Pte Philip McInnes

[Kev Searching]

Hi looking for help or advice, this is my first venture into military research.
My g.uncle Private Philip Mcinnes 1st/5th bn Argyll and Southern Highlanders sn S/25510 died of wounds 14th October 1918 France. I found he is remembered with honour at Tyne Cot memorial but not where he died or is buried. Any advice on how to search for these facts would be greatly appreciated.

Kev 

[nanny jan]

The fact that he is on Tyne Cot means that his body was not found so there is no grave.

Around 70% of WW1 records were lost in the Blitz in WW2 so his record might have been lost. Some records are available on FindMyPast and Ancestry.

The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders museum might be able to provide some general background information for you.

[ev]

Found this -
34th Division , 103rd Infantry Brigade , Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders , 1/5th Battalion.
The Final Advance In Flanders - Battle Of Courtrai - 14/10/1918

The offensive began at 5:35 a.m. on 14 October

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Courtrai_(1918)


ev

[dowdstree]

I have just checked on Ancestry for you and unfortunately his service records are amongst those destroyed in the Blitz as nanny jan pointed out.

However, his Register of Soldiers Effects has survived and is on Ancestry. Not a lot of information except the money he accrued and who claimed it. If you would like more information please PM me.

Dorrie

[dowdstree]

Mean to add that Philip is also remembered in the Scottish National War Memorial Book of Remembrance at Edinburgh Castle.

Dorrie

[MaxD]

"Died of wounds" is usually associated with a death in a medical facility and a burial.  The Soldiers' Effects register has "in action" which is more consistent with a death for which no burial place is found.

The action of 14 Oct 1918 took place essentially along the line of the Ypres to Menin road, starting, as far as 1/5 A&SH were concerned, at  a position that the war diary describes as "1500 yards behind Geluveld".  The area on the map at:
https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=14&lat=50.85076&lon=3.02656&layers=101464909&right=BingHyb

70 casualties in the battalion were suffered that day.

MaxD

[ev]

A Stirling teenager who had been in France for only three months was reported to have died on October 14, 1918, from wounds received in action. Pte Philip McInnes, was the second son of Mr and Mrs G McInnes, 6 Bayne Street, Stirling. The private was two months short of his 19th birthday and enlisted in January, 1918. He was before employed at the parcels office of Caledonian Railway Company, Stirling. 'Billy', as he was known by his chums, was a former member of 4th Stirling Boys' Brigade. His older brother in France with the Army Service Corp.

https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Dead+after+three+months-a0561305747

Also 2 matches on the War Memorial Register -
https://astreetnearyou.org/person/833925/Private-Philip-Mcinnes


ev

[Kev Searching]

Thanks for all the help everyone it is greatly appreciated.