ABOVE: TOP ROW: C H STILL, F R MCINTOSH, J W A AGNEW, A L PRYDE. BOTTOM ROW: L BROWNELL, G D T BACKHOUSE, G M BERRY, F B COLLINS
could I stay?’, the final line of fellow Collegian J D Burns’ poem, For England.
DONALD GOLDSMITH ARMSTRONG( 1911) was a tall, cheerful and optimistic young soldier who was allotted to the Lewis machinegun section of the 5th Battalion. At Pozieres a bullet struck the butt of his gun but he survived that and the great barrages that he described there. He was selected for officer training, and was a 2nd lieutenant with the 21st Battalion when he was killed by shellfire at Broodseinde Ridge, Ypres, on 9 October 1917. He was the third Old Scotch Collegian killed as a lieutenant in the 21st Battalion in this battle – after Fred Collins and Harold Harper. Donald’ s body was discovered in 1924, and identified by a leather case bearing his initials and enlistment number.
LANCELOT CROPLEY( known as Lance) SMITH( 1913) was just 19 when he enlisted in June 1916. He was allotted to the medical corps, and was a stretcher-bearer with the 38th Battalion at Ypres in 1917. He was so dedicated to his job – tending wounded continuously for two days in the open in early October – that he
was recommended for a Military Medal. By the time his recommendation was accepted, Lance was dead. He survived an explosion which buried him on 14 October, but he died at a casualty clearing station the following day. His mates were genuinely shocked to learn of this, six weeks later in The Times newspaper.
HORACE HANTON GRAHAM( 1913) was just five feet three inches( 160cm) tall when he enlisted at Rockhampton, Queensland in January 1916. In September that year he was severely wounded in the shoulder at Pozieres. He did not return to his battalion, the 52nd, until more than a year later. He survived at the front for just 25 days, before being killed in action at Passchendaele. A lengthy correspondence followed between his separated parents and officialdom as to the destination of the 23 year old’ s possessions and war gratuity.
At 43 years old, JAMES FREDERICK STEEL( 1890) was one of the oldest Old Scotch Collegians killed in the war. He was a driver with the ambulance wagons of the 9th Field Ambulance when on 18 October at Ypres, enemy
‘ bombing’( probably shelling) killed and injured 24 horses and also cost him his life. According to the 9th Field Ambulance history, in this period the Germans‘ drenched the back areas and tracks over which the wounded had to be carried, with a constant stream of shells.’
ALFRED OUTTRIM GARDNER( 1911) was just 19 when he enlisted. Short and slight, he reached the Western Front in September 1917. He died the following month serving with the 5th Field Artillery Brigade at Ypres on 19 October. His service file contains a 1918 letter from his mother thanking the army for returning her‘ dear son’ s’ few possessions [ including a wallet, photo case, metal mirror and gold ring ] in good condition’. At his father’ s suggestion, on Alfred’ s headstone are the words‘ Love’ s strength standeth in love’ s sacrifice’.
Like Alfred, JACK ARCHIBALD GRAY( 1912) was short and young. He served on Gallipoli in the artillery, suffered considerable ill-health and in August 1917 was transferred to the 2nd Field Artillery Brigade. The latter was the most dangerous appointment he received, and
12 Great Scot Number 152 – December 2017