Family Information
Son of William Arnott and Margaret Johnston Arnott (1850 - 1888) of Bridgend, Bathgate. James' younger brother Private Alexander Arnott of the 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders Died of Wounds on the 25/04/1915 exactly 5 months before his brother. From the 1891 Census - Address - Bridgend, Bathgate - William Arnot aged 41, James Arnot aged 10, Alexander Arnot aged 8, Annie Arnot aged 5.
Additional Information
James and the Battalion arrived at Boulogne on the 13/05/1915 and were part of the 28th Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division. They were attached to the South African Brigade from the 06/05/1915 until the 14/05/1916 when they transferred to the 46th Brigade, 15th (Scottish) Division and amalgamated with 11th (Service) Battalion to form the 10/11th Battalion. The Battle of Loos, 25th September - 15th October 1915 : The first genuinely large scale British offensive action but once again only in a supporting role to a larger French attack in the Third Battle of Artois. British appeals that the ground over which they were being called upon to advance was wholly unsuitable were rejected. The battle is historically noteworthy for the first British use of poison gas. The Battle from 07.05 a.m. till noon - In the centre 9th (Scottish) Division had to attack the formidable obstacle of the Hohenzollern Redoubt and Fosse 8, the high location of the main enemy observation posts looking across the whole battlefield. Preparations had included Russian saps to close the distance to be covered, and effective observed heavy shelling. The lead units of 26th Brigade suffered casualties as they cleared the gas and smoke, but advanced through well-cut wire to quickly take the front face of the Redoubt. At 11.15am the Corps commander gave an order to renew the attack at 12.15pm, and a bombardment opened up, but it was clearly too light to be effective in destroying the defences in front of Auchy. The 9th Scottish Rifles and half of the 11th Highland Light Infantry advanced as ordered and were shot down with considerable loss. Most men did not even reach the German wire. At 1.30pm Brigade halted further attack, and its survivors were reorganised for defence of their original lines. Auchy area : The attack of 9th (Scottish) Division had by mid-morning succeeded in reaching and occupying the enemy trench network around the Hohenzollern Redoubt and Fosse 8, and also Pekin Trench. SEE PHOTOS x 8 FOR THE BATTALION WAR DIARY SEPTEMBER 1915. James was 1 of 99 men from the Coatbridge Memorial who fell during and from injuries from the Battle of Loos. Scottish Regiments lost a huge amount of brave men at Loos. Here is a list of Infantry Battalions who lost more than 500 men at the Battle of Loos from 25/09/1915 to 16/10/1915 - 7th Cameron Highlanders 687, of which 19 Officers, 9th Black Watch 680, of which 20 Officers, 6th King's Own Scottish Borderers 650, of which 20 Officers, 10th Highland Light Infantry 648, of which 20 Officers, 7th King's Own Scottish Borderers 631, of which 20 Officers, 8th Devons 619, of which 19 Officers, 8th Royal West Kents 580, of which 24 Officers, 8th Buffs 558, of which 24 Officers, 12th Highland Light Infantry 553, of which 23 Officers, 8th Black Watch 511, of which 19 Officers, 5th North Staffordshire 505, of which 20 Officers, 8th Seaforth Highlanders 502, of which 23 Officers. James is listed as ARNOTT on the Memorial but ARNOT at Loos Memorial and CWGC and Medal Index Card. Similar to his brother Alexander although Alexanders Headstone says ARNOTT. See Directory for his brother Alexander's page. See photos for James' Medal Index Card, his CWGC Grave Registration, his name on the Loos Memorial Panel List, his name on the Loos Memorial, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls and the Highland Light Infantry Cap Badge. Finally, see photos for a wreath placed by myself at Loos Memorial in July 2023 remembering ALL the men who left from the Iron Burgh who are named there x 2 and one of myself at the Highland Light Infantry Panel (James listed top left). SEE PHOTOS x 21 FOR THE 9th (SCOTTISH) DIVISION BOOK 25/09/1915, SEE PHOTOS FOR 20 PAGES FROM THE MOST UNFAVOURABLE GROUND BOOK REGARDING THE BATTALION and DIVISION 25/09/1915 (fantastic book on the Battle of Loos kindly signed by the author Niall Cherry), the 9th (Scottish) Division Order of Battle (the Division he was with when he died), a Newspaper clipping from the Edinburgh Evening News 22/10/1915, another photo of James' name on the Highland Light Infantry panel of the Loos Memorial (top left) and James' name on the Loos Memorial kindly donated by my friend in France, Thierry Dericbourg.
