Charles (Charlie) Cairns Harrison

Killed in Action on the 25/09/1915 on the opening day of the Battle of Loos

Charles (Charlie) and the Battalion arrived at Boulogne on the 10/05/1915 and were part of the 26th Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division. The opening day of The Battle of Loos, 25/09/1915 : 07.05 - noon : The 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. The 8th Black Watch came up from reserve to reinforce, but suffered grievous casualties from fire from Mad Point. By now it had become clear that failure on their left meant that the Brigade could not continue, and instead it had to prepare against counterattack, while under continuous enemy shellfire. Auchy area : The attack of the 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 6 FOR THE BATTALION WAR DIARY SEPTEMBER 1915. Scottish Regiments lost a huge amount of brave men at Loos. Here is a list of Infantry Battalions who lost (killed, wounded, missing) 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. Charles was 1 of 99 men from the Coatbridge Memorial who fell during and from injuries from the Battle of Loos. I personally placed a Poppy Cross at his Grave in July 2023. It reads "REMEMBERED BY JOHN McCANN, FELLOW COATBRIDGE MAN" (see Main Grave Photo and photos for the Cross before I left for France). Charles is listed as 18th BATTALION on the Coatbridge Memorial. See Directory for Charles' elder brother Guardsman Samuel Harrison's page. The Weekly News Newspaper of the 20/07/1918 carried a story about a man called Harrison taking on 80 Germans single-handed. The Coatbridge Leader gave this some prominence on the 07/09/1918. This was almost 3 years after Charles' death (see Newspaper clippings). He is also remembered in the St. Augustine's Parish (book) Roll of Honour. Charles was reburied in Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery (see photos). See photos for Charles' Medal Index Card, his CWGC Grave Registration x 2, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, his Headstone report x 2, his Service Medal and Award Rolls x 2, the Black Watch Cap Badge and Charles and his brother Samuel's Pension Records x 3. Charles' grave inscription reads "EVER REMEMBERED". Finally, SEE NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS x 5. THESE TELL THE STORY OF CHARLES AND HOW HE TOOK ON AROUND 80 GERMANS BEFORE BEING KILLED. A SUPREME ACT OF BRAVERY BY THIS HEROIC YOUNG MAN FROM THE IRON BURGH, PHOTOS x 21 FROM THE 9th (SCOTTISH) DIVISION BOOK SEPTEMBER 1915, 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) and the 9th (Scottish) Division Order of Battle x 12 (the Division he was with when he died).