Bridge of Weir
Memorial

L' SGT W^M NEIL 10^TH B.W.

S/5818 Lance Sergeant William Neil

10th and 13th (Scottish Horse) Battalions
Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)

killed in action 8th November 1918

aged 25


Dourlers Communal Cemetery Extension
St Machar's Church Memorial, Bridge of Weir



Son of William Neil and Margaret Roy
Cornmill House, Bridge of Weir

His Life

William Neil was born on 12th January 1893 at Cadder, Lanarkshire, the second of a family of twelve (nine surviving) born to William Neil, from Barony, Glasgow and Margaret Roy, from Shettleston, Glasgow, who had married in Shettleston, Barony, Glasgow on 27th January 1888.

In 1891 William (39), Margaret (26), and their first son Alexander were living in Loanhead Cottages, Renfrew. William was a ploughman.

By 1901 William and Margaret had five sons, including William (8) and were living in Windsor Place, Bridge of Weir. William was now a carter.

In 1911 the family had moved again to Cornmill House, Bridge of Weir, a three roomed house for the family of seven sons and two daughters. William senior was a carting contractor and coal merchant, Alexander and Hugh were also carters, and William (17) was a House Painter.

William Neil volunteered in October 1914 and was enlisted into the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders). His Medal Index Card records that he first joined the theatre of war in France on 20th September 1915, the day the 10th Battalion landed at Boulogne, although this is inconsistent with newspaper reports that he was gassed in Ypres in May 1915. He may have been attached to another regiment in 1915. The 10th Battalion, Black Watch, was disbanded on 15th October, 1918. The 13th Battalion, in which William was serving at the end, formed part of the 149th Brigade in the 50th Division which was active in the Final Advance in Picardy.

He was killed on 8th November 1918. He is buried in the Dourlers Cemetery in North-East France. Dourlers village was in German hands during almost the whole of the First World War. It was taken on 7th November 1918, after heavy fighting.

After service encompassing the entire war, William Neil was killed three days before the Armistice.

Siblings

Sources

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• Scottish National War Memorial
• William Neil birth certificate, 12th Jan 1893. Regd Bishopbriggs, Cadder, Lanark 28th Jan 1893.
• 1891 UK Census: Parish: Renfrew; ED:10; Page: 36; Line:11; Roll: CSSCT1891_195.
• 1901 UK Census: Parish: Kilbarchan; ED:2; Page:23; Line:11; Roll: CSSCT1901_188.
• 1911 UK Census: Parish: Houston & Houston West. Ward: Bridge of Weir; Page 7; lines 4-14. 559/0B 001/00 007.
• The History of the Fiftieth Division. Everard Wyrall. 1939
  It was therefore the 17th [October] before the Selle positions were attacked. On that date, at 5.20 a.m., operations began which had as their object teh forcing of the Selle positions, and the attainment of the general line of the Sambre et Cise Canal - Fourth Army opened the operations by an attack on a front of about ten miles from Le Cateau southwards, the 50th and 66th Divisions being the attacking troops of the XIII Corps.
  The Battle lasted until the 25th October, by which date our line ran - western outskirts of the Foret de Mormal - within a mile of Le Quesnoy-Ruesnes-Maing.
  By this time the moral and material effect upon the German Armies by the succession of rapid blows dealt the enemy, had cumulated almost in complete collapse. 20,000 prisoners and 475 guns had been captured in the Selle Battle, and the enemy had neither troops nor material to replace them. The German infantry and machine-gunners were no longer reliable, and frequently retired without fighting.
  On the 4th of November, the last great battle opened (The Battle of the Sambre) on a front of thirty miles, stretching from the Sambre north of Oisy to Valenciennes. The 50th Division (having been in reserve for a few days) attacked and, with the 25th and 18th Divisions of the XIII Corps, overran the enemy's positions. The 50th Division advanced through the southern portion of the Foret de Mormal. An advance to a depth of five miles was made on the 4th, and on the 5th a still greater "push" brought the British line well to the east of the Foret de Mormal.
  Thereafter, the enemy was hurrying eastwards in disorder and, although during the succeeding days there were stiff encounters up and down the line, the German troops never really rallied to the attack, so that by the 11th of November, incapable of either fighting or offering further resistance, he was forced to seek an Armistice.
• War Diaries. 13th Battalion (Scottish Horse) Black Watch. July 1918-July 1919. WO95-2831-4. National Archives.
  • 7 November 1918 MONCEAU ST WAAST In the morning the 151 Bde passed through the line held by the 149th & 150th Bdes during the night - the line of the previous day's objective; and the Battn went into billets for the next night in REMY CHAUSEE. Casualties during this part of the operations were - 1 OR killed, 5 OR's wounded.
  • 8 November 1918 REMY CHAUSEE At 1215 the Battalion marched to ST AUBIN, where advanced Bde H.Q. had been established. Here orders were received that the 149 Bde was to continue the pressure on the enemy and was to push on and make good the BOIS DE BEUGNIES. The Battalion was directed on SEMOUSIES being on the right - the Royal Fusiliers in the centre on MONT DOURLERS and the Dublin Fusiliers on the left on FLOURSIES.
    The Battalion passed through the 1st K.O.Y.L.I. who were holding the line opposite SEMOUSIES about the AVESNES - MAUBEUGE Road. A Coy were on the right, B on the left, C in support - prepared to throw out a defensive flank in either direction, and D in reserve. At the beginning of the advance there was some enemy shelling which caused one or two casualties. The enemy held the positions with numerous M.G.s, these together with the darkness delayed the advance and SEMOUSIES was entered about 0200 hrs 9th, the enemy suddenly abandoning his position under cover of darkness and retiring.
  • 9 November 1918 SEMOUSIES The enemy's withdrawal was immediately followed up and posts were pushed out East of the BOIS DE BEUGNIES. Orders were received that no further advance was to be made and the Battn remained on this line until the afternoon, when it was withdrawn into billets in SEMOUSIES, the 150 Bde and the 12th Lancers having passed through in pursuit of the retreating enemy.
    Casualties on the 8th & 9th were - 3 ORs killed, 11 ORs wounded. Total Casualties for the period 4th-9th incl were:- Officers - 1 killed, 1 wounded. Other Ranks - 32 killed, 115 wounded. 15 Enemy MGs were captured.
• St Machar's Church of Scotland Death and Interment Register:
  o Neil, William junr.; Lance Sergt. 10th Black Watch; Corn Mill; Killed in Action 8 Nov 1918 France.
• Paisley and Renfrewshire Gazette
• 17th October 1914: Enlisted week commencing 17th October 1914.
• 15th May 1915: WOUNDED WITH GAS:- One of our brave lads is home wounded at present after a trying experience in the trenches. His name is William Neil, and he is staying with his parents at Old Cornmill-cottage. He belongs to the Black Watch regiment, and was in one of the engagements at Ypres where the Germans sent clouds of asphyxiating gas into our trenches. It was here that William Neil received the poisonous fumes from the enemy, and had to be conveyed to the base hospital. He has made a good recovery, and hopes to go to the front again shortly. Another brother, John Neil, is also serving with the colours.
• 5th June 1915: One of our brave lads is home, wounded, at the moment. William Neil, Old Cornmill Cottage, of the Black Watch, was in one of the engagements at Ypres where the Germans sent clouds of asphyxiating gas into our trenches. He has made good recovery and hopes to go back to the front shortly with the Colours.
• 12th June 1915: Private William Neil, who was 'gassed' in Belgium on Thursday 20th May, left Bridge of Weir yesterday for his Military Station on Thursday 10th inst. feeling fit and eager to be engaged in any part in the zone of fire.
• 19th June 1915: Corporal William Neil promoted to Sergeant.
• 29th January 1916: Mrs Neil, Gryffe Grove, has received official notification that her son John, in the Mediterranean Expeditionary Forces, has been slightly wounded. He was a Private in the 6th HLI and has another brother, William, serving with the Colours.
• 8th November 1919: - IN MEMORIAM: In loving memory of my dear Son, Sergeant William Neil, 13th Royal Highlanders, killed in action in France, 8th November 1918. Inserted by his Mother, Mrs Neill, Cornmill, Bridge of Weir.
  
  To-day recalls sad memories
  Of a loved one gone to rest
  
• Medals: Victory, British War, 1915 Star.

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