Private John Grieve

Private John Grieve, 12th ( Service ) Battalion) Royal Scots. He was killed in action in France, aged 24, on 8th July 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. He had been born in Bilsdean, Oldhamstocks and was the son of James and the late Agnes Grieve of Dunglass, Oldhamstocks. He had been employed as a gardener on the Dunglass Estate when he enlisted going to France with his Battalion in May 1915. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Thiepval, Somme, France. He fell in the attack on Bernafay Wood which was captured with relatively few casualties. However the Germans then heavily shelled the wood causing numerous casualties amongst the garrison of Royal Scots and the 6th Kings Own Scottish Borderers. The photos show Scottish troops on the Somme and the colour image shows a peaceful Somme landscape today with ” no gas, no barbed wire, no guns firing now”.