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Memoriam
Lt E A Mackintosh, MC
On the evening of 16th May, 1916 Lieutenant Ewart Alan Mackintosh (1893-1917) and Second Lieutenant Mackay of the 5th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders (of the 51st Highland Division) led a raid on the German trenches in the area north west of Arras. The experience of the raid clearly had a profound effect on Lt Mackintosh and, in particular, the death of one of his men, David Sutherland, inspired him to write the poem 'In Memoriam'.

The entry for 16th May in the Battalion War Diary reads as follows:


"Bn [battalion] employed in working parties. In the evening at 8.10pm after an artillery preparation 2 raiding parties under Lts Mackintosh and 2 Lt Mackay entered German lines on both sides of Salient at pt 127. 7 Germans were killed by being either shot or bayonetted and 5 dug-outs full of Germans were bombed. Also 1 dugout was blown up by RE [Royal Engineers]. All our party returned except one man who was left dead in German lines. It is estimated that German casualties must have been between 60 and 70. Our casualties were 2 Lt Mackay slightly wounded, 2 men killed and 14 wounded. Two of the wounded have since died." (1)

The two soldiers from the battalion listed as killed on the day of this raid can be confirmed as Privates John McDowell and David Sutherland. Research into the details of these two soldiers has established that Private McDowell's body was retrieved and taken back to the British lines because he has a grave at Maroeuil British Military Cemetery.



In Memoriam

by Ewart Alan Mackintosh (killed in action 21st November 1917 aged 24)
Ewart Alan Mackintosh


So you were David’s father,
And he was your only son,
And the new-cut peats are rotting
And the work is left undone,
Because of an old man weeping,
Just an old man in pain,
For David, his son David,
That will not come again.

Oh, the letters he wrote you,
And I can see them still,
Not a word of the fighting,
But just the sheep on the hill
And how you should get the crops in
Ere the year get stormier,
And the Bosches have got his body,
And I was his officer.

You were only David’s father,
But I had fifty sons
When we went up in the evening
Under the arch of the guns,
And we came back at twilight -
O God! I heard them call
To me for help and pity
That could not help at all.

Oh, never will I forget you,
My men that trusted me,
More my sons than your fathers’,
For they could only see
The little helpless babies
And the young men in their pride.
They could not see you dying,
And hold you while you died.

Happy and young and gallant,
They saw their first-born go,
But not the strong limbs broken
And the beautiful men brought low,
The piteous writhing bodies,
They screamed “Don’t leave me, sir”,
For they were only your fathers
But I was your officer.

Thank you Granny for posting this.

Today all have been asked to light a candle and place it in a window, during the National Service to commemorate the Fallen and then to extinguish it at 11pm.

I went to Ypres, and today will be thinking of my Great Uncle Enrico who was wounded at The Somme and k.i.a in Flanders, 3rd Battle of Ypres.

Well posted Granny, we should never forget.

That is very moving. My lights will be going out at 10pm. My grandfather was a Tommy in both senses, being called Thomas, and had his right thumb blown off at Ypres; I don't know anything more about his experiences. He died when I was 16 and at that age you didn't think to ask, even if they would have been ready to talk about it. What has come to light since does give some idea of the nightmarish experiences the soldiers must have had. My Dad said Pop never talked about his time in France - though I do recall he started singing 'Mademoiselle from Armentieres' once when we visited him in his nursing home (he was crippled with arthritis) and was rapidly shushed before he reached what might have been the dodgy bit!
He lived, but many didn't. We will remember them.

.

Lest we forget

If anyone should wish to make a dedication to those who served or are still serving in the military they can do on The Tower of London website. The ceramic poppies are also available to purchase.

http://poppies.hrp.org.uk/make-a-dedication



This to me is a beautiful memoriam .

Stunning.