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genealogy of the Bird and Musgrove families
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James Walker Sandeman

Male 1893 - 1917


 

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James Walker Sandeman (1893 - 1917)

Served with the Royal Scots Fusiliers and was killed many miles from home, in Palestine.

James was 7 years old when he appeared on the 1901 census living in a terraced house on Drummond Street, Muthill, with his parents and seven siblings, including two under the age of three. It must have been cramped to say the least !

There is no evidence that he married.  We do, however, know from the publication "Soldiers Died in the Great War" that he was residing in Dailly, Ayreshire just before he enlisted to serve in The Great War for the army in Ayr.

Although his service record is presumed destroyed, it seems more than likely that he was fighting in The Second Battle of Gaza in Palestine when he died.  The attack on Gaza began on the morning of 17th April with a bombardment of the city of Gaza's fortifications, which it is estimated contained between 20 - 25,000 of Ottoman forces.  The First Battle of Gaza, six months earlier, had been a "fiasco" after we withdrew on the verge of victory.  Since then the fortifications had been strengthened. 

On the morning of the 19th, as the infantry attack was about to commence, we fired gas shells for the first time.  Well aware that a large attack was about to take place, the defence was ready.  The advance started at 7.15 a.m. and "all along the front the infantry were brought to a halt well short of their objectives while suffering heavy casualties from shrapnel shells and machine gun fire. .... The battle was a disasterous defeat for the British.  They made no progress, inflicted little damage and sufferered heavy casualties that they could not easily afford.  The main losses were, once again, amongst the British infantry who were called upon to attack the strongest position." (Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_Gaza).  In particular, the 4th Battalion Scots Fusiliers suffered very heavy casualties while attacking Middlesex Hill and this was possibly where James died.

The Commonwealth War Grave at The Jerusalem Memorial says :

SANDEMAN, JAMES

Rank: Serjeant

Service No: 241169

Date of Death: 19/04/1917

Regiment/Service: Royal Scots Fusiliers

Panel Reference Panel 18

Memorial JERUSALEM MEMORIAL

 

James was just 24 when he died.

 

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

 


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