Thomas O'Hare

The Battalion arrived at Boulogne on the 23/11/1915 and were part of the 97th Brigade, 32nd Division. On the 22/02/1918 they became the Pioneer Battalion in the same Division. The 16th (Service) Battalion (2nd Glasgow), which was formed from former members of the Glasgow Battalion of the Boys Brigade and was known as the Glasgow Boys Brigade Battalion is particularly remembered for an incident at the Frankfurt trench at the Battle of the Ancre, the last offensive of the Battle of the Somme, where around 60 men of "D" company were surrounded and cut off behind enemy lines. Relief attempts failed, but the men of the Frankfurt trench refused to surrender. After refusing to surrender, the Germans stormed the trench and found only 15 wounded men alive, three of whom died soon afterwards. This was part of the First Battles of the Somme, 21st March - 5th April 1918 : After transferring very large forces from the now-collapsed Eastern Front, the German Army commits to a series of large-scale offensives. The first, Operation Michael, strikes the British Fifth and Third Armies. A deep advance is made and inflicts large losses, although the second phase, Operation Mars, at Arras on the 28th March, is soon held. In the crisis, the Allies decide at Doullens to appoint French General Foch as co-ordinator, and soon enough, as Generalissimo. Before enough French and British reserves are finally assembled to hold the German advance before it captures the critical railway junctions at Amiens. Thomas is listed as 3rd BATTALION on the Coatbridge Memorial. See photos for Thomas' Medal Index Card, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls, his CWGC Grave Registration x 2, his Headstone Report, Thomas' Pension Record, Berles New Military Cemetery, the Highland Light Infantry Cap Badge and the 16th (Service) Battalion marching along Charing Cross into Sauchiehall St, Glasgow on their return home in 1918. Finally, if you would like to see the Battalions History this book is the History of the 17th (Service) Battalion (same record as the 16th) - https://ia800306.us.archive.org/29/items/17thHLI00glasuoft/17thHLI00glasuoft.pdf