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Welcome to the Ypres Salient
This site presents the story of the First World War in the West Flanders region. The various categories provide a wealth of information about a range of subjects.
The Roll of Honour category is where you will find the details of all the men from Falkirk District who are buried or commemorated in the Immortal Salient.
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James Cameron
L/Cpl James Cameron, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, Bainsford War Memorial In a letter to his parents a comrade wrote that they were going over and encountered heavy machine gun fire: ‘Jimmie was leading his section, and he turned round and said, ‘Come on boys, let’s get at them.’ The Regiments chaplain wrote to his parents that they were taking a German strong point when an explosive bullet struck Lance Corporal Cameron in the back and killed him instantaneously.
Mar 27, 20221 min read
James Crane Burnside
Private James Burnside, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, Bainsford War Memorial The Battalion was involved in the 1915 ‘Battle of Frezenberg Ridge’ in which the Germans tried to flatten the Ypres Salient and capture ground from the Allies. The German tactic on the 9 May, day two of their offensive, was to attack the 27th Division. At 5.30am they shelled the front line from Zwarteleen to the Ypres - Roulers railway an area that covered the entire front held by the division.
Mar 27, 20222 min read
David Ewing
Sapper David Ewing, Royal Engineers, Bainsford War Memorial The 289th Army Troops Company, Royal Engineers, were under the 2nd Army from February 1917 to August 1919 and remained active to October 1919. Their role covered many areas from trench construction. repairing or building roads, trench railways, building bunkers or altering captured bunkers and dugouts and a myriad of other tasks.
Mar 3, 20221 min read
John James Wilson
Only son of Jeanie Wilson, Union Buildings, 46 Carron Road. He had a sister, Helen, who lived in Glasgow. He was employed as an apprentice Blacksmith by the Carron Iron Company. On her son’s death his mother was awarded a pension of 10/- per week from 13 June 1916. She died on 11 December 1916 when the payment was stopped.
He attested on 14 March 1914 and joined the local Territorial Battalion.
Feb 21, 20221 min read
Robert Waugh
Corporal Robert Waugh, Royal Scots, Bainsford War Memorial On the night of the 8 April the battalion, which was in the line at Belgian Wood, was relieved by 6th King’s Own Scottish Borderers and went into Brigade reserve in dug outs at Hill 60. On the 9 April ‘C’ and ‘D’ Company’s were sent down to Tournai Camp near Vierstraat to absorb a draft of replacements and to refit. On the morning of the 10 April the remainder of the battalion moved to the front line at White Chateau
Feb 20, 20222 min read
William Silcock
Corporal William Silcock, Bainsford, Falkirk. The Battalion was part of the Fifth Army attack on 31 July 1917, in what became known as the Battle of Passchendaele. The 13th Royal Scots, as part of 45 Infantry Brigade, 15th (Scottish) Division, were involved in the assault on the German lines at Frezenberg Ridge. The task of 15th Division was to seize the ridge near Frezenberg and then to push on to a rise to the north east of Frezenberg known as Hill 35.
Feb 18, 20222 min read
John McDonald
Private John McDonald, Black Watch, Bainsford War Memorial The Battalion was employed in providing working parties for the Royal Engineers and were billeted in the Canal Bank Dugouts at the Yser Canal.
Feb 1, 20221 min read
William Lindsay
Son of William and Isabella Lindsay, 110 Gairdoch Street, Carron Road, Bainsford. He was employed as a moulder at Carron Iron Works and had been a Territorial for four years. He was a Battalion Piper and a member of the Carron Pipe Band. His two elder brothers were also serving. Sergeant Thomas Lindsay, Kings Own Scottish Borderers, had already been wounded twice, and Private James Lindsay, 1st Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers died of his wounds on 26 April 1915 at Ga
Feb 1, 20222 min read
John Kilpatrick
Son of John and Margaret Kilpatrick, 545 Brown Terrace, Carron Road. He had two brothers and four sisters. Before he enlisted in September 1914, he was employed as an assistant bath moulder at the Carron Iron Works.
Jan 31, 20221 min read
Alexander Muir Hastings
Corporal Alexander Muir Hastings, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, Bainsford War Memorial The Battalion was in the line at Sanctuary Wood. At 2am on the 19 December the Germans began to intermittently shell the rear area around Zillibeke and at 5.30am began to heavily shell the British lines to the north of the battalion positions with gas and HE shells. They also began enfilade fire over the battalion positions and rifle fire began to their front.
Jan 30, 20222 min read
James Cook
Private James Cook, Royal Scots, Bainsford War Memorial The battalion was in the line at Bus House, St Eloi. Three Companies were in the firing line with one in reserve at Voormezeele. On the 16 February the War Diary records that the trenches are in a poor state and that the parapet was not bullet proof. The enemy could bring enfilade fire to bear on them. They had received a large quantity of sandbags and Royal Engineers stores and riveting to enable them to improve their p
Jan 26, 20222 min read
John Clark
L/Cpl John Clark, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, Bainsford War Memorial On the 22 May the Battalion occupied the support trenches at Wieltje and were subjected to heavy shelling from the Germans. The battalion HQ was destroyed during this shelling. On the night of the 22nd they moved to the front line trenches. The War Diary recorded that two men were killed and two wounded on the 23 May with John being one of those killed
Jan 23, 20221 min read
Benjamin Buchanan
L/Cpl Benjamin Buchanan, Black Watch, Bainsford War Memorial The 39th Division, was preparing for the attack on the 31 July known as Third Battle of Ypres. The 116th and 117th Brigades were to attack from the Hill Top and Wieltje sectors with their first objectives the German front line and then from the corner of Kitchener Wood and Corner Cot which was just behind the village of St Julien. When these had been secured the 118th Brigade was to pass through and cross the Steenb
Jan 20, 20223 min read
Thomas Bruce Baird
Private Thomas Bruce Baird, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, Bainsford War Memorial On the 1 May 1916, the battalion was moved from 27th Brigade to 26th Brigade as part of a Divisional reorganisation. The division was holding the line in Ploegsteert Wood, known to the Tommies as 'Plugstreet' on the southern end of the Salient. This sector was regarded as a quieter section of the line, if such a place existed in the Salient.
Jan 18, 20222 min read
James Baird
Private James Baird, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, Bainsford War Memorial The Battalion had landed in England, travelling from India, in October 1914 and on 19 December embarked for France. From 16 April 1915 they were in the line near Inverness Copse and the War Diary recorded that they remained in the trenches until 4 May. On the 2 May they received orders to fall back to Hooge taking up positions 200 yard east of Hooge in the grounds of Hooge Chateau. They were relieved
Nov 6, 20212 min read
John Crosby
Private John Crosby, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, Bainsford War Memorial The 25 April 1915, is a day that brought catastrophe to 7th Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders and to the towns and villages of Falkirk District. The 7th Battalion were seen as Falkirk District’s Battalion. The men were all serving Territorials, work mates and friends.
Feb 26, 20211 min read
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