London Scottish 1913-14:

The Club 1st XV assembled before the match against the United Services

BACK ROW Private J Ross (London Scottish Regiment):

Killed November 1 1914, Messines. Won 5 Scotland caps. A Fettes boy before moving to London where he worked on the Stock Exchange. Capped between 1901 and 1903 while his brother Edward played in 1904. Captained London Scottish for two seasons. Joined the London Scottish Regiment as a Private and, like many, lost at the Messines Ridge action near Ypres.

Captain A B S Legate (Cameron Highlanders):

Believed Wounded. Virtually nothing is known of this club member who was reported wounded during the War but failed to return to the club or, as far as anybody knows, the country.

Brigadier R M Scobie KBE CB MC. (Royal Engineeers):

Wounded. 3 Scotland caps. Career soldier who survived World War 1 – including a spell as a POW, and rose through the ranks to command 70th Infantry Division in World War 2 seeing action at Tobruk and Greece, while he also spent a period as the troops commander in Malta when it was being blockaded. One of Churchill’s Lions in the book of that name written in praise of his military commanders.

Captain I M Moffatt-Pender (Seaforth Highlanders, RAF):

Wounded, 1 cap. Ian McAllister Moffatt-Pender began with the Seaforth Highlanders but then trained as a pilot with 45 squadron and was involved in one notable incident. Having shot down one German plane, he received machine gun wounds to his back and passed out. His observer William Smith DCM MC climbed along the fusalage as the plane went into a spin and pulled the control lever up and then slapped Moffatt-Pender back into consciousness after which the Scot successfully landed the plane to their mutual relief.

Major A M Jackson MC (Royal Engineers):

Died April 27 1917, at Béthune. Alexander McLean Jackson was a Newfoundler of Scottish extraction, nicknamed ‘Newfie’ but wasn’t actually a club member and is not listed on their War Memorial. Tended to play his rugby for RMA Woolwich but, for whatever reason, he clearly lined up against United Services in what is believed to be his only game for the Exiles.

Brigadier C R M Hutcheson DSO & Bar MC & Bar (Royal Field Artillery):

Wounded 1914–18, Killed April 29 1943, North Africa. Colin Ross Marshall Hutcheson survived four years on the Western Front, a very considerable achievement and fought again on the front line in WW2 where he was killed during the Desert campaign.

Lieutenant J L Huggan (Royal Army Medical Corps):

Died September 16 1914 at Chemin des Dames. Won one Scotland cap. Talented wing who had starred in the Calcutta Cup match at Inverleith just a couple of months earlier. John Huggan was an Edinburgh medical graduate and surgeon whose outstanding bravery and courage in difficult circumstances are recounted elsewhere on these pages.

FRONT ROW Brigadier G C Gowlland (Royal Engineers):

Wounded. Won seven Scotland caps. Yet another product of Fettes, Gowlland enjoyed a far flung War serving in France and Belgium before being invalided home after being gassed. He recovered to serve in the Middle East and Africa where he served in Egypt and on the Darfur Expedition in Sudan in 1916, followed by Hedjaz the following year and operations in the Natse mountains.

Captain E A Kinross, (London Scottish Regiment and York & Lancaster Regiment):

Very little is known about this member other than he appears to have survived the War unscathed but did not resume playing in peace time.

Lieutenant General C M Usher DSO OBE Légion d’Honneur, Croix de Guerre (Gordon Highlanders):

Wounded, PoW. Won 16 caps between 1912 and 1922 and was one of just three players – Jock Wemyss and Alex Angus being the others – who won Scotland caps either side of the war.

Spent four years as a prisoner of war in the Great War and had no intentions of suffering the same fate in WW2. After playing a notable part in resisting German Panzers at Bergues, retreated to Dunkirk in 1940 where, at the age of 50, he swam out repeatedly before eventually being evacuated.

Captain L Robertson (Cameron Highlanders):

Killed November 3 1914, at Ypres. Won 9 Scotland caps. Lewis Robertson was a pupil at Fettes before becoming a career soldier, going through Sandhurst before joining the Cameron Highlanders in 1903. Had the reputation of being the toughest man on a rugby field with the possible exception of Bedell-Sivright. On the day he was killed, he had already been shot through the shoulder but insisted on rejoining the fray after his wound was dressed before he was again wounded, this time mortally.

Major R D Robertson (Gordon Highlanders):

Wounded, POW. 1 cap. A resourceful canny Anglo-Scot who was serving as the club secretary as well as playing in 1914. Wounded a hand in the retreat from Mons in 1914 but manged to convince his captors that he was seriously wounded and needed to be repatriated by aggravating the wound by covering it in frozen snow causing it to swell and go blue. As soon as he was repatriated returned to the fray in Gallipoli and the Middle East.

Lieutenant W A Stewart (RAMC)

Wounded, 4 caps. A true son of Empire, born in Tasmania to Scottish parents, ‘Bill’ Stewart had made a sensational start to his international career, scoring eight tries in his first four international appearances – three on debut against France in 1913 and four against Ireland the following year and another for good measure against Wales. Scotland won all four Tests he played in. Appeared to return to Australia directly after the War.

SEATED Squadron Leader A W Symington MC (Kings Royal Rifle Corps and RAF):

Wounded. 2 Scotland caps. Archibald William Symington was a lock for both Cambridge University and Scotland who survived World War 1 but was killed during World War 2. One of a remarkable 1,094 Fettes College Old Boys who served during the Great War.

Captain D M Bain (Gordon Highlanders)

Killed March 6 1915 Festubert. Former Scotland captain who won 11 caps. David Mclaren Bain seemed to excel at everything he turned his hand to and won four Rugby Blues at Oxford and represented the University at cricket and shooting. Was about to join the Egypt Civil Service on the eve of War but instead joined the Gordon Hiighlanders. Was killed by a shell wound having also been injured by shellfire two months earlier at Neuve Chapelle.