1st Battalion, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders - Boer War casualties

I was in Stirling yesterday and took the opportunity to visit the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders regimental museum in the castle. Just before you enter the castle proper there is a memorial to the men of the 1st Battalion who lost their lives during the Boer War.

The panel above is interesting, bearing in mind that the memorial was unveiled in 1907, twenty-six years since the 91st Regiment of Foot had ceased to exist. And yet the regimental pride is reserved for the old 91st, with the 1st Battalion and the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders relegated to terms within parantheses.

 

Officers and NCOs are listed in order of seniority, so note that Lieutenant Hunter of the 4th Volunteer Battalion, ranks below the two second lieutenants of the 1st Battalion. I am guessing that Lieutenant Hunter was one of the officers of the Volunteer Service Company. The officers recorded are:

 

Major S L Robinson
Captain E C H Grant
Lieutenant C E Courtenay
Second Lieutenant W V St C McLaren
Second Lieutenant W B King
Lieutenant J Hunter

Unusually, and helpfully, the regimental numbers of all NCOs and rank and file are also recorded on the memorial and I list these men below in regimental number order.

Private Collins was the longest serving soldier and must have enlisted in 1882. I have noted enlistment years next to the men, and also see my post on regimental numbering in the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders.


152 Private F Collins [1882]
1060 Private A Fraser [1883]
1279 Private C Trew [1884]
1386 Colour-Sergeant J W Gilbery [1884]
1615 Private W M Coyne [1884]
1733 Private J Kidney [1885]
1981 Private E Perry [1885]
1982 Colour-Sergeant D Christison [1885]
2076 Private J Gray [1886]
2633 Colour-Sergeant D W Hope [1887]
2745 Private R Reid [1887]
2757 Corporal T Pagan [1887]
2808 Private D Milne [1888]
2817 Private J Wiggins [1888]
2845 Private D Anderson [1888]
2867 Private A E Campbell [1888]
2935 Private W Mansfield [1888]
2960 Private J Merrilees [1888]
2963 Private A Reid [1888]
2988 Private W Harley [1888]
3053 Lance-Sergeant W Matthews [1889]
3081 Private H Boyce [1889]
3084 Private C Giles [1889]
3085 Private H Taylor [1889]
3115 Private J Donald [1889]
3119 Private P Bliss [1889]
3209 Sergeant A Barber [1889]
3254 Private J Hamilton [1889]
3261 Corporal E P Rose [1889]
3271 Private W Kay [1889]
3331 Private F Johnstone [1889]
3358 Lance-Corporal J Dodds [1889]
3373 Private D Gordon [1889]
3421 Private H Sweeney [1890]
3423 Private W Glossop [1890]
3537 Private J Evans [1890]
3542 Private H Austin [1890]
3605 Private C McKenzie [1890]
3632 Private C Giles [1890]
3635 Corporal T H Templeman [1890]
3722 Private W Tring [1890]
3723 Private R Fraser [1890]
3743 Private E Millen [1890]
3762 Corporal J Mowatt [1890]
3797 Private D McGregor [1890]
3820 Private M Delanty [1890]
3844 Private J Scott [1890]
3860 Private J Gilfether [1890]
3863 Private C McWhirter [1890]
3994 Private F Alford [1891]
4045 Private A Rushforth [1891]
4059 Private J McAnally [1891]
4065 Private J Hay [1891]
4080 Private A E Baker [1891]
4097 Private J Fulbrooke [1891]
4149 Private J Drysdale [1891]
4189 Private J McFarlane [1891]
4205 Private W Kitchen [1891]
4215 Private R Ward [1891]
4234 Private M Edwards [1891]
4236 Private N Shelfer [1891]
4245 Sergeant A K Smith [1891]
4316 Private W J Ward [1891]
4405 Sergeant B J C Kelly [1892]
4494 Private B McDermott [1892]
4537 Private M McMillan [1892]
4557 Private W Patterson [1892]
4714 Lance-Corporal A S Inglis [1893]
4759 Private J McKean [1893]
4802 Sergeant J E Meredith [1893]
4857 Private J Graham [1893]
4864 Sergeant W E Smith [1893]
4927 Private J Kennedy [1893]
4951 Lance-Corporal H Harvey [1893]
5040 Lance-Corporal H Waters [1894]
5122 Private J Campbell [1894]
5183 Sergeant D Morrison [1894]
5222 Private T Littlewood [1894]
5236 Private C Scott [1894]
5247 Corporal D Millar [1894]
5264 Lance-Corporal W T Bevan [1894]
5317 Lance-Corporal J Peebles [1895]
5444 Sergeant H Wigston [1895]
5520 Corporal C Jamieson [1895]
5664 Private H Bowman [1896]
5671 Private T Wilkie [1896]
5972 Private A Davidson [1896]
6049 Private W Johnstone [1897]
6115 Private A Wintrup [1897]
6141 Private J Howden [1897]
6147 Private J MacBeth [1897]
6164 Private J Mathieson [1897]
6283 Private T Williamson [1897]
6311 Private M Ross [1897]
6331 Private T Logan [1897]
6348 Private R Tait [1897]
6377 Private J Russell [1897]
6406 Private R Liddle [1898]
6435 Private T Lamie [1898]
6438 Private R Gillon [1898]
6442 Private A Luke [1898]
6476 Private A Greig [1898]
6514 Private J Wilson [1898]
6517 Private J Patterson [1898]
6532 Private A Hyndman [1898]
6550 Private A Carlyle [1898]
6551 Private J MacDonald [1898]
6552 Private A McNeil [1898]
6559 Lance-Corporal D Melville [1898]
6587 Private D McGillivrary [1898]
6599 Private J Russell [1898]
6611 Private H Thompson [1898]
6631 Private D Kennaway [1898]
6690 Private J Seeley [1898]
6707 Private J Ferguson [1898]
6744 Private J McAnally [1898]
6790 Private P Mattison [1898]
6820 Private W Mowbray [1899]
6841 Private P Cailey [1899]
6845 Private N Crawford [1899]
6862 Private W F Shore [1899]
6889 Lance-Corporal J Stenhouse [1899]
6945 Lance-Corporal R Wain [1899]
7000 Private J Wain [1899]
7009 Private W Somerville [1899]
7032 Private J Henderson [1899]
7072 Private W Duncan [1899]
7133 Private J McDougall [1899]
7136 Private J Currie [1899]
7152 Private A Russell [1899]
7284 Private J Campbell [1899]
7301 Private W L Fitzwilliams [1899]
7302 Private D W Moore [1899]
7303 Private J Morrison [1899]
7308 Private W R Kelly [1899]
7323 Private W Gillespie [1900]
7876 Private J G Farquhar [1901]

The following five men all served with Volunteer Service Companies (VSCs) attached to the 1st Battalion. They had formerly served as part-time soldiers with the Volunteer Force but were discharged and then re-enlisted in order to serve with the regulars for a term of one year or the duration  of the war. I have written more about the VSCs elsewhere.

The first three men listed here certainly enlisted in 1900, whereas Clanachan and Williams probably enlisted later, possibly in 1901.

8450 Private T M Stevenson [1900]
8535 Private J Gilmour [1900]
8544 Lance-Corporal R Aitken [1900]
8708 Private J Clanachan
8714 Private C Williams

Finally, it is interesting to recall the disposition of the two battalions at the outbreak of the Boer War. The 1st Battalion was the home battalion whilst the 2nd Battalion was the overseas battalion, stationed in India. It would remain in India and thus it was that the 1st Battalion, largely populated by new recruits, soon to be augmented by reservists, which was despatched to South Africa.

Excluding the five men who served with the VSCs, there are 136 NCOs and rank and file listed on this memorial, and of these, 40 men had joined in 1898 or later.

For further information on this memorial and the men whose names are inscribed upon it, have a look at the relevant Roll of Honour website page.

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