Pictured here prior to WW1 is John McGill of Allison Place, Springwell.

John was just 19 when he died on 25th October 1916 on the Flanders battlefield. Whilst it looks like he’s wearing a ring in the photo, he was never married.

John McGill 1897-1916

John McGill 1897 – 1916

I can only imagine the terror John faced in that conflict and hope his story is told in more detail one day. Thank you to Betty Mclean for sharing these photos.

Name:McGILL, JOHN
Initials:J
Nationality:United Kingdom
Rank:Private
Regiment/Service:Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
Unit Text:2nd Bn.
Age:19
Date of Death:25/10/1916
Service No:17210
Additional information:Son of William McGill and Mary Strickland McGill, of Allison Place, Springwell, Blantyre, Lanarkshire.
Casualty Type:Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference:Pier and Face 4 D.
Memorial:THIEPVAL MEMORIAL

Featuring Blantyre Project Social Media with permission. Strictly not for use by others on or offline, our visitors said,:

Abigail M Mullings Such a brave young man #Lestweforget

Helen Mc Gowan Munday Just a boy!

😢

Betty McLean Thanks Paul.

Terry McMahon I’ve just finished reading “No Man’s Land” by Simon Tolkien. Set in Northern England prior to the start of WWI, it follows the lives of several young men, most of whom who left hellish lives, working in the coal mines to face a different hell in the trenches, through to the Battle of the Somme. Sobering. Sickening.

Jessie Caldow Betty, I remember hearing of this from my mother, when I was a girl, and we were all sad at how young he had been,

♥️ and how eager to sign up for service. Brave and innocent of how terrible it would be.Thank you for sharing the photos

Joy McLennan just boys…

Lesley Bethel

💔

Helen Lawson Taylor Terrible waste of young lives these wars cost and it is only right we remember them, as they fought so that we were free, bless them all xxx