Scottish Colonel

[Hambo]

I have just read the excellent book "The Advance From Mons 1914" by Walter Bloem. I highly recommend it. Of paticular interest is that he did not expect the "English" troops to up to much but lost half his company in their first engagement at Mons!

In the narrative is an account of the capture of a Colonel on the 27th of August and he is described thus-" he had on a short khaki jacket, a dark blue schoolboy's cap with two long black silk bands hanging from it at the back, a short blue and black square-checked pleated shirt....a pair of brown shoes"

The footnote identifies him as a Gordon Highlander. He was captured with a Major who was dressed in a "conventional" uniform

Does anyone know who these gentlemen were?

Thanks Hambo

[Guest Koert Debyser]

Almost whole of the 1st Gordon Highlanders was captured on 27 August 1914. Among them were the following two officers:

- Colonel F.H. NEISH

- Major C.J. SIMPSON

Also Colonel W.E. GORDON, V.C. of the Gordon Highlanders was captured that day. He had assumed command of the remains of some battalions as the senior officer in army rank.

See the Official History for more details.

Other source: List of British Officers taken prisoner in the various Theatres of War between August 1914 and November 1918 (Mssrs. COX & Co). The three officers are listed as missing 10/09/14, which seems normal given the administrative backlog during the retreat. This source also mentions that Colonel GORDON was exchanged and repatriated 25/01/16. Colonel NEISH was interned in Switzerland 12/08/16 and repatriated 11/09/17. Major SIMPSON was interned in Switzerland 19/01/17 and repatriated 13/9/17.

[Hambo]

Many thanks, the enquiry was just out of interest. In the narrative these were the first Highlanders this German unit had seen and they thought it very strange that the English "made" the Scottish dress the way they did

All the best Hambo