Coutts, Albert Julian

Other Information

This is the only Albert J. Coutts listed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
(“Soldiers died in the Great War” gives his birthplace as “Balno” Aberdeenshire, which may relate to a place near Crathie with which his family had some connection), and his Birth Certificate does not list his father.

In 1911 he appears in the census in Edinburgh, working as a carriage groom and lodging with another groom.

We have been unable to confirm his link to North Queensferry.

His service record appears not to have survived, but his Campaign Medal Card indicates he firstly joined the Army Service Corps as Private R/4/095941.

He enlisted in Edinburgh and was in Egypt from 1 November 1915.

He transferred to the 14th Battalion Black Watch at an unknown date. In the autumn of 1918 his battalion were part of the 229th Brigade part of the 74th (Yeomanry) Division. The battalion took part in the allies final 100-day advance to victory in Vis en Artois in northern France. During the period his battalion were in the front line between Bony and Bellicourt and he possibly became a casualty from enemy shelling.

Sources

Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Scottish National War Memorial (Edinburgh Castle)
National Archives. Medal Card
Scottish National Archives. Birth Certificate
Scottish War Memorials Project
Soldiers Died in Great War
Scottish National War Memorial (Edinburgh Castle)
Scotsman, 4 November 1918
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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