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We provide detailed records, personal biographies, and cemetery information for soldiers from Falkirk District who served in the Ypres Salient during WWI. Explore our Roll of Honour and other dedicated sections for comprehensive insights.
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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George Wylie
Tyne Cot Memorial, CWGC, Private George Wylie, 4/5th Battalion Black Watch, Falkirk War Memorial. The Battalion was involved in the fighting during the Third Battle of Ypres. in what was known as the Battle of Polygon Wood (26 September to 3 October). On the morning of 26 September the 118th Brigade attacked the ridge to the left of Tower Hamlets, the 4/5th Battalion Black Watch being on the right of the Brigade attack. The attack was not successful with no definite advance b
Dec 21, 20231 min read
John Wood
Menin Gate Memorial, CWGC, Private John Wood, 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders, Falkirk War Memorial. John was a regular soldier, he enlisted on 13 February 1908 and prior to enlisting was employed as a moulder in a local iron foundry. He saw service in India before arriving in France with his Battalion on 7 October 1914. The Battalion was involved in the fighting around Zandvoorde on 31 October. Here, the Germans had blasted the Household Cavalry from their trenches.
Dec 21, 20232 min read
Robert Wilson
Menin Gate Memorial, CWGC, Private Robert Wilson, Falkirk War Memorial. He was employed as a casual labourer. He previously served in the 3rd Battalion, Royal Scots being discharged time expired on 8 May 1912. He re-enlisted on 17 July 1912 for 4 years joining the 2nd Battalion. He was unmarried and he listed his sister Elizabeth as his next of kin, although he did have one other sister and a brother. The Battalion were in the trenches in front of Vierstraat.
Dec 19, 20231 min read
Hugh Borthwick Wilson
Tyne Cot Memorial, CWGC, Private Hugh Borthwick Wilson, 6th Battalion King’s Own Scottish Borderers, Falkirk War Memorial. Prior to enlisting in August 1916 he was employed as a fitter at the Port Downie Iron Works. The Battalion was involved in what the battle nomenclature names as the Battle of the Menin Road 20 September to 26 September. The Battalion had taken up their jump off positions in front of the buildings listed on the British trench maps as ‘Kit & Kat’. The atta
Dec 19, 20231 min read
James Denholm Williamson
Menin Gate Memorial, L/Cpl James Denholm Williamson, 44th Brigade Machine Gun Company, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), Falkirk War Memorial. James had served an apprenticeship with the Allan Shipping Line however, defective eyesight had prevented him from continuing. He was then employed as a journalist with the Falkirk Herald as their Denny representative and when he enlisted in May 1915 was employed by the Dumbarton Herald. He enlisted in the 7th Battalion Queen’s Own Cameron
Dec 19, 20232 min read
Alexander Ward
Tyne Cot Memorial, CWGC, L/Cpl Alexander Ward, 11th Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, Falkirk War Memorial. Prior to enlisting Alexander was employed as a moulder at a local iron foundry. He went to France on 15 December 1914. On the 21 August a patrol of the 11th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders got as far a Beck House, and threw bombs into it. On a report that the house was unoccupied half a platoon went forward to occupy it only to be met by a strong party of Germ
Dec 19, 20232 min read
Robert Wallace
La Clytte Military Cemetery, Private Robert Wallace, 2nd Battalion Royal Scots, Falkirk War Memorial. Robert gave his address as 47a Montgomery Street, Edinburgh and his age as 19 years and 240 days. He also stated that he was employed as a coal miner. An application was made to discharge Robert as ’Application for Discharge of a Recruit as not likely to become an Efficient Soldier’ on medical grounds on 16 March 1915 however, this was not authorised. Following his training h
Dec 17, 20231 min read
John Walker
Duhallow ADS Cemetery, CWGC, Sergeant John Walker, 404th Highland Field Company, Falkirk War Memorial. Prior to enlisting in September 1914, he was employed as a joiner in Glasgow. His younger brother George was serving with the Scots Guards and was recovering from being gassed. The 404th Field Company was working on road repairs on the Boundary Road from Hammonds Corner forward to Admirals Road.
Dec 17, 20231 min read
Alexander Walker
Dickebusch New Military Cemetery, CWGC, Gunner Alexander Walker, 18th Divisional Ammunition Column, Falkirk War Memorial. Alexander was a Regular and went to France on 23 August 1914. The Divisional Ammunition Column collected ammunition from the Army Service Corps Divisional Ammunition Park for onward transportation to a re-filling point where it could be transferred to a Brigade Ammunition Column.
Dec 17, 20232 min read
Andrew Spence
Haringhe (Bandaghem) Military Cemetery, CWGC, Private Andrew Spence, 7th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders, Falkirk War Memorial. On the 29/30 September, the 9th Division moved forward to capture the Keiberg Ridge. The British troops and the neighbouring Belgian forces were forced to pause in front of Waterdamhoek due to enemy fire. To strengthen the attack the 5th Battalion Cameron Highlanders, of the 26th Brigade, joined the attack.
Dec 12, 20231 min read
Alexander Sneddon
Menin Gate Memorial, CWGC, Private Alexander Sneddon, 11th Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, attached 45th Machine Gun Company, Falkirk War Memorial. He was employed as a miner before enlisting in November 1914. Alexander had a problem with military discipline. He was tried by Field General Court Martial (FGCM) on 13 July 1916 for ‘Disobeying a lawful command given by his superior officer’ and found guilty. He was sentenced to 60 days imprisonment with hard labour.
Dec 10, 20232 min read
James Smellie
Menin Gate Memorial, CWGC, Private James Smellie, 1st Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, Falkirk War Memorial. James was a Special Reservist originally enlisting in the 3rd Argyll’s then the Militia Battalion in 1898. He was employed as a moulder at a local iron foundry when war was declared. He was mobilized on 8 August 1914. On the 24 April the Battalion was in the line at Sanctuary Wood.
Dec 10, 20232 min read
Thomas Sim
Tyne Cot Memorial, CWGC, Private Thomas Sim, 10th Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. Falkirk War Memorial. Prior to enlisting in March 1915, Thomas was employed as a Clerk in the engineering department of Carron Iron Works. He had six sisters and two younger brothers John and James. John, was serving in the Tank Corps. The leading battalions of the 26th Infantry Brigade, the Black Watch and the Argylls, each on a two company front, were to capture a subsidiary objecti
Dec 10, 20233 min read
John Silcock
Tyne Cot Memorial, CWGC, Private John Silcock, 10th Machine Gun Company, Falkirk War Memorial.Prior to being called up in 1916, John was employed as a grocer. John had joined the 3/7th Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders on 18 January 1915. He was then aged 17. He was posted to the Machine Gun Corps at Grantham for training on 4 May 1916 having reached the age to serve overseas. The 10th Company was in the line supporting the attack of the Household Battalion and the Ro
Dec 10, 20231 min read
Robert Shaw
Menin Gate Memorial, CWGC, Private Robert Shaw, 2nd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers, Falkirk War Memorial. He was employed as a coachbuilder. On the 23 October 1914, the Battalion, as part of 7th Division, were holding the line between Reutel and Poezelhoek. On the 23 October ‘D’ and ‘C’ Company supported by a company from the Bedfordshire's advanced down the Reutel ridge in an attempt to retake the trenches lost by ‘D’ Company on 22 October.
Dec 7, 20231 min read
George Seaton
Menin Gate Memorial, CWGC, Private George Seaton, ‘C’ Company 7th Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, Falkirk War Memorial.George served with the 3rd Battalion Argyll’s in the Boer War. He was disembodied, bought off, from the army on his return from South Africa and was employed as a moulder at Callendar Iron Foundry before enlisting on 14 September 1914. The Battalion was ordered to turn the Germans out of Wieltje making touch with the Royal Dublin Fusiliers on their
Dec 4, 20232 min read
Abraham Ronald
Tyne Cot Memorial, CWGC, Private Abraham Ronald, 1st Battalion, King’s Own Scottish Borderers, Falkirk War Memorial. Prior to enlisting Abraham was employed as a moulder. He had seen action in the Balkans before arriving on the Western Front. On the 26 August the Battalion was in the line near Langemarck station. The War Diary reported that the ‘situation quiet’ but that their own 4.2 inch howitzer shells were falling short on Bear Support Trench ‘giving our troops a hot time
Dec 4, 20231 min read
Peter Hume Ritchie
Menin Gate Memorial, CWGC, Private Peter Hume, 8th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders, Falkirk War Memorial. On the opening day of the Third Battle of Ypres on 31 July the Battalion, as the Support Battalion, were in their assembly positions on Cambridge Road trench by 12.45am. The attack was launched at 3.50am and the 9th Battalion Black Watch and 8th/10th Battalion Gordon Highlanders went forward under a supporting barrage. On the right, the 8th Seaforths had escaped the Germa
Dec 4, 20231 min read
William John Rice
La Clytte Military Cemetery, CWGC, Private William John Rice, 1st Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers, Falkirk War Memorial. The Battalion was in the line at St Eloi sector. On 4 May all ranks had been issued with gas respirators. The Germans had opened the Second Battle of Ypres with a gas attack on 22 April in the northern Salient at Langemark. On 5 May the War Diary recorded that Hill 60 had been rushed after a gas attack by the Germans and lost.
Dec 4, 20231 min read
Andrew Rule
Menin Gate Memorial, CWGC, Private Andrew Rule, ‘B’ Company, 1/7th Battalion, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, Falkirk 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, workmates and friends.
Feb 10, 20211 min read
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