John Douglas  Alston likeness

John Douglas  Alston cap badgeLieutenant John Douglas Alston

3rd Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) attached to 2nd Battalion
Service No: N/A

John Douglas  Alston grave

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Personal details

Family Information

Son of Andrew Thomson Alston (17/06/1856 - 12/10/1938) and Georgina Watts Cowie Alston (20/06/1864 - 27/04/1935) of Thornhill, Airdrie. John worked with his uncle who was also Town Clerk. John's father was the Inspector for Poor for New Monkland. From the 1891 Census - Address - Thornhill Cottage, Airdrie - Andrew T Alston aged 35, Georgina Alston aged 27, John D Alston aged 5 months, servants Marion Marshell aged 15, Lilly Dalton aged 14. From the 1901 Census - Address - 36 Commonhead St, Airdrie - Andrew Alston aged 45, Georgina Alston aged 37, John D Alston aged 10, Archibald Alston aged 4, servants Jane Ramsay aged 34, Agnes Graham aged 19.

Born / Resided

Thornhill House, Airdrie / 4 Laird St, Dunbeth, Coatbridge.

Died

Killed in Action on the 10/03/1915 at La Gorgue when shot through the head on the opening day of the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, France

Enlisted

Coatbridge Town Hall 1914

Employed

Solicitor with Messrs John Alston and son (Town Clerks Office), Dunbeth Rd, Coatbridge.

Age

24 / DOB - 24/10/1890

Buried / Remembered

Brown's Road Military Cemetery (VIII. J. 1), Festubert, France.

Cemetery / Memorial Information

The cemetery was begun in October 1914, and carried on by fighting units and field ambulances until November 1917, when it contained 299 graves. It was greatly enlarged after the Armistice when graves were brought in from small cemeteries and isolated sites on the surrounding battlefields. Brown's Road Cemetery contains 1,071 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 407 of the burials are unidentified but special memorials commemorate three casualties believed to be buried among them.

Additional Information

The 2nd Battalion arrived at Le Havre on the 05/11/1914 and was part of the 23rd Brigade, 8th Division. John was shot through the head on the opening day of the British attack at Neuve Chapelle, 10th - 13th March 1915 : British First Army mounts first offensive on large scale: costly in terms of casualties but results in capture of Neuve Chapelle. Localised operations continue afterwards. Neuve Chapelle was the first large scale organised attack undertaken by the British Army during the war. It followed the miserable winter operations of 1914-15. More Divisions had now arrived in France and the British Expeditionary Force was now split into two Armies. Neuve Chapelle was undertaken by Sir Douglas Haig's First Army, while subsequent actions were fought by Sir Herbert Smith-Dorrien's Second Army. SEE PHOTOS x 12 FOR THE BATTALION WAR DIARY 1st - 20th MARCH 1915. ALSO SEE PHOTOS x 20 FOR ADDITIONS TO THE WAR DIARY. The casualties for the Battalion from War Diary (11) from the 10th to 14th March 1915 - 13 Officers Killed (John listed), 9 Officers Wounded, 112 Other Ranks Killed, 314 Wounded and 21 Missing. SEE PHOTOS x 17 FOR THE 8th DIVISION BOOK MARCH 1918. John had been a brilliant student at Glasgow University and was President of Airdrie Junior Imperialists. He was at home one month before his death. Additional Grave photos kindly donated by Mick McCann at at the British War Graves website who supply photos FREE OF CHARGE here. and my friend in France, Thierry Dericbourg (see photos). John is also remembered on the New Wellwynd Church Roll of Honour, New Monkland Cemetery Family Plot and Airdrie War Memorial (see photos). See photos for John and his father listed on the Airdrie Electoral Register 1910-11, Brown's Road Military Cemetery, the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) Cap Badge, his CWGC Grave Registration x 2, his Headstone Report, his Service Medal and Award Rolls x 2. Finally, see photos x 17 for Newspaper clippings (Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser 20/03/1915 x 9, Coatbridge Express 17/03/1915 x 1 and Coatbridge Leader 20/03/1915 x 7) and the 8th Division Order of Battle x 12 (the Division who he was with when he died).

Photos
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War Diaries

The battalion War Diary is available on the National Archives website.

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