Duncan Baillie likeness

Duncan Baillie cap badgeRifleman Duncan Baillie

16th (Service) Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps (Church Lads Brigade)
Service No: C/1193

Duncan Baillie grave

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Personal details

Family Information

Son of Duncan McFarlane (14/01/1860-25/03/1942) and Catherine Hamilton Baillie (1863-1929) of 5 Alexander St, Coatbridge. Brother of Agnes Baillie (1894- ), William Baillie (1899- ), Margaret Hamilton Baillie (1903-1986). From the 1901 Census - Address - 135a Sunnyside Rd, Coatbridge - Duncan Baillie aged 41, Catherine Baillie aged 37, Agnes Baillie aged 7, Duncan Baillie aged 4, William Baillie aged 2. Duncan's Pension was awarded to his mother Catherine on the 12/01/1917.

Born / Resided

Coatbridge / 5 Alexander St, Coatbridge.

Died

Killed in Action (Bullet Wound) on the 07/01/1916 at Harley Street trench (road through Cambrin Village)

Enlisted

Coatbridge Town Hall 03/01/1915

Employed

Engineer in Sunnyside Engineering Works, Coatbridge.

Age

19

Buried / Remembered

Woburn Abbey Cemetery (I. D. 17), Cuinchy, Pas de Calais, France.

Cemetery / Memorial Information

Cuinchy remained during almost the whole of the war within range of German guns, and the cemeteries in the commune were made, so far as British troops are concerned, by fighting units and Field Ambulances. Woburn Abbey Cemetery was named from a house on the East side of it used as Battalion Headquarters and as a Dressing Station. It was begun by the Royal Berkshire Regiment in June 1915 and closed in January 1916 on account of its exposed situation, but a few further burials were made as late as April 1918. Plots II to V were added after the Armistice by the concentration of graves from the battlefields East of Bethune. There are now over 550, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, nearly half are unidentified and special memorials are erected to three soldiers from the United Kingdom known or believed to be buried among them.

Additional Information

Duncan and the Battalion arrived in Le Havre on the 17/11/1915 and were part of the 100th Brigade, 33rd Division. In November 1915 the Division received a warning order to prepare to sail for France, but the original artillery and Train would not accompany it; instead, it would receive the artillery that had been raised for and trained with the 54th (East Anglian) Division. The move began on the 12th November and by the 21st November all units had reached the concentration area near Morbecque. Soon after arrival the Division was considerably strengthened by the exchange of 98th Brigade for the experienced 19th Brigade from 2nd Division, and other changes. Duncan was Killed in Action on the 07/01/1916 just 51 days after arriving in France. The Battalion War Diary for that date states : "Work on trenches continuous - up and down traffic being arranged for by clearing trenches, also cross communication CUINCHY SUPPORT POINT, STAFFORD REDOUBT, BRADDELL'S KEEP + HARLEY ST being strengthened. Enemy snipers very active again. Also RIFLE GRENADES". SEE PHOTOS x 10 FOR THE BATTALION WAR DIARY FROM NOVEMBER 1915 - JANUARY 1916 (from Duncan's arrival in France to his death). Duncan was a highly respected Church Worker and member of the Church Lads Brigade. See Newspaper clippings for the Reverend Archibald Chisholm's tribute from the pulpit of the Middle United Free Church. Duncan is also remembered on the Middle United Free Church and the Parish of St. John's Rolls of Honour (see photos). See photos for Duncan's Medal Index Card, Army Register of Soldiers Effects, Service Medal and Award Rolls, CWGC Grave Registration x 2, Headstone Report x 2, Woburn Abbey Cemetery, the King's Royal Rifle Corps Cap Badge and Duncan's Pension Records x 2. Duncan's grave inscription reads "FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS". Finally. see photos for Newspaper clippings x 6 (Coatbridge Express x 4 and Coatbridge Leader x 2), pages from the 33rd Division book x 8 and the 33rd Division Order of Battle x 14 (the Division he was with when he died).

Photos
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War Diaries

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

Creative Commons License

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