15262 Private
1st Battalion King’s Own Scottish Borderers, 87th Infantry Brigade, 29th Division
Age: 28
Date of Death: 11.4.18
Buried: (Royal) Berkshire Corner Memorial Panel 5
Family history: Youngest son of Helen Waugh, and of the late James Waugh, Smith Buildings, Main Street, Carronshore. He had four brothers and a sister. He was employed as a moulder in Mungal Foundry, Carron before he enlisted in September 1914. He landed in France on 10 July 1915 and joined his regiment in the field.
The action leading to his death
Operation Georgette, to the Germans, or the Battle of the Lys to the British, opened on 9 April 1918. This was a large scale battle with a front line of some 37km’s that stretched from the La Bassee Canal almost to the gates of Ypres. Casualties on the British and commonwealth side totalled 82,000 dead, wounded, missing or taken prisoner.
The British First Army made an urgent request to GHQ for reserves and the 2nd Army, holding the Salient, sent the 29th Division to the Neuf Berquin with both the 87th and 88th Brigades arriving in the area by bus on the 10 April.
(Linesman Map)
The 1st KOSB War Diary records that they arrived in Neuf Berquin at 11am and remained in their billets until 5pm. During the day a German plane was brought down by fire from ‘D’ Company Lewis gun. Shortly after 5pm the battalion moved off to take up defensive positions between Estaires and Steenwerck. At 6am on the 11 April the Germans attacked in overwhelming force with ’B’, ’C’, and ’D’ company's facing the onslaught and ‘A’ company in reserve. With the units on the right falling back these three company’s were surrounded and the remnants of the division were compelled to mount a fighting retreat.
Casualties in the battalion were 3 Officers killed, 7 wounded, 5 missing. Other Ranks 17 killed, 207 wounded, 243 missing.
Medals Awarded
1915 Star, The British War Medal, Victory Medal.
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