New Lanark John Mackin began his service with the 14th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry, having enlisted on the 6th of December 1916, shortly after the Battle of the Somme ended.
The 14th HLI had been in France since early June 1916. Mackin joined them at the start of March 1917, at which point they were stationed at a camp in Bray, France. He suffered a wound to his shoulder blade from a piece of shrapnel around this time and was sent back to Scotland to recover at the end of April, at which point the 14th were fighting in Entricourt, France
Mackin returned to France in early September 1917, at this time the 14th were on the Front Lines in Villers-Plouich. They remained there until 5th October, carrying out a successful raid on the enemy trenches and repulsing an enemy raid on theirs. On 5th October, they were relieved and moved west to Berneville and Pommera for a period of training and recuperation. They began returning east in mid-November, eventually arriving for an attack on the village of Bourlon on the 23rd. On November 25th, three of their Companies were surrounded in the village and forced to surrender after losing their CO, all their ammunition and all but 80 men; 17 officers and 426 other ranks were listed as dead, wounded or missing.
After a period of recovery, the 14th moved back to the Hindenburgh Line in mid-December, moving between sectors south of the town of Arras, including Mort and Noreuil. On 31st of March 1918, while they were at Vaulx Vraucourt, Germany launched the 1918 Spring Offensive, a huge (and ultimately failed) campaign against Allied forces across the Western Front, utilising the huge influx of men and weaponry freed up from the Eastern Front after Russia's surrender. During the resulting chaos over the next few days, Mackin was gassed and became a Prisoner of War. He was listed as missing later that year and as a Lance Corporal.
Mackin was released at the start of December in 1918 and was sent back to the UK. He was Honourably Discharged on 8th of March 1919 due to lung problems and received the Silver War Badge. He was also awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal, for his service to King and Country.
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