2773 Private
‘A’ Company, 7th Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, 10th Infantry Brigade, 4th Division
Age: 20
Date of Death: 25.1.15
Buried: Prowse Point Military Cemetery I.E.10 https://www.theypressalient.com/post/prowse-point-military-cemetery
Family history: Son of John and Helen Nimmo, of Union Canal Cottage, Falkirk. He had there brothers and two sisters. He was employed as a Canal Banksman prior to enlisting in the local Territorial battalion on 10 September 1914.
The action leading to his death
The battalion joined the 10th Brigade, 4th Division on 6 January 1915 and immediately began trench instruction and training. This instruction was from the 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders a regular army battalion and they were in ‘training’ until the end of January.
Writing home to his brother Captain James Forbes Jones, commanding ‘B’ Company, gave a graphic description of life in the trenches that first day of instruction. Captain Jones was 35 years old and was the Managing Director of Jones & Campbell of Larbert before the war. He was a private in the Volunteer Force before being made an officer. He joined the Territorials in 1908 and volunteered with the others for foreign service. His letter was featured in the Falkirk Herald on 16 January 1915. He wrote to his brother that: ’… marched 4 miles to get to the trenches along road full of immense holes caused by large shells… and little harvests of wooden crosses here and there.’ He was taken to the firing trench located some 70 yards from the Germans ‘.. It is death to put ones head over for more than a second.’
Private David Thomson, also of ‘A’ Company, wrote to his parents on 12 January 1915, his letter featured in the Falkirk Herald with the heading of ‘A Wee Pic-Nic’: ‘We were only 200 yards from the Germans. We were all quite right till a house at the back of us went on fire…. The rain was fearful and it was very cold… In the morning, before it was daylight, we had to go into the trenches for the day. It was just a wee pic-nic… We were only twenty-four hours in the trenches the first time… we go back in two days, and the next time we will stay in the trenches for four days.’
Medals Awarded:
1915 Star, The British War Medal, Victory Medal.
