"Some were decorated and died heroically; others fought and fell quietly "
The Final Whistle by Stephen Cooper

This weekend at Anniesland as we again approach Remembrance Sunday let us recall those who took to these very same fields during 1913-1914 that season a century ago as most never played again

During that season they played together on rugby fields across Scotland but soon they were together on very different fields and in very different circumstances

Season 1914-15 never started as Viscount Grey said "The lamps are going out all over Europe. We shall not see them lit again in our time"

Three of these players Tommy Stout,,Eric Young and Archibald Templeton played together for Glasgow Accies that last Saturday in March 1914 against West at Hamilton Crescent and just over a year later they died together in the same action on the same day

They died not in the mud of the Western theatre but on an arid beachhead on the Hellenic Peninsula fighting with the 156th Brigade of the 52nd Lowland Division of Kitchener's New Volunteer Army They had played together ,they signed on together ,they served together ,they fought together and they died together along with many former pupils of Glasgow High School and Kelvinside Academy such was the nature of the "Pals Battalions "of that time

Next year the volunteers at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games will be known as Clyde-siders for the volunteers of 1915 The River Clyde had an altogether different significance as it was the name of the steamship beached and adapted as a landing station on that far off shore

They served with the Cameronians The Scottish Rifles whose colours GHK will wear with pride this Saturday how appropriate when you remember how many High School FPs and Kelvinside Accies served and died with the Regiment

They fought alongside the the likes of the 1st Border Regiment whose forward position became known as the Border Barricade ,the Royal Munster Fusiliers both symbolic rugby areas and the ANZACS in a campaign that is burnt into the psyche of Australians and New Zealanders-- Gallipoli
Last Saturday in Hawick we shared a sporting rivalry in 1915 we shared a very different experience an experience etched on war memorials in our three associate schools and in towns across the Borders To this writer and and his generation Hawick will always be the first Borderers

The action on 28th June 1915 was known as Gully Ravine
Gully Ravine was two miles long and up to 100 metres wide at some points with steep sides and the Turkish trenches bisected it from the Spur on the seaward side to the inland side in front of the village of Krithia. The 156th Brigade was now attached to the 29th Division and they were to attack on the inland side of the ravine, but with minimal artillery support, as the main bombardment would concentrate on the seaward side the consequences of which were to prove disastrous for the territorials. The bombardment started at 9am and the troops were due over the top at 11am, with the 8th Scottish Rifles and the 7th Royal Scots the first to go. The 7th Scottish Rifles, in reserve, followed soon after and had the onerous task of climbing over their dead comrades of the 8th battalion who were mercilessly cut down by Turkish fire at Fir Tree Spur. The minimal bombardment had little effect on the Turkish trenches and all three battalions were to suffer grave losses.

The 8th Scottish Rifles lost 25 officers and 400 other ranks while the 7th Royal Scots and the 7th Scottish Rifles were also decimated by murderous machine-gun fire. The territorials of 156th brigade had at least achieved their objectives for the attack but at what cost. Such were the losses for the two Rifle battalions that what remained were amalgamated into the 7th/8th Scottish Rifles for the duration of the campaign. The decision was finally taken to evacuate the peninsula and the removal of troops began in December and by early January 1916 the momentous task was successfully reaching its conclusion. The remaining members of the 7th/8th Scottish Rifles to their eternal credit were one of the last units to leave on the final day. The 7th and 8th battalions had arrived at Cape Helles on the 14th June 1915 with 2200 officers and men and were now leaving by the same route on the 9th January 1916 with a 130

In this action on 28th June seven Glasgow High School FPs ,fifteen Glasgow Academicals and twelve Kelvinside Academicals also serving with the Scottish Rifles fell and are recorded on the Helles Memorial along with almost 21,000 others
A peel of bells that hangs in the steeple above Oran Mor at the top of Byres Rd remembers the 27 Academicals who fell that day It was raised by public donations and dedicated at a service on Friday 6th December 1918


Tommy Stout was a west end boy who lived in Belmont St His obituary read "No more shall we see Tommy Stout scoring a try for Accies with that wonderful swerve of his and with his hair flying in the wind " He was 23 and had died trying to save a comrade

Eric Young had been capped that last season against England The Scots lost 15-16 at Inverleith He was 23 when he was killed one of 30 Scottish internationalists to die

Archibald Templeton was wounded on that terrible day and reported missing His body was never found he was 26 --one of the "Unknown Soldiers --Known unto God"

Hawick Rugby Club lost Captain Archibald C. Hamilton of the 1st KOSB who was also killed on the 28th June.he was from a "weel kent family "He died aged 34

United in death

Over the next four years the horrific events of 100 years ago will be remembered starting with a Commonwealth Service in Glasgow Cathedral on 4th August at the conclusion of the Glasgow Games and during the next four years our three associate schools will be marking it in their own way as will our kindred clubs

The term kindred club takes on a much deeper meaning when you share a War Memorial and the pavilion at Old Anniesland is just that dedicated in 1927 .It is poignant that the first international team to use the pavilion were the NSW Waratahs as their president Major James MacManamey was also killed in 1915 at Gallipoli The Glasgow team that day comprised only Glasgow Accies and Glasgow HSFP players
The Waratahs at that time represented Australia as it took to 1928 for Queensland to recover from the affect of WW1

By 2015 it will be about the Commonwealth Games Legacy that action in 1915 was also about a Commonwealth legacy but of a different nature one forged in adversity and in the most terrible of circumstances

"When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say,
For Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today"

In World War 1 some 950 former pupils from our three associate Schools The High School of Glasgow,Glasgow Academy and Kelvinside Academy gave " their today"

This article was originally posted on 5-Nov-2013, 08:33 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 8-Nov-2013, 14:02.