How Many Were Left?

After three years of bloody conflict, the First World War on the Western Front again settled into stalemate in the Winter of 1917-1918. As the new year dawned the British offensives at Arras, Ypres, and Cambrai were memories. All eyes now turned to the German offensive all ranks knew was coming. Given the costly fighting of the previous years one would not expect to see veterans of Loos or the Somme still manning front line trenches and preparing for the impending battle. Yet hidden in the war diary of the 9th Scottish Rifles for 4 February, 1918, lies a glimpse inside the makeup of the men who’d fight in the coming year of victory.

NCOs of C Coy, 9th The Cameronians S.R. Feb 1919, Germany – TNB or Thomas Nicholson Banks is identified in the 2nd row – belonged to Thomas Nicholson Banks who served with the 9th Bn The Cameronians S.R. The building in the background is Schloss Benrath, near Dusseldorf.

On that date the 9th Scottish Rifles were in rest billets in the French town of Vaux-Sur-Somme. They paraded in the morning in front of the Commanding Officers of their 9th (Scottish Division) and 27th (Lowland) Brigade. A group of the men were presented medal ribbons. In total the Cameronians of the 9th received:

Military Cross 2.
Bar to Military Medal. 1.
Military Medals. 14.
1914 ‘Star’. 49.
Belgian Croix de Guerre. 3.

49 men were left. 49 of those who had left Hamilton barracks in 1914 as part of Kitchener’s Army, one of the Glasgow or Lanarkshire territorial battalions, or of the two regular battalions who served in France in 1914-15. The 1914 Star was awarded in the Winter of 1917-1918 to those who had served overseas in 1914-15, and the amount awarded to members of the 9th Scottish Rifles gives s a glimpse of the experiences of the battalion, both through the few who remained, and the length of time those 49 had spent at the front with the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) or their original units. There was still another year left to fight, and there would be thousands more men lost until the Armistice the following November. The 9th Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) would be at the forefront fighting during the Spring Offensive, at Mt. Kemmel south of Ypres as part of the Battle of the Lys, and the advance to victory.

1914 Star Medal with bar: 5th Aug to 22nd Nov 1914. Awarded to 9804 Frederick Anderson 1/Scot Rif.

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