Andrew Bain Posted 11 September , 2003 Share Posted 11 September , 2003 " The Scotsman" newspaper reports the death of Professor Norman Porteous ,aged 104, Edinburgh University's senior professor emeritus. The paper claims that he MAY have been the last surviving British Army officer of the Great War. Professor Porteous was commissioned in the 13th. Royal Scots and served in France 1917-19. I hope Peter had the heavenly pipes and drums on parade at the pearly gates to welcome him. best wishes, Andy Bain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 11 September , 2003 Share Posted 11 September , 2003 There was an officer of the Artists Rifles at the PRO/NA veterans do earlier this year, or so I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Godden Posted 9 March , 2004 Share Posted 9 March , 2004 I can vouch for the report. I had the incredible honour of meeting Mr. Porteous about two weeks before he passed away. The Artists Rifle's Officer was an officer in the Middlesex Regiment I believe, though I am not sure sure of the regiment exactly. However, his name was Conrad Leonard and he sadly died a few weeks after his appearance at the PRO. So as sad a title as it is Norman Porteous was the last known surviving officer of the Great War. Coincidently he served in the same battalion of the Royal Scots as my Great great Uncle, who had sadly by then been killed. Norman Porteous was commisioned in 1917 from the Cameronians and served in France before being sent back to Blighty with measles, and then returning in October 1918. All the best, Tim Godden Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john w. Posted 9 March , 2004 Share Posted 9 March , 2004 The last officer.. tempers fugit... soon they all will be gone rest in peace John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorts Posted 10 March , 2004 Share Posted 10 March , 2004 Coincidently he served in the same battalion of the Royal Scots as my Great great Uncle, who had sadly by then been killed. Hi Tim, My GG Uncle also served and died with this battalion - I wasn't even aware that a member of this battalion was still alive. Sad that Mr Porteous has passed on. I'd be interested to read a bit about your relative. Rgds, Alex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somme1916 Posted 10 March , 2004 Share Posted 10 March , 2004 Year after year their numbers grow fewer. Soon on one will march there at all. May he rest in peace, Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Johnson Posted 10 March , 2004 Share Posted 10 March , 2004 R.I.P. Forever With The "Boys". Paul Johnson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Godden Posted 10 March , 2004 Share Posted 10 March , 2004 Hi Alex, Well where to begin... He was the Head-teacher of the School in Alyth, Perthshire. He initially did not join up but upon being handed a white feather in the street he joined the ranks of the 13th Royal Scots in Edinburgh as a Private. He arrived in France shortly before the battle of Loos, in which he fought. He was killed on the night of the 27th/28th June 1916 in a trench raid. There was a Lt Appleby wounded who died a few hours later on the same night and one other rank, who I do not know. The battalion diary has a good detailed account of the raid but the regimental diary merely mentions the loss of Lt Appleby. As far as I am concerned I was the first member of my family to find his name on the Dud Corner Memorial about 10 years ago. I was 11 at the time on a school trip. My Great Auntie, the oldest member of the family was so happy that she finally knew where he was that she gave me his medals, Pip Squeek and Wilfred. Since I was 18 I have researched his and the battalion movements to the best of my ability. I went up to Alyth last year to see if I could find his name on the War Memorial only to find out from my Granny once we had gone all the way up there that actually he was not on one. The story being that someone had come to the door and asked my GG Uncle's mother for money to have his name put on the memorial. She said that if her son could die for his country and not have his name paid for she would have nothing to do with it. However, I did get the honour of meeting Alyth and Scotland's oldest man, Alfred Anderson who served in the 5th Black Watch and was a pre-war Territorial. Sadly he did not know of my GG Uncle, or at least could not remember him he said. It has been an interesting journey finding out about my GG Uncle and I will continue to do so. To meet Norman Porteous was one of the greatest honours of my life. Like you I was of the belief that no Royal Scots veterans from the Great War were alive. To meet a man who served in the battalion I had spent so much time reading and researching was truely awesome and I will hold it dearly in my memories. I have a photo of him in his uniform and a photo of my GG Uncle that I will post on this stream at some point. What about your relative? I am always interested to hear about Royal Scots, and of course every other regiment. But in particular the Royal Scots. All the best, Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Godden Posted 10 March , 2004 Share Posted 10 March , 2004 As promised, a photograph of Norman Porteous in Uniform in 1917... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Godden Posted 11 March , 2004 Share Posted 11 March , 2004 and here is one of my Great-great Uncle... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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