John Drummond - Link to Larbert

Lieutenant John Drummond

Lieutenant, ‘D’ Company, 44th Battalion, 11th Brigade, 3rd Australian Division

Age: 25

Date of death: 10.10.17

Buried: Menin Gate Memorial Panel 27

Family history: The only son of Catherine Sinclair Drummond and the late Malcolm McLean Drummond, Learnock Toll, Balfron, Stirlingshire. He was the nephew of David and Isabella Drummond (nee Sinclair), Larbert Bridge, Larbert.

Before he emigrated to Australia in 1911, John was employed as a fireman at Alloa Railway Station

He was employed as a fireman by the Western Australia Railways before he enlisted in Perth Western Australia on 29 November 1915. Enlisting as a Private he attended an NCO School from January to 24 February 1916 and was subsequently promoted to Sergeant and joined ‘D’ Company, 44th Battalion. The Battalion sailed from Freemantle and landed in England in September 1916 and went to France on 25 November 1916. He was hospitalised sick on 1 January 1917 and again on 5 February 1917. On the 5 March 1917, he was both promoted to 2nd Lieutenant and wounded in action near Armentieres and hospitalised in England at Graylingwell Military Hospital with a gunshot wound to the left wrist and a shoulder wound. He was Mentioned in Despatches on 9 April. He rejoined the Battalion on 11 September 1917 and was promoted to Lieutenant on 2 October. He was wounded again on 4 October during the attack of the 3rd Australian Division at Tyne Cot however, it was not enough for him to leave the Battalion.

Trench map showing the location of Zonnebeke Station and Daring Crossing. Tyne Cot and the railway cutting Civilian Cemetery are also shown.

Action leading to his death

On the 9 October the Battalion was in Erie Camp and left at 10.15am to make their way to the trenches and bivouacked at Frezenberg Ridge for the night before making their way up to the front line on the afternoon of 10 October. On the 10 October 1917 the Battalion was in the line near Tyne Cot when John was shot by sniper in the head. His body was buried in the civilian cemetery north of the railway line near Daring Crossing approximately one mile east of Zonnebeke Station on the Ypres to Roulers railway.

Daring Crossing today. Authors image

This places John’s body in the civilian cemetery close to what is today the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery at Tyne Cot. The irony is not lost here that as a railway worker John was buried near to the railway. His body was subsequently lost and he is listed on the Menin Gate Memorial. The War Diary recording that the enemy shelled the cutting cemetery and the Battalion trenches on 14 October.

The images show dead and wounded Australians from the 3rd Australian Division on 11 October 1917 taking shelter in the railway cutting, and dead Germans in the railway cutting near to Daring Crossing. The second image shows the location today.