A collection of historical and genalogical records
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Wing Commander James Kenneth Montague Drysdale, who was the son of Lt. Col. William Drysdale, died in WW2 when his wellington Bomber was shot down during a raid on Le Havre in France in 1941.
"........Son of Lt. Col. William Drysdale, D,S,O who was killed in WW1. He was flying with the 305th Polish Bomber Squadron when he and the rest of his crew of 4 in a Wellington Bomber crashed on the target area near Le Havre, they fought and are buried together".
Lt. Col. William Drysdale - who was the great nephew of Sir William Drysdale of Pittenchar, via his brother John Drysdale of Kilrie. He died in France in WW1 in the battle of the Somme.
"...... Lieut. Col. William Drysdale, DSO. 2nd Batt The Royal Scots (Lothian Regt) later Commanding Officer 7th batt. The Leicestershire Regt.
Son of William and Georgina, husband of Mary Louisa (married Bombay 19 Jan 1904). Father of William Ronald (1904) John Alexander (1908)
and James Kenneth Montague, DSO (1909-1941). Educated at Loretto School, Musselborough and The Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
Gazetted 2nd Lt Royal Scots 5 Sept 1896. Lt 30 Aug 1898. Capt 19 Nov 1902 and Major 27 Nov 1914. Served in Burma and India, early 1900's
and was awarded the Royal Humane Society Medal for trying to save a Pte Weaver who unfortunately drowned in a river near Poona. In the years
before the war he was at the Staff College and at different Divisions. He excelled at sport,was a renowned horseman, golfer, tennis and hockey player, also a very gifted cricketer. At the outbreak of war he was appointed Brigade Major to 21st Brig, 7th Division went to France 31 Aug 1914 on the 4 Oct 1914 he was wounded at the 1st Battle of Ypres but stayed with his command, for his actions he was awarded the D S O (For gallant conduct throughout the terrible experience of the 7th in the 1st Battle of Ypres, he showed an unsurpassed example of fearlessness and cheerful courage, refusing to quit his Brigade when wounded). On 1 Oct 1915 he was made CO of the 7th Batt Leicestershire Regt, on the 14th Jul 1916 he was wounded near Bazent in Le Petit Wood on recovery he resumed his command, shortly afterwards he was leading his men in an assault on German troops holding Guendecourt on the Somme Front, on the morning of the 29th Sept during a preliminary reconnaissance he was killed by a sniper.
Sir John, later Lord French wrote,'Working with him put more life and go into one than I ever thought possible. He had the soundest possible judgement and it was his spirit which really made the 110th Brigade what they were'.(1st Jan 1916)."
I would like to remember my Great Uncles.
David Douglas B1894 Served with the East Yorkshire Regiment killed 23th July 1916 Buried at La Neuville British Cemetery.
Joseph Douglas B1894 Served with the Coldstream Guards spent 4 years as a POW where he contracted TB Died at the Bermondsey Military Hospital 9th April 1919 Buried at the Northern Cemetery Hull
Her Majesty’s Submarine Service 1973-1994. Currently Captain Merchant Navy working at the world famous South Shields Marine School
My Great Uncle Sgt. Donald Gordon Douglas, South African Scottish Regiment, who was KIA on 20 September 1917 at Zonnebeke, in Belgium, is included in the Honor Roll of the Bushmills, Co. Antrim, WWI Memorial in the town center. Also found him on the Regiment Honor Roll in the Scottish War Memorial, in Edinburgh Castle.
The more information you can give about the people you mention, the more chance there is of someone else connecting with your family.
Dates and places of births, deaths and marriages all help to place families.
Professions also help.
'My great-grandmother mother was a Douglas from Montrose' does not give many clues to follow up! But a bit of flesh on the bones makes further research possible. But if we are told who she married, what his profession was and where the children were baptised, then we can get to work.
Maybe it is time to update the information in your profile?
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