Royal Scots Fusilier

[WASMAN]

Can anyone in the know about the Royal Scots Fusiliers tell me how or what battle or action David Taylor 7220 1st Battalion RSF was killed in, he died 13/11/1916. many thanks, wasman

[Malcolm]

Wasman,

David Taylor was in 1st Royal Scots Fusiliers , 8 Brigade and was killed at:

Battle of the Ancre and the 3rd Division attack on Serre. The War Diary of 1st Gordon Highlanders 76 Brigade gives:

November

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Bus

Bn at Bus for first 12 days of month. Practice musketry at ranges, concerts, football, cinematograph shows at YMCA! Lectures on history of the Regt. Combined sports with 2nd Suffolks. Church parade. Preparations for attack; 'it' were going ahead. 300 men on road works! night patrolling practice. Football match with Balloon Sect RFC, Bn won 3-0.

Serre

12th-13th Bn moved to assembly trenches and attacked enemy lines at Serre. Unsuccessful outcome owing to mist and muddy conditions, heavy machine gunfire from enemy. Failure left us with 141 casualties.

14th Bn relieved the 10th RWF in evening, after quiet day. In front line Rob Roy at night. Bn HQ Trenches moved into advanced Brigade

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8th Brigade were on the right of 76th Brigade attacking between Serre and Beaumont Hamel. The day-by-day account mentions waist deep mud turning the attack into a shambles. They probably had similar casualties.

Aye

Malcolm

[Alan Abbott]

Hi Wasman,

This is an extract from the regimental history "The Royal Scots Fusiliers by John Buchan".

“The 1st battalion also came back in October from Loos with the Third Division, and took its place in the front opposite Serre – the sector which had proved impregnable on the first day of the Somme battle. There it remained for most of the winter, and had a share in the battle of 13th November when Gough attacked between Serre and the Ancre. The assault of the British left wing on Serre failed, as it had failed on 1st July, for that stronghold, being too far removed from the effect of our flanking fire from the Thiepval ridge, presented all the difficulties which had baffled us at the first attempt. The battalion attacked with A and B companies at 5.45 a.m., but owing to the fog and the mud touch was lost with the troops on the flanks ; and after penetrating to the enemy second line, where it found the wire uncut, it was compelled, along with the rest of the 8th Brigade, to withdraw and re-form in its original line, while its kinsmen of the Fifty-first Division were storming through Beaumont Hamel. It had 201 casualties, and among the officers Lieutenant H. C. Shutt, and Second Lieutenants J. M. Kerr, N.H. Grieve, H. G. Gillies, and T. M. Johnston fell.”

Regards,

Alan.