Family bid for war hero

Relatives seek records for confirmation as gunner from Dundee still not recognised as a casualty of the First World War

One hundred years after the Battle of Passchendaele, Gunner Frank Johnston from Dundee, who is believed to have been mortally injured there, is still not recognised as a casualty of the war.

His great nephew Douglas Norrie from near Arbroath is now trying to find documentary evidence to correct this.

Mr Norrie discovered the anomaly while researching the role his grandfather and his grandfather’s four brothers played in the war.

Gunner Francis (Frank) Johnston, who was born in 1893, is believed to have been wounded in Flanders in 1917 and he endured a prolonged death in November 1919 in a private nursing home in Dundee as a result of his injuries.

The family have been unable to provide sufficient independent corroboration that he died directly of his war wounds as his army records have not survived.

Mr Norrie said: “I discovered that Dundee War Pensions Committee paid a grant towards Frank’s funeral and thought that would be sufficient corroboration, however it seems not.

“The National Army Museum does now accept that he was in the army and served overseas and they say they are willing to review their decision if new evidence becomes available.

“He was remembered on the War Memorial at Hawkhill Church in Dundee but the church and the war memorial are now long gone.

“Possibly all the records have been destroyed long ago but I do wonder if there are some dusty forgotten old records lying around somewhere that might relate to Frank’s medical condition and treatment.

“I do think he should be properly recognised as a casualty of the Great War, but I think this recognition can only come from new information from as yet untapped sources to support this.”

Of the five Johnston brothers, four were artillerymen and the fifth, John, was an army doctor.

David and Frank were both with the Royal Garrison Artillery and their batteries of large long range howitzers were deployed at corps level and primarily used to attack specific enemy targets, particularly enemy artillery.

Walter and Peachy served in the Royal Field Artillery with their respective brigades being attached to infantry divisions and their smaller, portable field guns being used to support infantry.

Mr Norrie said: “Most records of officers and all the records for RAMC officers were destroyed in the Blitz and so there seem to be no surviving records for Walter, Peachy or John, but my own grandfather David’s records are now available online.