1274 Private
11th Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, 45th Infantry Brigade, 15th (Scottish) Division.
Age: 22
Date of Death: 22.7.17
Buried: Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery XVI.E.6
Family history: Son of Thomas and Janet Foote, Church Street, Stenhousemuir. He had a younger brother, John, and three sisters, Agnes, Jenny and Margaret. He was employed as an iron grinder and was a Special Reserve in the Royal Scots joining on 24 July 1911 before he enlisted in the Argyll’s in October 1913 and joined the 2nd Battalion.
Fraudulently Claimed an extension to his furlough
Thomas had an interesting service life. On 17 February he fraudulently obtained an extension to his furlough, claiming that his grandmother had died, and was apprehended by the police in Stenhousemuir in civilian clothes on 25 February. He was given ten days confined to barracks and forfeited 5 days pay. He went to France on 10 August 1914 with the 2nd Battalion.
Court martialled for fraudulently enlisting
On 15 February 1916, while on leave, he was found guilty of trying to fraudulently enlist in the 7th Battalion Territorials at the Drill Hall in Stenhousemuir claiming that he had never served in the Army. At his subsequent Court Martial on 21 March he was given 28 days detention serving this in the Detention Barracks at Barlinnie Prison, Glasgow. He was discharged from there with four days remission on 13 April 1916 and joined the 3rd Battalion, the Reserve Battalion, awaiting his posting.
He embarked from Southampton on 19 May and joined the 2nd Battalion Argyll’s on 5 June. He was then wounded in action on 15 July, a gun shot wound to the head and was transferred to hospital in England. He was discharged from hospital and joined the Infantry Depot in France on 21 February 1917 and went to the 11th Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. He died of wounds received on 22 July 1917.
The action leading to his death
The Battalion was in the line in the Divisional sector that ran from the Roulers Railway on the right to approximately the line of the Potijze road on the left in front of Frezenberg Ridge. They were in the trenches known as ‘Gully’ and ‘Piccadilly’ On the 12 July they were subjected to gas shelling with the Germans using their latest Mustard Gas. On the 13 July the front line was subjected to heavy shelling with six killed and four wounded.
(Linesman Map)
Medals Awarded
1914 Star with Clasp, The British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Headstone
