29931 Private
1st Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers, 8th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Division
Age: 25
Date of Death: 12.4.18
Buried: (Royal) Berkshire Corner Memorial Panel 4 https://www.theypressalient.com/post/royal-berkshire-corner-memorial
Family: Son of Archibald and Isabella McIntyre, 177 Orchard Street, Camelon. They had four sons and two daughters. George was working as a labourer at the chemical works prior to being called up.
The action leading to his death
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.
They then received orders to relieve the 4th Battalion Gordon Highlanders of 154th Brigade, 51st (Highland) Division. They now occupied a line from Locon to Les Lobes Road and were now holding a front of some 2,300 yards, a front that is normally held by a brigade. At 10am the Germans opened an artillery barrage which paralysed the whole area from Hinges to Locon. Around noon the Germans broke through the lines held by the 51st Division and the Royal Scots Fusiliers now found themselves exposed to attack. The battalions left flank continued to try to forma flank, despite the enemy now behind them. On the right ‘B’ Company was now cut off and surrounded between Le Vert and Locon and by 1.45pm the battalion had become fragmented with a few survivors fighting their way out of Locon and making a fighting retreat toward the Avelette drawbridge. The battalion was now reduced to two companies.
The War Diary records the casualties as Officers 8 dead, wounded and missing. Other ranks 341 dead, wounded and missing.
Medals Awarded:
The British War Medal, Victory Medal.
