James Donaldson

Killed in Action on the 22/08/1917 at Zillebeke during the 3rd Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele)

The 46th Brigade was part of the 14th (Light) Division and went to France in May 1915. The Division took part in the Battle of Langemarck, 16th - 18th August 1917 and James was Killed in Action at Zillebeke when the Division took part in action on the 22/08/1917. These were phases of the 3rd Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele), 31st July - 10th November 1917 : The British finally got what they had wanted since 1914, the opportunity to attack at Ypres and breakout of the confines of the salient of trenches around it. Often known as the Third Battle of Ypres or Passchendaele, the offensive began with encouraging gains but terrible summer weather soon bogged it down. By August the offensive was clearly failing in its objectives and had descended into attritional fighting. New techniques by both sides led to agonisingly slow forward movement for the British, at enormous cost in casualties to both sides. Bad weather in October led to the battlefield becoming an impossible quagmire. SEE PHOTOS x 18 FOR THE ROYAL FIELD ARTILLERY 46th BRIGADE WAR DIARY MAY - AUGUST 1917. Nearly two-thirds of the burials in The Huts Cemetery are of gunners as many artillery positions existed nearby. Main grave photo kindly donated by my friends Jimmy Lang and Dennis Beck after a trip to France and Belgium in April 2024. See photos for James' Medal Index Card, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls, his CWGC Grave Registration x 2, his Headstone Report x 2, James' Pension Records x 3, map of Ypres area 1917, The Huts Cemetery and the Royal Field Artillery Cap Badge. James' Grave inscription reads "UNTIL THE DAY DAWNS". Finally, see Newspaper clippings x 2 (Coatbridge Express x 1 and Coatbridge Leader x 1). The clippings contain a letter sent home to James' family from an Officer in Belgium, another photo of James' Grave and the 14th (Light) Division Order of Battle x 14 (the Division James was with when he died).