Private James Gartland

Private James Gartland

2nd Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers
Service No: 12379

1363

2

4

0

20

Click here for a frameable A4 print

Personal details

Family Information

Son of Thomas (1860 - 23/12/1940) and Mary Ann Gartland (1867 - 12/03/1935) of 116 Burnbank St, Coatbridge. James' elder brother Private William Gartland of the 7th (Service) Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers was Killed in Action on the 27/04/1916. Another brother Edward served with the Royal Scots Fusiliers and survived the war. From the 1901 Census - Address - 1 Monkey Row, Bothwell - Thomas Gartland aged 38, Mary Ann Gartland aged 34, William Gartland aged 13, Edward Gartland aged 9, Mary J Gartland aged 12, James Gartland aged 6, Sarah Gartland aged 4, Francis Gartland aged 1. James had 2 other brothers Thomas born 1902 and Charles born 1904. James and his brother William's Pension was awarded to their father Thomas of 35 Gartgill Square, Coatbridge.

Born / Resided

Carnbroe / 116 Burnbank St, Coatbridge.

Died

Died of Wounds on the 20/04/1915 received during the Capture of Hill 60, Zillebeke

Enlisted

Polmont, Stirlingshire

Employed

Waverley Iron Works.

Age

20 / DOB - 01/01/1895

Buried / Remembered

Poperinghe Old Military Cemetery (II. N. 14), West-Vlaanderen, Belgium

Cemetery / Memorial Information

The town of Poperinghe (now Poperinge) was of great importance during the First World War because, although occasionally bombed or bombarded at long range, it was the nearest place to Ypres (now Ieper) which was both considerable in size and reasonably safe. It was at first a centre for Casualty Clearing Stations, but by 1916 it became necessary to move these units further back and field ambulances took their places. The Old Military Cemetery contains 450 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 24 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to seven casualties known or believed to be buried among them.

Additional Information

The Battalion arrived at Le Havre on the 15/08/1914 and were part of the 13th Brigade, 5th Division. James arrived in France on the 16/03/1915. See photos for the Capture of Hill 60 report detailing actions of the 2nd Battalion and 13th Brigade. General Officers Commanding 5th Division, 13th Infantry Brigade and 15th Infantry Brigade, on the fighting on HILL 60 from the 17th to the 21st April 1915 - "The 13th Infantry Brigade stormed the hill on two occasions; Battalions of the 14th and 15th Infantry Brigades relieved them on the hill and have held on to it ever since, in spite of all the enemy’s efforts to recapture it by fair means or foul. The Battalions which share this glory are the 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, Queen Victoria’s Rifles, 2nd Battalion Cameron Highlanders, and the 1st Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment. The 59th Company Royal Engineers and the 2nd Home Counties Field Company Royal Engineers gave the utmost assistance to their comrades in the Infantry. I wish to record my opinion that the gallantry and endurance displayed by all ranks throughout these operations were beyond all praise. Our Artillery, greatly outnumbered, did all that was possible, with the aid of No.1 Squadron Royal Flying Corps, to assist the Infantry, but they could make little impression on the enemy’s numerous guns and howitzers scattered in concealed positions, and the concentration of hostile artillery fire on the small hill top was intense, continuous and devastating. Our Infantry suffered many casualties also from hand grenades. Soldiers who refuse to be terrified or thrown back by a bombardment of this fury can stand anything. They cannot be beaten. In my opinion the chief lesson to be deduced from this fighting is the importance of training our Infantry to the use of the hand grenade, and the necessity of equipping them with the least possible delay with abundant supplies of the Mills grenade – the most simple and effective grenade yet tested. Another lesson, not new, but again exemplified, is the impossibility of neutralizing the enemy’s guns unless we have an equal or greater number of batteries, inexhaustible supplies of ammunition, and a sufficiency of aerial observers. This last implies a better equipment than we possess at present of aeroplanes fitted with wireless, and of wireless masts, receivers and operators attached to batteries". SEE PHOTOS x 12 FOR THE BATTALION WAR DIARY MARCH - APRIL 1915. See Directory for James' older brother Private William Gartland's page. James is also remembered on the St. Patrick's Church Roll of Honour along with his brothers Edward and William (see Newspaper clippings x 2). See photos for James' Medal Index Card, his CWGC Grave Registration x 2, his Headstone Report, the Capture of Hill 60 report, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls, Poperinghe Old Military Cemetery, James and his elder brother William's Pension Records x 4 and the King's Own Scottish Borderers Cap Badge.

Photos

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

Comments

There are no comments yet for Private James Gartland. Be the first to leave one.

Do you have any information about or memories of Private James Gartland that you would like to share?

Or even if you would just like to leave a message to say you've been here, please leave a comment below.

*Please note that all comments are verified by a moderator before appearing on the site. All fields are required except links to photos.

Your name

Your location

Your comment

Online links to photos (Optional - please put each link on a separate line)

By clicking this checkbox you accept our terms & conditions and acknowledge that any links you provide to photos are your copyright or are out of copyright