Welcome to the Ypres Salient  

Corporal Thomas Wallace DCM, Royal Scots, Camelon, He was tried for desertion and loss of kit and sentenced to two months imprisonment. He then saw service in India from 4 December 1906 to 15 October 1914. He then had a period of home leave from 16 October to 18 December and landed in France on 19 December 1914. On 22 February 1915 he was wounded, gun shot wound left leg. He rejoined the Battalion.

Private William Patterson, Royal Scots, Camelon, Falkirk, The Battalion was in the Ploegsteert sector at Le Gheer on the southern tip of the Salient. This was seen as a quiet sector.

Private George McIntyre, Royal Scots Fusiliers, Camelon, Falkirk, The Battalion was engaged in what was called the Battle of the Lys and in repelling the German offensive. They had taken up position along a belt of wire, there was no trench, called Le Hamel Switch at the La Bassee Canal just north of the drawbridge at Avelette.

Private George McGee, 2nd Battalion Royal Scots, 3rd Division, Camelon, Falkirk, On the 2 October the Battalion was in the line at Maple Copse. The War Diary records that it was a quiet day and that they worked at repairing the parapet and removing mud from the Communication Trench. The War Diary records that 1 OR killed (George) and 1 wounded. His grave was subsequently lost and he is listed as missing on the Menin Gate Memorial.

Sergeant Robert McDiarmid, 70th Siege Battery, 12th Brigade, Royal Garrison Artillery, Camelon, Falkirk, 70th Siege Battery was formed at Dover under War Office Instruction No 144 of 9 October 1915 from one company (probably 1/4th Company) of the Forth Royal Garrison Artillery, a part-time coast defence unit of the Territorial Force based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The remainder of the personnel were New Army recruits.

Private William Waterstone Dick, Devonshire Regiment, Camelon, Falkirk, On the morning of the 26 October the Battalion was to attack Gheluvelt on a front of 200 yards with the its right resting on the Menin Road. The 2nd Battalion Border Regiment and the 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders were on their right with 5th Division on the immediate left who were attacking Polderhoek Chateau. The 8th Devons were to pass through the 9th Battalion when the objective had been achieved.

Company Sergeant Major James William Taylor, Seaforth Highlanders, 9th (Scottish) Division, Camelon, Falkirk, The Division was holding the line in the area known as The Bluff and the distance between the trenches was anything from 25 yards to 400 yards. The Bluff rose steeply from the ground on the north side of the Canal and completely dominated the sector. The Divisional front was some 5,000 yards in length which was a large distance for one division to hold.

Private James Stocks, 1/7th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, Camelon, Falkirk, The Battalion was involved in what became known as the Battle of St Julien. What was remaining of the Battalion, following the disaster of 25 April, were holding the line in front of Turco Farm against German infantry attacks and being subjected to heavy shelling. They had been in action, on and off, for two weeks.

Corporal John Stewart, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, 15th (Scottish) Division, Camelon, Falkirk, On the 9 July the Battalion was moving up to relieve the right Battalion front of the 45th Brigade with the Ypres-Roulers Railway to their right. They were moving along a corduroy track, made of cut trees, the War Diary reports that one company was caught in an enemy barrage with disastrous results.

Private William Smith, 11th Battalion (Pioneers) The Kings (Liverpool Regiment), Camelon, Falkirk, He enlisted in January 1915 in the Argyll’s before being transferred to the Royal Engineers and then to The Kings (Liverpool Regiment) Pioneers. Prior to enlisting he was employed as a moulder at Dorrator Iron Works. His younger brother James was serving with the Argyll’s and before he enlisted played inside right for Falkirk ‘A’ team.

Private Robert Smith, 1st Battalion Royal Scots, Camelon, Falkirk, On the 19 March 1915, the Battalion proceeded to the St Eloi sector and took over the trenches from the 82nd Brigade. Battalion HQ was established in the convent at Voormezeele. The Battalion remained in the trenches until relieved on 23 March. Nothing in particular occurred in this time. It would seem that Robert was a victim of trench wastage.

Private William Russell, 1st Battalion Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders, Camelon, Falkirk, The Battalion was forming a line between Bixschoote and Langemarck with the Northampton's on the right, Coldstream Guards in the centre and the Camerons on the left. They were involved in the only British attack on 23 October to restore the line around Kortekeer Cabaret, they had been fighting a defensive battle with the advancing Germans.

Corporal Hugh Richardson, 1/7th Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, Camelon, Falkirk He had been a member of the Territorial Battalion for four years. He was employed as a clerk in the counting house of Smith and Wellstood Iron Foundry, Bonnybridge.

Private James Reid, ‘A’ Company, 1/7th Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, 10th Brigade, Only son of James and Jeannie Reid, 102 Main Street, Camelon. Prior to enlisting in September 1914 he was employed as a patternmaker at the Camelon Iron Foundry. He also held the rank of Lieutenant in the Camelon Company of the Boys Brigade.

Private William Panton, 11th Battalion Royal Scots, Camelon, Falkirk, The Battalion was in the Ploegsteert sector on the southern tip of the Salient. This was seen as a quiet sector. The Battalion was providing working parties and on the 24 April 1916.

Private Frederick Wright Nunn, 1st Battalion Scots Guards, On the 11 November 1914 the 1st Battalion, Scots Guards were in the line at Veldhoek and on this day the Germans launched a major attack on a 9 mile front with 12 Divisions with the aim of breaking the British line and taking Ypres.

Private William Nicoll, 4/5th Battalion Black Watch (Royal Highlanders), The Battalion was involved in the fighting during Third Ypres. On the morning of 26 September the 118th Brigade attacked the ridge to the left of Tower Hamlets, the 4/5th being on the right of the Brigade attack.

Private Robert Nelson, 1/7th Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, 10th Brigade, action at St Julien 25 April 1915

Private Robert Miller, 10th Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, Camelon, Falkirk, Prior to enlisting on 12 August 1914, he was a moulder at Sunnyside Iron Works. He was a well known athlete playing for Denny Hibs Football Club and he was also a member of the Falkirk Victoria Harriers. He was wounded in September 1915 at the Battle of Loos.

Private Robert McNaught, 2nd Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, Camelon, Falkirk, On the 27 March they relieved the 5th Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), in the village of Passchendaele, and they were to have come out of the line on 2 April however, due to other Divisions going to the south, to meet the German spring offensive, they spent twelve days in the line.