James Braidwood Fergus

Private James Braidwood Fergus

202722 Private

4/5th Battalion Black Watch (Royal Highlanders), 118th Infantry Brigade, 39th Division

Age: 31

Date of Death: 9.7.17

Buried: Brandhoek Military Cemetery I.M.6

Family history: Husband of Mary Ann Fergus, 140 Stirling Street, Denny. They had three children. Son of David and Maggie Fergus. He had two brothers and a sister. He was employed as a moulder prior to enlisting.

The action leading to his death

The 4/5th Battalion Black Watch were in the dugouts at Canal Bank opposite La Brique and were under irregular artillery fire from the Germans. In the period 1 to 9 August the War Diary reported 19 casualties from shell fire and on the 9 August there was two hours of shelling from 5.9’s. As James is buried at Brandhoek it seems likely that he was wounded and was taken down the line to the Casualty Clearing Station at Brandhoek were he subsequently died of his wounds.

Trench map showing the location of the Canal Bank

(IWM Q 56693 Canal Bank, Ypres, May 1915. Held by 10th Infantry Brigade after the 2nd gas attack.)

Medals Awarded:

The British War Medal, Victory Medal

Private James Braidwood Fergus, 4/5th Battalion Black Watch, Medal Index Card

Headstone

Private James Braidwood Fergus. Authors image