Pte. James McDonald of 1st Batt. Royal Scots Fusiliers

[Dollshouse31]

I have been researching my late husband's Great Uncle, James McDonald.  I knew nothing about him except he was from Glasgow and  had been killed in WW1. I found his service record and now know his rank and regiment. He was missing on 26.9.17 and then killed In Action on the same date.  From this site, I learnt that 122 men from the same regiment were killed on this date at the Battle of Polygon Wood.  I want to find his grave site/memorial but can't find him on cwgc?

[garstonite]

is this him ?
Private J McDonald
service number 202205
date of death 26/09/1917
Gordon Highlanders
age 21
TYNE COT MEMORIAL
Panel 135 to136

just checked - CWCG have this man as John ??...could they have made a mistake ??

[Dollshouse31]

Hi!  Thanks for your reply.  Forgot to put on Pte. McDonald's regimental no: 32520.  He was definitely 1st Batt. Royal Scots Fusiliers.

[DavidGreenall110]

Is this your man?

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead.aspx?cpage=1


MACDONALD, JAMES    
Private: 32520
Died: 26/09/1917
Regiment: Royal Scots Fusiliers
TYNE COT MEMORIAL - Panel 60 to 61

David

David

[Dollshouse31]

Yes, David that sounds like him!  When I try and look it up on CWGC I don't get any results?
What am I doing wrong?  Do you know where this memorial is?
Thank you for your help.  It is much appreciated.

[DavidGreenall110]

I tried spelling it with an extra "A", as I've learnt over the past few years it sometimes pays with these things to try different spellings, as it depended on the person filling the forms out or transcribing how names were written down.

As for Tyne Cot, it's a very beautiful but sobering place to visit just between Passendale and Zonnebeke in Belgium. There's about 12,000 (about 8,000 of them unknown!) graves and a wall that's dedicated to the missing with around 35,000 names on it, that's where you'll find James on either Panel 60 or 61.

David

[km1971]

Here is a link to the cemetery - http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/85900/TYNE%20COT%20MEMORIAL

Ken

[Dollshouse31]

Thank you so much for memorial information.  I have looked up Tyne Cot and it does look serene! I would like to visit one day as I don't think anyone else in the family has. 

Now I'm wondering how I can find out how James was killed?  I think 122 men from RSF were killed on that day?  Is that sort of information available?

[DavidGreenall110]

The War Diary for the Battalion would be your best bet, £3.50 to download from the National Archives, link for it below:

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C7352079

It covers 1916 to 1919.

David