For those who served.

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Comment by Ronald Drysdale on June 30, 2024 at 16:43

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".

Comment by Ronald Drysdale on June 30, 2024 at 16:39

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)."

Comment by Andrew Douglas on February 19, 2023 at 13:00

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

Comment by Trevor James Douglas on August 12, 2019 at 16:29

Her Majesty’s Submarine Service 1973-1994. Currently Captain Merchant Navy working at the world famous South Shields Marine School

Comment by Richard William Maginis Douglas on April 17, 2019 at 16:59

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.

Comment by Andrew Douglas on June 8, 2015 at 17:17

Glad you like it William. :) Hopefully the group will grow as time moves on. 

I haven't seen the series yet, but I have heard about it. There have been some great TV series released lately especially in time for the 100 year anniversary. 

Comment by William Douglas on June 8, 2015 at 9:33

Thank you, Andrew.

I have been watching 'The Anzac Girls' on British television. great story telling, and very moving.

Comment by Andrew Douglas on June 3, 2015 at 9:54

Paybook photograph, taken on enlistment, of QX2431 Private William Edward Douglas, No. 2 Company, Australian Army Service Corps. He was one of over 2000 Allied prisoners of war (POW) held in the Sandakan POW camp in north Borneo, having been transferred there from Singapore as a part of B Force. The 1494 POW's that made up B Force, were transported from Changi on 7 July 1942 on board the tramp ship Ubi Maru, arriving in Sandakan Harbour on 18 July 1942. Private Douglas, aged 32, died as a prisoner of the Japanese on 20 June 1945. He was the son of Charles Kenneth and Mary Cathrine Bartley Douglas, of Pyrmont, NSW. He is commemorated on the Labuan Memorial Panel 23.

Comment by Andrew Douglas on June 3, 2015 at 9:49

In memory: RAAF pilot 425692, Flying Officer (FO) Francis William Douglas of Cloncurry, Qld, at the controls of a Stirling bomber aircraft of No 46 Squadron RAF. FO Douglas was killed in operations over France on 24 March 1945, and is buried in the Mazargues War Cemetery, 6 kilometres from the centre of Marseilles.

Comment by Andrew Douglas on June 3, 2015 at 9:47

Studio portrait of Captain William Bowman Douglas, 3rd Battalion of Richmond, NSW. A farmer prior to enlisting, he embarked from Sydney aboard the HMAT Euripides (A14) on 20 October 1914. He was wounded in action on 3 May 1915 at Gallipoli, Turkey and died at sea on 5 May 1915 aboard the hospital ship Gascon, aged 32. He is remembered with honour on the Lone Pine Memorial, Turkey.

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