Lieutenant Andrew McCreath A.M.

Lieutenant Andrew Berghans McCreath A.M., 2nd/7th ( Territorial ) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers attd. 1st/5th Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He died from wounds in Cairo on 11th December 1917, aged 29. He had been born in Norham and was the fifth son of Henry Gourlay McCreath ( grain merchant ) and Agnes Isabella McCreath of Wellington Terrace, Berwick and is buried in Cairo War Memorial Cemetery, Cairo, Egypt. His award of the Albert Medal was gazetted on 1st January 1918. The citation reads ” On 26th July 1917 at Wadi Simeon, Egypt during an inspection of grenades one of the grenades fell to the ground and began to detonate. Lieutenant McCreath hearing warning shouts ran up and picked up the bomb. In order to get rid of it without endangering others and he had to run until he found an empty dug- out into which to throw it. As he was about to throw it away the detonator exploded; fortunately the ammonal was wet ( although Lieutenant McCreath did not know this ) and no further explosion took place or he would almost certainly have been killed or severely wounded “. ( The Albert Medal was awarded to recognise the saving of life outwith a combat environment and was later replaced by the George Cross. It is reckoned to be the equivalent of the Victoria Cross ).

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