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Alexander Dalziel cap badgePrivate Alexander Dalziel

2nd Battalion Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)
Service No: S/7104

Alexander Dalziel grave

1759

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31
Personal details

Family Information

Son of Alexander (1856 - 04/06/1922) and Catherine Doyle Dalziel (1855 - 13/04/1912). From the 1891 Census - Address - 290 Main St, Coatbridge - Alexander Dalziel aged 34, Catherine Dalziel aged 36, Joseph Dalziel aged 15, Elizabeth Dalziel aged 11, Ellen Dalziel aged 8, James Dalziel aged 6, Alexander Dalziel aged 3 and Hugh Dalziel aged 4 months. Alexander's Pension was awarded to his father Alexander of 64 Deedes St, Airdrie on the 25/09/1916.

Born / Resided

Coatbridge / Coatbridge.

Died

Killed in Action on the 21/01/1916 at the Attack on Hanna (part of the efforts to relieve Kut)

Enlisted

Airdrie 1914

Employed

Victoria Iron Works.

Age

27 / DOB - 1888

Buried / Remembered

Basra Memorial (Panel 25 and 63), Iraq.

Cemetery / Memorial Information

The Basra Memorial commemorates more than 40,500 members of the Commonwealth forces who died in the operations in Mesopotamia from the Autumn of 1914 to the end of August 1921 and whose graves are not known.

Additional Information

The Battalion arrived at Bareilly, India in August 1914 and were part of the 21st (Bareilly) Brigade in 7th (Meerut) Division. On the 21/09/1914 they moved to France, landing at Marseilles on the 12/10/1914. Alexander arrived in France on the 08/04/1915. In December 1915 they moved to Mesopotamia, landing at Basra on the 31/12/1915. The formation was by now renamed 21st Indian Brigade, 7th Indian Division. The Battle of Hanna (part of the siege of Kut-al-Amara) - By the 20th of January the British 7th Division was beginning to resemble a shadow of the army formation that had set out just two weeks earlier. Heavy casualties, combined with sickness and the pace of the march, meant that many of its Battalions were below half strength. The 2nd Battalion Black Watch seems to have suffered particularly badly, especially in numbers of wounded and killed, and could only muster some 250 effective soldiers for the battle to come. No longer were the soldiers of the 7th Division facing raw and frightened troops, now they were facing veterans of the Gallipoli Front. The British artillery opened up a barrage on the 20th which continued throughout the day and the following morning. At seven minutes past eight on the morning of the 21st the 2nd Black Watch surged forward from their trenches towards the Turkish lines, just as the artillery barrage lifted. The 2nd Battalion did manage to take the Turkish trenches to their front, despite enduring a hail of bullets as they advanced. Casualties on the 21/01/1916 according to the Battalion War Diary were - 2 Officers Killed, 3 Wounded, 1 Missing, 21 Other Ranks Killed, 57 Wounded, 79 Missing. SEE PHOTOS x 21 FOR THE BATTALION WAR DIARY JANUARY 1916. Alexander was reported missing on the 21/01/1916 but his death was not confirmed until November 1917. Alexander's death notice in the Coatbridge Leader on the 01/12/1917 was inserted by his 3 sisters. He is also remembered on the Trinity Parish Church Roll of Honour (see photos). See photos for Alexander's Medal Index Card, his CWGC Grave Registration, his name on the Basra Memorial Panel List, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls x 2, his name on the Basra Memorial, the Black Watch Cap Badge, Alexander's Pension Records x 2, the CWGC Basra Memorial Roll of Honour x 3 and Alexander's name in the CWGC Basra Memorial Roll of Honour. Finally, see photos for Newspaper clippings x 2 (Coatbridge Leader x 1 and Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser x 1).

Photos
Alexander Dalziel Medal Index CardAlexander Dalziel newspaper clippingAlexander Dalziel newspaper clippingAlexander Dalziel remembered at homeAlexander Dalziel remembered at homeAlexander Dalziel remembered at homeAlexander Dalziel remembered at homeAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photoAlexander Dalziel additional photo

War Diaries

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

Creative Commons License

We have made this information and the images available under a Creative Commons BY-NC license. This means you may reuse it for non-commercial purposes only and must attribute it to us using the following statement: © coatbridgeandthegreatwar.com

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