Boer War veteran killed at the front
Joined again in 1914
A soldier who had once served as the King’s Bugler was reported killed.
Cpl Samuel Reid, A&SH, died at a casualty clearing station in France.
His wife lived at 20 Lower Castlehill, Stirling.
Cpl Reid, 21, was the son of Colour Sergeant Sam Reid, Union Place, Lennoxtown, who was sergeant at Stirling Castle for several years and well known in Stirling.
Cpl Reid joined the Army aged 14 as a bugler and on the occasion of King George V’s first visit to Ballater in 1911 served as His Majesty’s Bugler. He had been in France for 13 months when he was killed.
His commanding officer Capt Wilson said: “He was badly wounded on the night of July 9 and subsequently died in hospital.
“He was given every attention when wounded and all that was possible was done for him.
“I spoke to him myself before he was carried away and found him cheerful and suffering very little pain.
“He was a splendid soldier and a good example to us all.” Shell burst Another soldier to die was Pte James Lyle, Black Watch, who suffered fatal wounds on June 28 when a shell burst above him. His wife lived in Fallin. Pte Lyle was from Burnbank, where he was well known as a fotballer.
When war broke out the former Fallin miner joined the Highland Cyclist Battalion and was a member of its team which won the Military Cup at Arbroath. Wounded again News reached Bannockburn that Pte Robert Norrie had been wounded for a second time. He joined the Highland Cyclist Battalion but was transferred to the Highland Light Infantry.
A 44-year-old father-ofsix with almost 25 years of Army service was killed in action in France.
Pte JA Buchanan, whose wife lived in Woodside Place, Cambusbarron, rejoined the A&SH after the start of the war and had been in France since May 1915.
He was wounded at the Battle of Loos in September 1915 and sent to England. He returned to France in February 1917 and died at Ypres on July 10.
Pte Buchanan was born into the Army in 1873 at Malta, where his father was serving as bandmaster of the Highland Light Infantry.
He was educated at Royal Caledonian School, London, and entered the Navy in 1887 but was taken out of the Senior Service by the school and a year later enlisted in the Coldstream Guards.
He later switched to the 91st Highlanders and was with them through the South African War, from 1899-1901 and wounded at Paardeberg.
In 1911, after more than 22 years’ service, he was discharged from the Army and worked at the Army Ordnance Deport, Forthside, until war broke out in 1914, when he returned to the Colours.
Pte Buchanan’s commanding officer, writing to his wife, said
At his age he may have found safer employment but he came up to the trenches with the rest of us
he was killed instantly on July 10 and buried behind enemy lines, along with some of his friends in the company, the next night.
“I cannot express my regret at his death nor my admiration for the spirit that led him to it,” the letter continued.
“At his age and with long experience he may well have found employment of a safer nature but he was determined to bear his share in the war and so came up to the trenches with the rest of us, only to meet his death.
“He was a fine soldier and well liked by officers and men alike and I know how great will be the regret of his platoon officer, unfortunately seriously wounded at the same time, when he hears the news.”