Thomas Johnston likeness

Thomas Johnston cap badgePrivate Thomas Johnston

2nd Battalion Highland Light Infantry
Service No: 21569

Thomas Johnston grave

88

2

4

0

6
Click here for a frameable A4 print
Personal details

Family Information

Son of Thomas (28/04/1858 - 15/10/1928) and Wilhelmina (Mina) Johnston (24/10/1860 - 09/02/1930) of 29 Cameron Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, Canada previously 38 Dunbeth Rd, Coatbridge. From the 1891 Census - Address - 74 Jackson St, Coatbridge - Thomas Johnston aged 32, Wilhelmina Johnston aged 26, Lizzie Johnston aged 9, Peter B Johnston aged 8, Mary Johnston aged 6, Thomas Johnston aged 4, Andrew Johnston aged 2, James Johnston aged 2 months. From the 1901 Census - Address - Portland St, Coatbridge - Thomas Johnston aged 44, Mina Johnston aged 39, Lizzie Johnston aged 20, Peter B Johnston aged 18, Mary Johnston aged 16, Thomas Johnston aged 14, Andrew Johnston aged 12, James Johnston aged 20, Archibald Johnston aged 8, Maggie Johnston aged 6, William Johnston aged 3, boarders Percy Guiness aged 28, Belinda Guiness aged 26, George Guiness aged 11 months. Thomas' Pension was awarded to his mother Wilhelmina of 38 Dunbeth Rd, Coatbridge on the 02/06/1917.

Born / Resided

Coatbridge / 38 Dunbeth Rd, Coatbridge

Died

Killed in Action on the 31/07/1916 at the Battle of Delville Wood (part of the Battles of the Somme)

Enlisted

Coatbridge /03/1916

Employed

16 and a half years in the Office of the Sunnyside Engineering Works (Lamberton and Company).

Age

29

Buried / Remembered

Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France

Cemetery / Memorial Information

The memorial commemorates more than 72,000 men of British and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave, the majority of whom died during the Somme offensive of 1916. On the high ground overlooking the Somme River in France, where some of the heaviest fighting of the First World War took place, stands the Thiepval Memorial. Towering over 45 metres in height, it dominates the landscape for miles around. It is the largest Commonwealth memorial to the missing in the world. On 1 July 1916, supported by a French attack to the south, 13 divisions of Commonwealth forces launched an offensive on a line from north of Gommecourt to Maricourt. Despite a preliminary bombardment lasting seven days, the German defences were barely touched and the attack met unexpectedly fierce resistance. Losses were catastrophic and with only minimal advances on the southern flank, the initial attack was a failure. In the following weeks, huge resources of manpower and equipment were deployed in an attempt to exploit the modest successes of the first day. However, the German Army resisted tenaciously and repeated attacks and counter attacks meant a major battle for every village, copse and farmhouse gained. At the end of September, Thiepval was finally captured. The village had been an original objective of 1 July.

Additional Information

The Battalion arrived at Boulogne on the 14/08/1914 and were part of the 5th Brigade, 2nd Division. Thomas was only 11 days in France when he fell at the Battle of Delville Wood, 15th July - 3rd September 1916 : Delville Wood, which is within sight and today and easy walk of High Wood, was also fought over countless times for similar reasons and became a charnel house, choked with the dead of both sides. It is perhaps most remembered for the sustained attack made by the South African Brigade of the 9th (Scottish) Division, a formation which was to all intents and purposes destroyed during its valiant efforts. This was part of the Battles of the Somme, 1st July - 18th November 1916 : the Somme. A Franco-British offensive that was undertaken after Allied strategic conferences in late 1915, but which changed its nature due to the German attack against the French in the epic Battle of Verdun, which lasted from late February to November. Huge British losses on the first day and a series of fiercely-contested steps that became attritional in nature. For all armies on the Western Front it was becoming what the Germans would call "materialschlacht" , a war not of morale, will or even manpower, but of sheer industrial material might. The 15th September 1916 saw the first-ever use of tanks in the step known as the Battle of Flers-Courcelette. The British army in France is now approaching its maximum strength in numbers but is still developing in terms of tactics, technology, command and control. Thomas is listed as 4th BATTALION on the Coatbridge Memorial. He is also remembered on the Coatbridge Technical College, Clifton Church and Maxwell Parish Churches Rolls of Honour (see photos). See photos for Thomas' Medal Index Card, his Newspaper clippings x 2, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his name on the Thiepval Memorial x 2, his Service Medal and Award Rolls, the Highland Light Infantry Cap Badge and Thomas' Pension Records x 2.

Photos
Thomas Johnston Medal Index CardThomas Johnston newspaper clippingThomas Johnston newspaper clippingThomas Johnston remembered at homeThomas Johnston remembered at homeThomas Johnston remembered at homeThomas Johnston remembered at homeThomas Johnston additional photoThomas Johnston additional photoThomas Johnston additional photoThomas Johnston additional photoThomas Johnston additional photoThomas Johnston additional photo

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 Thomas Johnston. Be the first to leave one.

Do you have any information about or memories of Private Thomas Johnston 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.