Company Sergeant Major John Macintyre

Company Sergeant Major John Macintyre, 11th ( Service ) Battalion, Cameronians. He was killed in action, aged 28, in Salonica on the 19th September 1918. He had been born in Selkirk in 1888 and was the son of Peter and Mary Macintyre of 44 Back Row, Selkirk and is buried in the Doiran Military Cemetery, Greece. Before enlisting he had been employed as a gardener at Stobo Castle, Peebles and played trombone in the Selkirk Silver band. In November 1915 the Battalion was transferred from France to the Salonika Front in Northern Greece. He fell in the attack on Vladaja Ridge and the Bulgarian positions called ” The Tongue ” The Knot” and ” The Tassel “. The Battalion together with the 12th Argylls and the 8th Royal Scots Fusiliers stormed ” the Knot” but were held up in front of “The Tassel ” by uncut wire and heavy machine gun fire. Fierce counter attacks and heavy casualties forced a retreat back to the British lines with all three Battalions suffering a 50% loss in killed and wounded. His Headstone is inscribed ” Noble And Kind Hearted Loved By All Who Knew Him “. The photos show Scottish troops at Salonika.