Gilmour, James
| Rank
| Corporal, “V” 32nd Heavy Trench Mortar Battery, Royal Field Artillery. |
| Service Number
| 109098 |
| Born
| about 1892 in Burntisland. |
| Parents
| Andrew and Charlotte Gilmour of Battery Cottage, North Queensferry. |
| Date of death
| 3 June 1917 (Aged 25) |
| Grave
| P 14 Pond Farm Cemetery, Vest-Vlaanderen, Belgium. |
| Other Memorials
| Inverkeithing Memorial.
Scottish National War Memorial (Edinburgh Castle) |
Other Information
Census 1911 at Brunton’s Buildings. North Queensferry, James Gilmour (19) born Burntisland, Boatman, son of Andrew (63) born Granton, Pilot and Agnes (54) born Tongue, Sutherland.
His Service Record does not appear to have survived, but his unit provided the divisional artillery close support fire for units of the 32nd Division. Generally the heavy mortar was the preserve of the Royal Garrison Artillery rather than the RFA, but this appears to be an exception.
They may have had the 9.45 inch mortar designed during the war and nicknamed the “Flying Pig”. The projectile weighed 150 lbs and hence was awkward to load. The battery would have had four of the weapons. The effective range was in the bracket 600 to 2,400 yards, meaning that the crews were well within range of their German opponents.
Sources
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Scottish National War Memorial (Edinburgh Castle)
National Archives. Medal Card. Soldier’s Effects
Census 1911
Alex Morris
Here dead we lie, Because we did not choose
To live and shame the land, From which we sprung.
Life, to be sure, Is nothing much to lose,
But young men think it is, And we were young.
[Here Dead We Lie, A.E. Housman]
When You Go Home,
Tell Them Of Us And Say,
For Your Tomorrow,
We gave our Today
[Kohima, attributed to John Maxwell Edmonds]
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
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