Heroin linefor military honour

A former Stirling man learned he had been recommended for a top military honour.

Cpl Hugh Barrie, Rough Rider, 8th Battalion Royal Engineers, was 100 years ago this week home on furlough after being discharged from hospital near Edinburgh.

He heard from his commanding officer his name had been put forward for the DCM for gallantry in France, especially when badly wounded.

Cpl Barrie had been in France for almost eight months after joining the Colours in August, 1914. A native of Ayrshire, he was brought up in Stirling and his parents lived at 36 Broad Street.

Before enlisting, he was employed as a wood carter near Luss and was living at Bonhill. On joining up, he was put in charge of transport.

The Observer told how at the end of February, while serving in France, he was bringing up munitions and rations by horse to the firing line and was wounded by shrapnel in the stomach and in five places in the leg and back.

Despite his injuries he remained on his horse but was blown into a quarry when an enemy mine exploded near him. The 90ft fall killed his horse and his wagon was smashed. He sustained a fractured pelvis and other injuries.

Cpl Barrie lay for 17 hours in the quarry before he was rescued by two French soldiers. He was unconscious for seven days in a Calais Hospital and, said the Observer, “it was only his strong constitution that pulled him round”.

When leaving Calais for Bangour Hospital, near Edinburgh, the regimental band played him to the boat as a recognition of his gallantry, and he was carried shoulder high by his comrades.

He was later discharged from hospital and at time of writing, was home with his family.

Cpl Barrie’s war was not, however, over. He was due to leave within a few days for Serbia.