Private James Little

Private James Ellison Little, ” C ” Coy., 1st/4th ( Territorial ) Battalion, Gordon Highlanders. He died in a Casualty Clearing Station in Belgium on 17th September 1917, aged 20, of wounds received in action during the Battle of Third Ypres. He had been born in Berwick and was the son of Sarah and the late George Little of 22 Summerfield Place, Leith and is buried in Dozinghem Military Cemetery, Flanders, Belgium. His Headstone is inscribed ” Father In Thy Gracious Keeping We Now Leave Thy Servant Sleeping “. The autumnal rains flooded the battlefield which was already pulverised by the incessant shelling which destroyed the Flanders drainage system and the photographs show the conditions the troops were expected to fight in. After early 1916 the Battalion became part of the 154th Brigade in the 51st ( Highland ) Division and after the War an impressive Memorial was raised in Commemoration. It was erected in Newfoundland Park on the Somme over looking “Y” Ravine where on the 13th November 1916 the Division had stormed and captured the very strong German positions in the village of Beaumont Hamel. A plaque on the Memorial reads in both English and Gaelic ” Friends Are Good On The Day Of Battle”.

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