Pte
Samuel Macvie
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1898 |
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Place of birth: Ayton, Berwickshire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Last known residence: Cramond Bridge, Cramond, Midlothian, Scotland, United Kingdom |
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Profession: Clerk |
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: 26523 |
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Enlistment date: 19/08/1915 |
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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: 19 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: IX Row: B Grave: 23 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Last known residence | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Samuel Macvie was born around 1898 in Ayton, Berwickshire. He was the son of Andrew and Bella Macvie. Before the war he worked as a clerk and lived in Cramond Bridge, Cramond, Midlothian. He enlisted in the British Army and served with the 13th Battalion Royal Scots (45th Brigade, 15th (Scottish) Division).
Samuel was killed on 1 August 1917. The day before, on 31 July, the Battle of Passendale had begun. The objective of the 15th (Scottish) Division was to capture the Frezenberg ridge and subsequently Hill 35, a slope northeast of Frezenberg. During the attack, the 45th Brigade served as reserve for the 44th and 46th Brigades. The Germans did not remain idle and launched a counterattack.
In response to the German counterattack, the 13th Battalion was sent in the afternoon of 31 July towards Beck House, between Frezenberg and Hill 35, with the aim of consolidating the captured ground. They were to be relieved in the evening, but this did not take place. The following day, the Germans launched another counterattack there, and the battalion was almost completely surrounded around Beck House. The losses were severe: 368 men were killed, wounded, or went missing. The 20-year-old Samuel Macvie was one of them. After the war, his body was found near Beck House. His remains were reburied at Tyne Cot Cemetery, where he found his final resting place.
Samuel was killed on 1 August 1917. The day before, on 31 July, the Battle of Passendale had begun. The objective of the 15th (Scottish) Division was to capture the Frezenberg ridge and subsequently Hill 35, a slope northeast of Frezenberg. During the attack, the 45th Brigade served as reserve for the 44th and 46th Brigades. The Germans did not remain idle and launched a counterattack.
In response to the German counterattack, the 13th Battalion was sent in the afternoon of 31 July towards Beck House, between Frezenberg and Hill 35, with the aim of consolidating the captured ground. They were to be relieved in the evening, but this did not take place. The following day, the Germans launched another counterattack there, and the battalion was almost completely surrounded around Beck House. The losses were severe: 368 men were killed, wounded, or went missing. The 20-year-old Samuel Macvie was one of them. After the war, his body was found near Beck House. His remains were reburied at Tyne Cot Cemetery, where he found his final resting place.
Sources 5
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1901 Scotland Census (National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh (NRS), Reels 1-446). https://www.gov.uk/general-register-office 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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British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), WO372). http://nationalarchives.gov.uk 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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War Office: Soldiers' Documents (The National Archives, Kew (TNA) WO363). http://nationalarchives.gov.uk Sources used |
More information 4
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/463847 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=333942c8-f9b9-4d27-ad16-f3a299e438e9 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/2870385 |
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A Street Near You https://astreetnearyou.org/person/463847/ |