Private Frederick Rae

Private Frederick Smith Rae, 1st Battalion, Scots Guards. He died from wounds in Belgium, aged 30, on the 31st July 1917 on the first day of the Battle of Third Ypres. He had been born in Dunipace, Stirlingshire and was the son of James and Helen Rae of Yair Estate, Caddonfoot. He died in the 3rd Field Ambulance and is buried in Canada Farm Cemetery, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium where his Headstone is inscribed ” Until The Day Breaketh”. Before enlisting he had been employed as a gardener at Yair where his father was the Estate Manager. He had joined is Battalion in France in October 1915. He fell in the attack near ” Artillery Wood” where all the Battalion objectives were captured. At lunchtime that day the Battalion was withdrawn to Reserve. 2 officers and 42 Other Ranks were killed and 6 Officers and 207 Other Ranks were wounded. In addition 13 Other Ranks were reported missing. The photos show troops during the early stages of the Battle.