David Masterton Simpson - Link to Bo'ness
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3026 Private, 2nd Battalion Royal Scots, 8th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Division.
Age: 31
Date of death: 29.12.14
Buried: Menin Gate Memorial Panel 11
Family history: Son of Peter and Isabella Simpson, of Alloa, who both died before him. Husband of Mary Simpson, nee Sellers, and they lived at Belfast Bank Buildings, 2 Donegall Street, Belfast with their two children Thomas who was 11 years when his father was killed and Robert James who was 9 years of age. Mary died in 1918 and the children were cared for by Mary’s brother Thomas. David had two brothers William, who had moved to the Cowgate, Edinburgh, and Alexander who lived in Bo'ness. He also had a sister, Janet, who lived in Barnsley.
Before he enlisted on 9 August 1914 he was employed at Bo’ness docks. He enlisted under the alias David Hunter and he is listed on the Menin Gate Memorial under his alias. He went to France on 22 October just in time to take part in the ill-fated attack at Maedelstedt Farm on 14 December.
On the 24 December the War Diary records that the Battalion were in billets in the village of Westoutre and footballs were issued. An inter company game of football was taking place when this was stopped by bombs dropped by enemy aircraft. On the 25 December the Battalion received Christmas presents from home as well as a Christmas card from the King and Queen and also Princess Mary’s Gift Box consisting of cigarettes, tobacco, and a card.
Action leading to his death
On the 27 December the Battalion relived the Royal Irish Rifles and the Worcesters in the line at Maedelstedt Farm.
‘C’ and ‘D’ Companies went into the firing line, half of ‘B’ Company was in support with the other half of ‘B’ and ‘D’ Company in Brigade Reserve. The War Diary records that the Battalion HQ was in a farm to the north east of Kemmel Chateau which they describe as a pigsty. The trenches here were constantly flooding with water up to two feet deep in places which had to be drained. As a result the trenches were falling in and the Battalion spent much of their time bailing out water, making iron loop holes in the parapet for rifles, and riveting the parapets. During the night of 29 December they dug rifle pits ahead of the firing line and the trenches were fitted with half beer barrels and planks of wood for the men to stand on. This kept their feet dry and prevented trench foot. The Battalion was relieved on 31 December with casualties recorded for their period in the line of five killed and two wounded.
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