Larbert
1839 Private
‘B’ Company, 1/7 Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, 10th Brigade, 4th Division
Age: 20
Date of Death: 8.5.15
Buried: Menin Gate Panel 42 & 44
Family history: Daniel lived with his parents, James and Christine Aitken, at 38 Stewartfield Place, Larbert. He was employed as a moulder at Dobbie, Forbes & Co and enlisted in the 7th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders at the age of 17 years and 11 months on 13 March 1913. He had two brothers, Alec and James and three sisters Helen, Jessy and Janet. His brother, Alec, was serving with the Army Service Corps in Gallipoli.
Daniel went to France with the Battalion on 15 December 1914.
The action leading to his death
The Battalion was resting at the Canal Bank when on the morning of the 8 May they were heavily shelled resulting on them having to move further south down the Canal Bank. At 3pm orders were received instructing them to move to La Brique in support of 12th Brigade and they again came under heavy enemy shell fire. At 10pm they were informed that the Germans had broken the line and were digging in South West of Wieltje. The Battalion was ordered to turn the Germans out of Wieltje making touch with the Royal Dublin Fusiliers on their left and the 18th Royal Irish on their right. The attack went in from the area of C.21.d Buffs Road/Irish Farm however, no enemy was found in Wieltje and the Battalion was withdrawn at dawn and returned to rest at the Canal Bank. Battalion casualties were 1 Officer killed, 24 Other Ranks killed or wounded.
(Linesman Map. Showing trench lines in 1915 and the area of the attack by the 1/7 Argyll's)
In the notice of his death in the Falkirk Herald they report that he was ‘..advancing to take up a position when a shell burst almost on top of him, and he was instantaneously killed..’
Medals Awarded
1915 Star, The British War Medal, Victory Medal.
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