Corporal James McCraw

Corporal James McCraw, 7th( Service ) Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders. He was killed in action, aged 27, in France on 25th September 1915 on the opening day of the Battle of Loos and is commemorated on the Loos Memorial, Dud Corner, Loos, France. He was the son of Robert and Margaret McCraw of Redden where Robert was the byreman. Before enlisting he had been employed as a gamekeeper at Sprouston, Roxburghshire. His brother Alexander also fell. ( See above ).  He fell in the 9th ( Scottish) Division attack on the German positions in the Hoenzollern redoubt.  Their objectives were seized and consolidated, a fine achievement for a novice Battalion.  Most of the 383 casualties were caused by enfilade fire where a neighbouring battalion had not made such good progress. The first shows an actual attack with the troops advancing into the clouds of smoke and gas. This was the first time in the War that the British Army used gas.  The second picture shows the village of Loos after its capture and the third shows shells bursting on the Redoubt. The artist’s illustration depicts a Battalion attack during the Battle led by their pipers.

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