Private Charles Chishom

Private Charles Chisholm, 2nd Battalion, Gordon Highlanders. He was killed in action in France on the first day of the Battle of Loos on 25th September 1915 aged 22. He had been born in Stow and was the son of James and Jessie Chisholm of Galabank, Stow and is commemorated on the Loos Memorial, Dud Corner, Loos, France. Before enlisting in October 1914 he had been employed as a ploughman. He fell in the attack on the strong German positions in the Cite St. Laurent. The Battle cost the Battalion very heavy casualties.  8 Officers and 73 Other Ranks were killed and 8 Officers and 310 Other Ranks were wounded.  In addition 1 Officer and 116 Other Ranks were posted missing. The first photo shows an actual assault with the troops disappearing into a ghostly cloud of gas and smoke. This was the first time in the War the British Army had used gas. The second shows the village of Loos after its capture. The artist’s illustration depicts a Battalion attack at Loos led by its pipers.