Cawdor Churchyard

Quaint little church or what?  Locked, of course.

Serjeant John Macpherson, 17th Bn., Australian Infantry, who died of wounds at one of the Rouen hospitals aged 29, and is buried in the huge extension to St. Sever Cemetery in the centre of the city.  According to the CWGC, his date of death was actually 8th May 1917, although this family headstone says the following day.

Corporal Robert Mackenzie, Machine Gun Corps, killed in action on 20th September 1917 aged 26; his body was never recovered and he is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial.

Corporal Alexander Fraser, Cameron Highlanders, killed in action aged 22 and buried along with just seven other British soldiers – mainly men of the R.G.A. – all of whom died in October 1918, in the communal cemetery at Becquigny, a dozen miles south east of Cambrai.

  

This entry was posted in Highlands, Scotland, U.K. Churches, Memorials & Cemeteries - Back in Blighty. Bookmark the permalink.

4 Responses to Cawdor Churchyard

  1. Morag Sutherland says:

    all over the Highlands and no doubt through out the UK there are grave markers remembering those who fell in foreign lands……and closed churches are pretty common also

  2. Daisy in Indonesia says:

    Hello Magicfingers.

    Our Australian;

    First Name:
    John
    Last Name:
    McPherson
    Mother’s Name:
    Isabella McPherson
    Father’s Name:
    John McPherson
    Date Enlisted:
    Monday, March 8, 1915
    Rank at Enlistment:
    Private
    Rank at Discharge:
    Sergeant
    Unit:
    17th Battalion
    Company:
    B Company
    Service:
    Infantry
    Awards:
    1914/1915 Star
    British War Medal
    Victory Medal
    Date of Death:
    Tuesday, May 8, 1917
    Place of Death:
    France
    Cause of Death:
    Died as a result of Wounds
    Details:
    John McPherson (Service no 746) was born in Nairn, Scotland in 1888.

    At the time of enlistment, John was single, 27 years of age, employed as a labourer, lived in Wollongong, had served 1 year with the Cameron Highlanders and 2 years with the Horse Artillery Territorials before coming to Australia. Was deemed medically unfit in January 1915 but accepted in March 1915. Why?

    John embarked on HMAT A32 – Themistocles with the 17th Battalion, B Company on 12 May 1915. He arrived in Egypt and landed at Gallipoli, Turkey on 16 August 1915.

    John was wounded in action on 13 September 1915 and treated for scalp and hand wounds. He returned to duty on 23 October 1915 and remained with the Battalion and arrived in France on 23 March 1916. He served on the Somme, France and was first promoted to Corporal on 1 November 1916 and then Sergeant on 8 February 1917.

    On 15 April 1917, John was wounded in action and evacuated to hospital for treatment of a serious gun shot wound to his head, the 2nd injury to his head. He died from his wounds on 8 May 1917 -4pm at the 12th General Hospital, Rouen, France.

    He is buried in St Sever Cemetery, Extension Block P, Plot II, Row L, Grave 12a.

    John is remembered on the Wollongong Memorial.

    Daisy

    • Magicfingers says:

      I have just told a couple of visitors in t’other room how amazing it is that I can post a little post on a Scottish churchyard with a few mentions of Great War soldiers, and someone (your good self) comes back the next day, having checked the archives, with all this information! Just amazing. Love your work.

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