Pte
John Oliphant
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1895 |
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Place of birth: Aberdalgie, Perthshire, Scotland, United Kingdom |
General information
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Last known residence: Cumbernauld House, Cumbernauld, Dunbartonshire, Scotland, United Kingdom |
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Profession: Under-gamekeeper |
Army information
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Country: Scotland, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: S/40662 |
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Enlistment place: Dumbarton, Dunbartonshire, Scotland, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Princess Louise’s (Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders), 1/8th Bn. (The Argyllshire) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 20/09/1917 |
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Place of death: Pheasant Farm - Jungburg, Langemarck, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 22 |
Memorial
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Tyne Cot Memorial Panel: 143 A |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
John was born in Aberdalgie a small village near Perth, Scotland, to John and Grace Oliphant. He lived and worked as an under-gamekeeper at Cumbernauld House in Dunbartonshire, which was owned by Brigadier-General Allan Burns.
John enlisted in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in November 1914. In April 1917, during the Battle of Arras, east of Roclincourt, John received a gunshot wound in the right leg. After Arras, John’s Battalion, the 1/8th Argyll and Sutherland moved to Ypres, where they were to participate in the upcoming Flanders offensive. On 20 September the battalion, was attached to the 154th Brigade, which was to advance along the Lekkerboterbeek stream, southeast of the flattened village of Langemark. After clearing Pheasant Trench, units of the 145th Brigade moved on and captured the second objective. More than 4 and a half hours into the attack, Hon's Company of the 18th Battalion, “A” Company, was called up to reinforce the 4th Gordon Highlanders, on the left flank near Pheasant Farm. At 1:30 pm “B” Company was called up to reinforce the 7th Argyll and Sutherland at Bülow Farm on the right flank. At 6:00 pm a heavy bombardment pounded the brigade’s line. The barrage was followed by a German counterattack. “C” and “D” Companies, the two remaining companies of the 1/8th, were also sent up to reinforce the 4th Gordon Highlanders. While moving up the companies had to go through the German barrage. Together with the remnants of “A” company, who had been in the firing line since morning, they took up position around Pheasant Farm. They held these positions till the following day.
John Oliphant was killed in action on 20 September 1917. John has no known grave and is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
John enlisted in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in November 1914. In April 1917, during the Battle of Arras, east of Roclincourt, John received a gunshot wound in the right leg. After Arras, John’s Battalion, the 1/8th Argyll and Sutherland moved to Ypres, where they were to participate in the upcoming Flanders offensive. On 20 September the battalion, was attached to the 154th Brigade, which was to advance along the Lekkerboterbeek stream, southeast of the flattened village of Langemark. After clearing Pheasant Trench, units of the 145th Brigade moved on and captured the second objective. More than 4 and a half hours into the attack, Hon's Company of the 18th Battalion, “A” Company, was called up to reinforce the 4th Gordon Highlanders, on the left flank near Pheasant Farm. At 1:30 pm “B” Company was called up to reinforce the 7th Argyll and Sutherland at Bülow Farm on the right flank. At 6:00 pm a heavy bombardment pounded the brigade’s line. The barrage was followed by a German counterattack. “C” and “D” Companies, the two remaining companies of the 1/8th, were also sent up to reinforce the 4th Gordon Highlanders. While moving up the companies had to go through the German barrage. Together with the remnants of “A” company, who had been in the firing line since morning, they took up position around Pheasant Farm. They held these positions till the following day.
John Oliphant was killed in action on 20 September 1917. John has no known grave and is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
Sources 3
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1901 Scotland Census (National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh (NRS), Reels 1-446). https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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8 Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), WO 95/2865/2). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: the Day-by-Day Account (Londen: Unicorn Publishing Group, 2018), 84-87. Sources used |
More information 3
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/832639 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=073a12ee-ee33-4a0c-a551-0e0af5767bc5 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/3327140 |