The War

The 1st and 2nd of mobilised under the Colonel Commandant, the Marquis of Tullibardine, KT, on 4 August 1914, the two Regiments being commanded by Lieutenant Colonels S. Steuart Fothringham and M. G. Farquhar respectively. Recruiting was at once opened, and within 48 hours the two Regiments enlisted sufficient men to complete the establishment and replace any men found medically unfit. Practically every man that joined up was an ex-Scottish Horse man.

On 12 August the two Regiments went into camp at Scone, Perth, leaving Depots at and , and on 15 August the 1st proceeded to join its Divisions at Bedford; the 2nd Regiment to Doncaster. However, Walter did not go with them. With his special knowledge and skill with horses, he was ordered to buy horses for the Regiments. On 14 August an advertisement appeared in the Express, which read:

ARMY HORSES WANTED Sound and about 15 hands Purchasing Officers will visit the undermentioned Places:

Huntly Auction Mart 2pm Saturday ditto 9.30am Monday Old Meldrum ditto 12 noon ditto ditto 3pm ditto Rhynie, Richmond Arms 9am Tuesday Lumsden Hotel 11am ditto Alford Auction Mart 1pm

Walter Aitchison, Major Scottish Horse Coniecleugh, Huntly, 12th Aug 1914

With this job completed, Walter joined his Regiment at Doncaster.

Now, in Doncaster and settled for a time, he was able to think of his family. On 31 August 1914 he wrote his Will. In this, he left his whole estate to his wife, to be held by her as trustee for the purposes of firstly payment of his debts. Then Blanche was to hold and use the residue for the joint use of herself and Aileen until, when Aileen reached the age of twenty one years, she would divide the estate between them. His Will was witnessed by a fellow Officer, Captain W. Loring and by the Medical Officer, J. A. Simpson.

No doubt Walter was not the only one to write his Will now that they were mobilised and awaiting orders.

Walter (centre) with a group of Scots Greys men drafted into the Regiment.

In November 1914, the Regiments were posted to Sunderland and Newcastle to defend the sea coast from possible invasion. Their responsibility was from Newbiggin northwards. During this period in north east England Blanche visited Walter and took Aileen with her at least once; they met the Newcastle cousins, staying with them in Jesmond. This period guarding the coast continued for nine months. With the Newcastle cousins being so close, for Walter it must have seemed like a home from home.

Then, in August 1915 the Regiments were put on alert for movement abroad. Despite his age (nearly 50yrs) Walter volunteered to go abroad with his regiment; he had been with his (E) since 1908 and knew all the men well.

The 1st line (the 1st, 2nd and newly formed 3rd Regiments) were held in readiness to proceed to Devonport to embark for overseas, each unit was brought up to a four Squadron basis by the inclusion of a complete squadron from each of the 2nd line units.

On the evening of 16 August the 1st Brigade, together with the Supply and Transport Column and Field Ambulance, entrained, and on 17 August embarked on HM Transport Transylvania under the Marquis of Tullibardine, who had been appointed Brigadier-General. Nothing was known as to the actual destination, but rumour said Egypt, the general idea being that the Brigade were to take over the horses belonging to the 2nd Mounted Division, which had been sent to Gallipoli, dismounted. Everyone was in high glee at this idea, but a rude awakening was in store. On leaving Malta instructions were issued that the Brigade would be equipped with Web Equipment and proceed to Mudros, where they would trans-ship and proceed to Gallipoli as a dismounted Brigade. The difficulty of equipping over 2,100 men on board ship can easily be imagined, but the whole thing was carried through in about 12 hours, and then came the business of attempting to pack all the equipment and all the paraphernalia that goes to equip a Mounted Brigade, for storage at Alexandria, where the transport was to proceed after disembarking the troops at Mudros on the island of Lemnos.

On 1 September 1915, the 2nd Regiment transhipped to HM Transport Osmanieh at 4pm. At 9.45pm they landed in lighters on C Beach at Suvla Bay under heavy attack by the Turkish forces. At about midnight, when all were landed, they marched to their bivouac without kit. Heavy shelling, mostly shrapnel, continued through the day (2nd) until 7.15.pm. Taking advantage of the quiet, 320 men moved out at 7.45pm and started to dig trenches in the Brigade Reserve position as quickly as possible. Digging continued the next day and night and when completed the men remained in them. It was not possible to dig dug outs for there was neither room nor material for this. One had to remember not to straighten up! During the next few days one officer was wounded and a sergeant and two troopers killed. Shelling with shrapnel was the Turkish way of asserting their position; sometimes heavy, sometimes light but with rifle fire. Every night meant a little more improvement, until the trenches and parapets combined afforded complete protection against the stray bullets which found their way over even far beyond the reserve line of trenches, and ration and water parties often had a fairly warm time.

After being on the Peninsula six nights, the Brigade took over the part of the front line, then held by the 2nd Mounted Division, which had become very weak in numbers. On 7 September, Walter went to the front line trenches with Second Lieutenant Hudson and 24 men for a 24hrs tour of duty. They returned unharmed. Shelling continued but on 17 September they marched out to the Reserve trenches. However, the next day there was trouble. Heavy bombardment by our naval forces brought a reply from the Turkish and heavy rifle fire.

On 20 September, Walter and his Squadron were employed in digging a Communication trench till midnight. Drainage trenches were also dug. For the next two days work consisted in digging a SAP from the 3rd Regiment lines towards the Turkish lines. Then at 20.00hrs Walter and his squadron went into the firing line. The other squadrons were in Support trenches. On 25 September, work commenced on a trench linking Walter’s squadron with F Squadron. Being practically at sea-level and quite close to the sea, little depth could be reached before striking water, so that it became a question of building up instead of digging down; and being so close to the Turkish line was rather an unhealthy occupation, in addition to having the Gallipoli climate to contend with. The one bright spot in an otherwise pretty dull existence was that, being so close to the sea, one could sometimes take advantage of a quiet time to have a dip, though even this often ended in a hurried finish, with one’s clothes under one’s arm, for the Turk seemed to have a decided objection to seeing anyone bathe.

Sickness began to take a rather heavy toll, dysentery and fever being bad. The weather on the whole was dry.

On 27 September at 16.00 hrs Walter’s trenches were heavily shelled with one man killed and one man wounded. At 19.15hrs the whole Regiment gave rousing cheers for good news from the Western Front and this brought immediate heavy fire from the Turkish lines, no casualties were reported. Otherwise there were quiet days and days where the Turks shelled heavily for 30 minutes or so. Eventually, on 6 October, the Regiment was relieved by the & Forfar and moved to the reserve trenches. Back in the Reserve trenches Walter began to get ‘Gippy Tummy’. Alas, it was worse than that; he reported sick and was hospitalised on 11 October with dysentery. Officers and men with sickness beyond the resources of the Field Ambulance were transferred to Hospital ships. These ships were continually moving in and out of harbour, perhaps two a day, and tremendous difficulty was sometimes experienced in getting the sick on board, the ships having to stand a good way out. Walter was shipped to Alexandria and admitted to 15 General Hospital on 18 October 1915. He must have responded well to treatment for he was moved to Shepherd’s Hotel and had time to go shopping for souvenirs before being shipped home on 24 November.

Home for Christmas and then Walter was given a Training Assignment in while he fully recovered. Blanche and Aileen were able to visit him there, where he was billeted in the Moulin Hotel. This assignment lasted for about a year.

Walter, Blanche and Aileen at Conniecleugh.

On 5 January 1917, Walter was ordered to proceed to ‘for the purpose of joining the Expeditionary Force’. On return to Flanders Walter was attached to the Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, where large field guns were employed in the bombardment of enemy trenches and fortifications. These heavy guns were directed by aircraft spotter planes and were up to four miles behind the lines. Unfortunately this was far from safe as they were the targets for large calibre artillery.

Walter’s duties in both units centred on the wellbeing of the horses, to ensure their ready availability for duty. Walter was the man for this.

On 17 July 1917, the weather was mixed when Walter stepped out to visit the Horse Lines. Overhead there was the sound of shells passing over or landing elsewhere. Walter was killed by one of those shells. He was 51 years old, and is buried in the Brandhoek Military Cemetery, Vlamertinghe, Belgium.