Edinburgh Great War Casualties Roll of Honour Inverleith Parish Church Great War Memorial Author: Garry A Ketchen Copyright © Garry A Ketchen 2013. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author. 1 Aitken, John [also known as Ian] Malcolm: 2 nd Lieutenant, “D” Battery, 82 nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Born on 17/04/1899 at St Mungo, Dumfries. A son of John Malcolm J.P., Estate Factor, and Isabella Wilson Aitken of Scott House, Kinnear Road, Edinburgh and Norwood, Lockerbie. Siblings were Elizabeth W M, Catherine M and Isabella M M. 2nd Lieutenant Aitken was educated at Warriston College, Moffat, Edinburgh Academy [1913-1914] and Edinburgh University, having also been nominated for Oriel College, Oxford in order to train further for the Indian Civil Service. He initially served as Gunner 226082 in the Royal Field Artillery, being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on 29/06/1918 and serving in “D” Battery of the 82 nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, entering France as a theatre of war during September 1918. He was wounded on 10 th Oct 1918 near Le Cateau during the Battle of Cambrai and died of his wounds on 12/10/1918, aged 19, and is buried in Rocquigny-Equancourt Road British Cemetery, Manancourt, Somme, France, Grave XIV.C.38. He was awarded the British War Medal & Victory Medal and was mentioned in the University of Edinburgh Roll of Honuor 1914-1919 , the Edinburgh Academy Register 1824-1914, and the War Supplement to the Edinburgh Academy Register and a death notice and biographical note in The Scotsman, 17/10/1918 & 19/10/1918. He is remembered on the Inverleith Parish Church Memorial. [Photo exists] Dobbie, James Struthers: Private, 13 th Battalion, Tank Corps. Born around 1888 at South Leith. A son of John Dobbie, Paving Contractor, and Jane Dobbie of 13 East Hermitage Place, Leith. Husband of Marion Louise Dobbie of 99 Church Street, South Shore, Blackpool. Siblings were Jessie S M, John A and Arthur J R. Private Dobbie was educated at the Edinburgh Institution [1898-1904]. He enlisted at Edinburgh and initially served as a Quartermaster Sergeant at the 2 nd Scottish Hospital at Craigleith before being transferred and serving as Private 203524 in the King’s Own Scottish Borderers, then Private 307829 in the 13 th Battalion [previously “M” Battalion], Tank Corps. He was killed in action on 03/10/1918, aged 30, and is buried in Hargicourt Communal Cemetery Extension, Aisne, France, Grave B.13. He was awarded the British War Medal & Victory Medal and was mentioned in the Edinburgh Institution 1832-1932 , the Edinburgh Institution and Melville College Roll of Honour 1914-1918 and 1939-1945, and a death notice in The Edinburgh Evening News , 12/10/1918. He is remembered on the Inverleith Parish Church Memorial. Geddes, George: Private, 1 st Gordon Highlanders. Born around 1897 at Trinity, South Leith. A son of Robert Geddes, Twine Spinner, and Susan Geddes of 6 Hamilton Street, Edinburgh then 12 Lower Granton Road, Trinity. Siblings were Robert, William and James. Private Geddes was educated at Victoria School, Newhaven. He enlisted at Aberdeen and served as Private S/13367 in the 1 st Gordon Highlanders. He was killed in action on 11/04/1917, aged 21, and is remembered on the Arras Memorial, Arras, France, Bay 8 & 9. He was awarded the British War Medal & Victory Medal and was mentioned in a casualty list in The Scotsman , 16/05/1917. He is remembered on the Inverleith Parish Church Memorial and the Newhaven Victoria School Roll of Honour. His brother Robert was also a Great War casualty. Geddes, Robert: Sergeant, 10 th Highland Light Infantry. Born around 1894 at Trinity, South Leith. A son of Robert Geddes, Twine Spinner, and Susan Geddes of 6 Hamilton Street, Edinburgh and 12 Lower Granton Road, Trinity. Siblings were George, William and James. Sergeant Geddes was educated at Victoria School, Newhaven, being later employed by Mr Walter Nicolson, Grocer, Lower Granton Road before he enlisted into the Highland Light Infantry at Edinburgh on 02/04/1912. He initially served as Lance Corporal 11940 in the 2 nd Highland Light Infantry, entering France as a theatre of war on 14/08/1914. He was wounded in October 1914 then again on 14/11/1914 at Ypres. He was later posted and promoted to serve as Sergeant 11940 in the 10 th Highland Light Infantry. He was killed in action on 24/09/1915, aged 21, and is remembered on the Le Touret Memorial, Pas-de- Calais, France, Panel 37 & 38. He was awarded the 1914 Star, British War Medal & Victory Medal and was mentioned in biographical notes in the Leith Observer , 26/12/1914 & 30/10/1915, a biographical note in The Scotsman , 26/10/1915, and a biographical note and death notices in The Edinburgh Evening News , 25/10/1915 & 27/10/1015. He is remembered on the Inverleith Parish Church Memorial and the Newhaven Victoria School Roll of Honour. His brother George was also a Great War casualty. [Photo exists] 2 Gordon, William Finlay: Driver, Red Cross [although, Granton Parish Church Memorial states Royal Scots]: Born on 15/07/1896 at Edinburgh. A son of Major Andrew Gordon, a Major in the 9 th Royal Scots and a member of a legal firm, and Mary Gordon of “Rose Isle”, 7 Afton Terrace, Edinburgh. Siblings were Christina Heriot, Stanley A and Mary H. Driver Gordon was educated at the Edinburgh Institution [1902-1909] and was a Mercantile Clerk by trade. The Granton Parish Church Memorial simply has the name Finlay Gordon and also states the regiment he served in as the Royal Scots, however no casualty exists on the Commonwealth War Graves website of that name and regiment. The British Red Cross Register of Volunteers on Findmypast.co.uk lists a William Finlay Gordon, Chauffer 10583 who died on duty. The Edinburgh Evening Dispatch dated 23/07/1917 shines some light on the issue. It states that William was a motor driver with the Red Cross. He was visiting a friend in Greenhill Gardens and they were examining an automatic pistol. They fired at a few targets and then the gun jammed. William tried to fix it but failed and passed it to his friend. As the friend sought to clear the jam the gun went off and William was shot in the chest and later died in the Royal Infirmary. Both he and his friend had previously been rejected for Army service but they were about to go to France with the Red Cross. The article suggests that William had previous experience in a war zone but doesn’t specify if this was with the Red Cross or another unit. William died on 22/07/1917, aged 21, and is buried in Edinburgh (Warriston) Cemetery, United Kingdom. He was mentioned in the Edinburgh Institution 1832-1932, the Edinburgh Institution and Melville College Roll of Honour 1914-1918 and 1939-1945, a death notice in The Scotsman , 26/07/1917, and a news item in the Edinburgh Evening Dispatch , 23/07/1917. He is mentioned on the Granton Parish Church Memorial and the Inverleith Parish Church Memorial. Please note that I differ with the regards to the identity of the William Finlay Gordon that is mentioned in the Edinburgh Institution Roll of Honour . It states mentions a William F Gordon, 11 th Royal Scots, KIA 19/08/1917, aged 19. This man had Ayrshire and Glasgow connections and his age does not tie in with dates that William Finlay Gordon attended the Edinburgh Institution according to the Edinburgh Institution 1832- 1932 . Ireland, James Reginald: 2 nd Lieutenant, 3 rd attached 2 nd Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. Born around 1897 at Glasgow, Lanarkshire . A son William Ramage Ireland, Chemist & Druggist, and Elizabeth F Ireland of 2 Hill Street, Glasgow, step-son of John Dobbie, Contractor, of 12 Inverleith Gardens, Edinburgh. 2 nd Lieutenant Ireland was educated at Daniel Stewart’s College and Edinburgh University [Student of Mechanical & Electronic Engineering, 1914-1915]. He served in the 1 st Highland Cadet Battalion between 1912-1914 and then the Officer’s Training Corps, Engineers from January to July 1915. He was commissioned as a 2 nd Lieutenant in the 3 rd Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders in July 915, entering France as a theatre of war on 22/08/1916, being attached to the 2 nd Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. He was killed in action on 28/10/1916, aged 19, during the Battle of the Somme and is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France, Pier and Face 15 A and 16 C. He was awarded the British War Medal & Victory Medal and was mentioned in the University of Edinburgh Roll of Honour 1914-1919 , a biographical note and death notice in The Scotsman , 04/11/1916., and a biographical note in The Edinburgh Evening News , 07/11/1916. He is remembered on the Inverleith Parish Church Memorial. [Photo exists] Kay, John Telfer: Lance Corporal, 9 th Royal Scots. Born around 1885 at Edinburgh. A son of James Kay, Wine Merchant, and Janet Kay of 10 Granton Road. Siblings were James, William, Janet and Catherine Stalker. Lance Corporal Kay was educated at the Edinburgh Institution [1892-1894] and George Watson’s College [1895-] and was employed as an agent in Scotland for Messrs C & T Harris, Wiltshire. He enlisted at Edinburgh in 1914 and served as Private 4137 in the 9 th Royal Scots, being appointed Lance Corporal in 1916 and then later renumbered to 351475.