William Ashwood

Died of shrapnel wounds on the 18/07/1915 one hour after receiving them at La Quinque Rue, east of Festubert

The Battalion arrived at Boulogne on the 12/05/1915 and were part of the 28th Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division. According to William's Medal Index Card he landed in France on the 13/05/1915. On the 26th June 1915 orders were received by the Division to relieve the 7th Division in the line near Festubert, and accordingly the 26th and 27th Brigades took over the front line on the nights of the 1st and 2nd of July. The 28th Brigade were in reserve. This was the 1st occasion on which the Division was responsible for a section of the front line , which it held east of Festubert until the 18th August, and during this period all ranks became acquainted with the trials of trench warfare. From the end of the Battles of Ypres and Festubert in May 1915 until the September opening of the Battle of Loos and the French attacks in Champagne, there was no general change in the situation on the Western Front. It was a period of static warfare, where the army suffered average losses of 300 men a day from sniping and shellfire, while they continued to gradually improve and consolidate the trenches. SEE PHOTOS x 8 FOR THE BATTALION WAR DIARY JULY 1915 (William's name is mentioned in photo 8). William left an undated Will leaving "whole property and effects" to his sister Mrs Halliday of 335 Bank St, Coatbridge. William was wounded on the side by shrapnel and died one hour later. He was just over 2 months in France. He was a reservist who fought in the South African campaign. WILLIAM IS THE OLDEST MAN REMEMBERED ON THE COATBRIDGE MEMORIAL TO FALL IN THE GREAT WAR. He is also remembered in the St. Augustine's Parish (book) Roll of Honour. See photos for William's Medal Index Card, his Newspaper clipping, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls x 2, his CWGC Grave Registration x 2, his Headstone Report x 2, Le Touret Military Cemetery and the Highland Light Infantry Cap Badge. Finally, see photos for Newspaper clippings x 4 (Coatbridge Express x 2 and Coatbridge Leader x 2), William's Poppy Cross before I left for France in July 2023, Poppy Cross placed at his grave by myself in July 2023 and another 2 photos of William's grave. SEE PHOTOS FOR 10 FROM THE 9th (SCOTTISH) DIVISION BOOK FROM THEIR ARRIVAL IN FRANCE IN MAY 1915 TO AUGUST 1915, the 9th (Scottish) Division Order of Battle (the Division he was with when he died) and another grave photo kindly donated by my friend in France, Thierry Dericbourg.