The Battle of Loos, 1915 has only recently received the level of academic study that it deserves. It was an important battle in the development of British military tactics during the Great War as well as giving valuable experience the soldiers who survived the battle. The battle was the first where the British used Gas in large quantities. Loos itself is situated in the coal producing area of Northern France. It was a battle that the British General in charge of the conduct of the battle, Sir Douglas Haig, did not want to fight owing to the flat nature of the land. However, any complaints were ignored and for political reasons the battle went ahead. Britain was supporting a larger French attack and the French wanted their British allies to contribute to their assault on German lines. Lord Kitchener, the British Minister for War, agreed, so British support was guaranteed.
The battle is interesting due to the large number of Scottish troops involved. Half of the 72 battalions involved were Scottish in some shape or form. Two of the Assault divisions were specifically Scottish. The 9th (Scottish) and 15th (Scottish) Divisions were new units raised from the volunteers who were called to arms when the war started in 1914. They were among the five divisions launching the assault on the 25th September 1915. The battle lasted until October 1915. Despite a promising start, particularly from the Scottish 15th Division which broke the German line, the battle descended into the slaughter that was to characterise the Great War.
I have worked out that twenty Academicals lost their lives during that battle. Many others served there and at least five others were wounded. Of the dead, the largest representation was from the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders with 8 dead. This was followed by the Cameronians [Scottish Rifles] with 3, the Royal Scots Fusiliers and Kings Own Scottish Borderers with 2 each and one apiece from the Royal Sussex Regiment, Gordon Highlanders, Highland Light Infantry, the Machine Gun Corps and the London Irish Rifles. Ten of those that died were officers, four were NCO’s and six were Privates. That there were such high officer casualties has been commented on by one of the historians of the battle, Nick Lloyd. He points out that officer casualties were particularly heavy for a number of reasons. Officers were expected to lead from the front; to be an example. They also wore distinctive uniforms. Other ranks wore khaki serge jacket while officers wore a jacket with an open collar with lapel, numerous pockets and a dark khaki tie. German snipers could target them relatively easily as a result. All of the casualties happened in September, with the vast majority on the 25th and 26th, showing that Academicals were either leading or were part of the assault waves of troops in the first attacks. The resultant high casualty figures is illustrative of their bravery, but also of the broader impact of the battle on casualties. In terms of percentage casualties on individual units, they were worse than those of the Somme. To take one unit that had Academical representation, the 6th battalion KSOB, only 46 men could be assembled on the evening of the 25th September so high had been their casualties. A battalion would normally comprise 7-800 men. That the Academicals have such a high percentage of officers is probably a testament to their membership of the school Officer Training Corps which was a huge part of school life before the war and developed considerably during the course of the conflict.
At least three of the men who died were only 19 years old. Two were 20 and others ranged from 22 to 25 years old. Taken too young. The sacrifice can also be seen how the Academicals who died are remembered. Of the twenty at least twelve are remembered on the Loos memorial. They have no grave as their bodies were never found. It may be that figure climbs higher as I further my research. By the end of the battle, one third of British casualties were Scottish. Both the 9th and 15th Scottish had established their credentials as fine fighting units. The 9th had taken the formidable Hohenzollern Redoubt on the first day of fighting, for example. The role of Academicals helping lead by example and die as a result, is a tribute to theirs and the school’s values.
Alexander Ernest Perry was born on 21 October 1889.
He enlisted in September 1914. Lance Corporal Perry was part of the Machine Gun Corps of the 6th Cameron Highlanders, and he was killed in action at Loos on the 26th September 1915, aged 25. Alexander Ernest Perry is commemorated on Panel 119 to 124 of the Loos Memorial in the Pas de Calais, France.
Frederick James Gordon Rolland attended The Glasgow Academy on Great Western Road until 1910, he then enrolled at the University of Glasgow. graduating in 1913 with an M.A.
Rolland volunteered to join the war effort a year later and served in the 8th Battalion attached to the 6th Battalion of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers. Rolland would never complete his course in Medicine and fulfil his potential as a doctor. He was killed in action at the Loos on the 25th of September, 1915 at the age of 22. He is remembered by the Loos Memorial, panels 53-56.
Written by Simon Wood, Head of History at The Glasgow Academy
An extraordinary piece of history Simon. Thank you for researching and sharing this with us.