Pte
John Kirkman
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1890 |
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Place of birth: Melrose, Roxburghshire, Scotland, United Kingdom |
General information
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Last known residence: 30, Clarence St., Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom |
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Religion: Church of Scotland |
Army information
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Country: Verenigd Koninkrijk |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 40049 |
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Enlistment place: Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Royal Scots, 13th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 01/08/1917 |
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Place of death: Beck House, Zonnebeke, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 27 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: XII Row: A Grave: 7 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
John Kirkman was born in 1890 in Melrose, Roxburgshire, the son of Jospeh Nathaniel Kirkman and Henrietta Taplin. He married and his wife was Margaret Kirkman. During World War I, he served with the 13th Battalion, Royal Scots. The battalion belonged to the 45 Infantry Brigade, 15th (Scottish) Division. On 31 July 1917, the Battle of Passchendaele began and the division's objective was the capture of the ridge at Frezenberg and then the capture of Hill 35, a slope north-east of Frezenberg. John's battalion was held in reserve. However, the Germans did not sit idly by and they launched a counterattack.
In the afternoon of 31 July, because of this counterattack, the 13th Battalion was sent to Beck House, between Frezenberg and Hill 35 with the intention of consolidating the captured terrain. They were to be relieved in the evening, but this did not materialise. The next day, the Germans launched a counterattack here and the battalion was almost completely surrounded around Beck House. The losses were heavy. 368 soldiers died, were wounded or went missing. John Kirkman was killed near a stream east of Beck House. He currently rests at Tyne Cot Cemetery.
In the afternoon of 31 July, because of this counterattack, the 13th Battalion was sent to Beck House, between Frezenberg and Hill 35 with the intention of consolidating the captured terrain. They were to be relieved in the evening, but this did not materialise. The next day, the Germans launched a counterattack here and the battalion was almost completely surrounded around Beck House. The losses were heavy. 368 soldiers died, were wounded or went missing. John Kirkman was killed near a stream east of Beck House. He currently rests at Tyne Cot Cemetery.
Sources 5
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1901 Scotland Census (Scotland's people 799/1 1/ 33). http://scotlandspeople.gov.uk Sources used |
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45th Infantry Brigade (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), British Army war diaries 1914-1922, WO 95/1946/4. http://nationalarchives.gov.uk Sources used |
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John Kirkman (Western Front Association, WWI Pension Record Cards and Ledgers, 625/01apw). http://ww.westernfrontassociation.com Sources used |
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McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: The Day by Day Account (Londen: Arms & Armour Press, 2018), 28. Sources used |
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Medal Card John Kirkman (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), Service Medal and Award Rolls Index, First World War, WO 372/14/212114). http://nationalarchives.gov.uk Sources used |
More information 3
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CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/463495 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=4bfb8cf4-b9d2-4246-a734-24184a9b85d2 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/2607951 |