Private Alexander McCraw

Private Alexander McCraw, 141st Coy. Machine Gun Corps ( Infantry ). He was killed in action in France on 30th November 1917 during the Battle of Cambrai, aged 20. He was the son of Robert and Margaret McCraw of Redden, Kelso and is commemorated on the Cambrai Memorial, Louveral, France. The M.G.C. used the Vickers Mk1 water cooled gun in both defensive and offensive roles. This was the first time that tanks were used en masse ( 437 ) and on good ground to breach the German lines and the first photograph shows some of the tanks before starting the attack and the second shows gunners taking a break.

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