As part of the First World War Centenary, Fife Archives has been highlighting different aspects of their collection related to the experience of Fifers during the War. Letters, maps, diaries and other documents in the Archives provide unique insight into the War and life on the Home Front. One such resource is the diary of Alexander Henry McIntosh, a soldier from Fife who joined the London Scottish in 1914. Two copies of Henry’s original diary are kept in the Archives. The copies were found with legal and family papers belonging to Patrick G Fergusson (Henry’s cousin). The entries were transcribed by Archives volunteer Neil Haldane. Carolyn Johnston has checked the entries against the War Unit Diary from the National Archives UK.
Alexander Henry McIntosh was born in London on the 26th of June 1893; the eldest of seven children. He was the grandson of A.H. McIntosh, Cabinetmaker, who was the founder of what became one of Kirkcaldy’s longest surviving industries.
At the beginning of the First World War, many men working at McIntosh’s Victoria Cabinet Works would have joined up to fight in the conflict. The furniture company was also involved in the war effort making aeroplane wings and other aeroplane parts – at this time wings would have been made from thin plywood frames with fabric stretched across them.
Henry’s father, Thomas Wishart McIntosh (1861–1933), was responsible for overseeing the McIntosh office in London. Henry was working there when the war started.
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Henry was educated at Dollar Academy. He joined the Officer Training Corps. When he left school he worked at McIntosh’s in Kirkcaldy before moving to London.
According to the Fifeshire Advertiser, Henry joined the London Scottish in 1912. They were a territorial unit made up of Scots living in London. The 14th London Scottish Battalion were mobilised on 4th August 1914. Henry served as a Private. From the clues in his diary we think that Henry was in F Company.
Henry sailed from Southampton to France on 15th September. He spent most of October guarding and unloading ammunition trains. At the end of October his unit saw action in the First Battle of Ypres.
Henry died in Boulogne on the 22nd of November 1914 as a result of wounds received at Ypres. The extract we have from his diary is short but illustrates clearly both his travels and travails as he journeys from Britain to France; eventually receiving his fatal wound on November the 12th.
Over the next few weeks we’ll share some of Henry’s diary entries as his unit readies for battle via Twitter at @onfifemuseums and the Fife’s Great War website. Below are entries made from 3 August to 26 October 1914, which provide little insights into his life as a soldier. As the anniversary of the First Battle of Ypres approaches, look for more information about the overall battle and additional information from the War Unit Diary.
Aug 3rd
Left for camp 5 A.M. from [Headquarters]
Aug 4th
Orders to return to [Headquarters] at 10:30 P.M.
Aug 6th
Territorials mobilised
Aug 16th
Battalion left for St Albans marched to Edgeware
Aug 17th
Arrived at Garston Watford stationed at Rifle Range
Aug 23rd
Jean, May, Jim & John Collyer called; had a good time
Sept 1st
Vida and William Guthrie called on us but only had a few minutes as we had a night attack on
Sept 6th
Grand day went into Watford, met May & Vida. Had tea in the garden of Hotel Claridon, father joined us later
Sept 11th
Battalion manoeuvres day
Sept 12th
F Company attacked D Company started out 9 AM returned victorious at 4:30 PM. All wet
Father & mother called
Sept 13th
Very cloudy. Vida & May came up had tea in a field in front
Sept 14th
Showery day – got our new rifles – inspection by Gen. Franklin.
Father & Sandy called in the evening
Sept 15th
Left Garston for France at 9 A.M. arrived Southampton 1:30
Left Southampton 6:30 PM splendid send off had a most glorious voyage
Slept in a coal bunk
Sept 16th
Boat arrived at Havre 5 A.M. started to unload transport & horses, had breakfast on board, disembarked at 10:30 AM.
Did one or two fatigues left for Le Mans at 5 PM in cattle trucks.
People fed us with fruit when the train stopped.
Sept 17th
Arrived at Le Mans at 8:20 a.m.
Marched to our billets at the top of a hill, it is an old church & theatre, very dirty & cold place, very heavy rain after dinner
Sept 18th
Had to do 24 hours guard. Sun warm greater part of the day.
Sept 19th
Route march 9 miles
Apples given us by French peasants
Sept 20th
Church parade in morning
No kitchen as yet, still bully beef & biscuits
Sept 21st
Glorious day route march 12 miles feet very sore blisters on heel
Sept 22nd
Grand day – sick with sore feet, under the doctor light duty
Sept 23rd
Grand day. Still under the doctor light duty
Preparing to leave at 6:30 PM came back at 8:30
Sept 24th
Left Le Mans for Villeneuve St George travelled in a third class carriage, very enjoyable journey, arrived at Villeneuve at 12:30 PM
Load food supplies for G and H company going to Rouen.
Sept 25th
Grand day.
Fatigue loading & sorting an ammunition train light shells weighed 126 lbs heavy 142 lbs.
Alistair & Co. arrived from Havre & Rouen
Sept 26th
Beautiful day another fatigue day shell loading
Sept 27th
Grand day. Fatigue loading train with shells. Evening went to Villeneuve met 1st Lieutenant in Camerons.
Sept 28th
Grand day. Unloading train full of artillery sighting poles & barrels
Sept 29th
Grand day. Slack day Villeneuve in the evening
Sept 30th
Glorious day. Fatigue making tent for R.Q. instruments under L. C. Latham
Oct 1st
Grand day. Sorting the mail bags. Walked to Choisy Le Roi took train within 1 mile of Paris
Oct 2nd
Grand day. Fatigue unloading wagons of barrels & poles.
Villeneuve in the evening.
Oct 3rd
Grand day. Company on duty mounted guard at 6 PM over provision train dismissed at 6 AM
Oct 4th
Grand day. Fatigue petrol train unloading ammunition. Fatigue in the afternoon saw first lot of Indian troops officers orderlies.
Oct 5th
Grand day slightly dull. F Company on duty – quarter guard 24 hours. G & H Company arrived at 4:30 AM from Rouen
A & D left 5 AM for advanced base
Oct 6th
Grand day.
Very slack, went to Choisy Le Roi in the evening
Oct 7th
Grand day – very slack
Post bag fatigue in the afternoon
Went to Villeneuve in the evening
Oct 8th
Grand warm day
Fatigue loading bundles of daily mails for the front.
Villeneuve in the evening all the lights went off & left the town in darkness
Oct 9th
Grand day
F Company on duty. Quartermasters fatigue 10 AM – 12:30. Slack afternoon
Mounted guard over supply train at 6 PM until 6 AM
Stragglers of all regiments slept in billet
Oct 10th
Grand day
Fatigue carried in daily mails for loading on train for the front
Villeneuve in the evening
Oct 11th
Glorious day
Carried in the wounded from a hospital train
Church parade
Choisy Le Roi in the evening met a very nice lady spoke English
Oct 12th
Very warm
Fatigue letter bags
Musketry parade 11 o’clock
Route march round the back of Villeneuve – saw large fort & some houses knocked away for a field of fire
Villeneuve in the evening
Oct 13th
Dull & slight rain
F Company on duty
Musketry parade 10:30 AM
6 men of Rouen prisoners guard
Oct 14th
Very wet
F Company on duty
Cooks fatigue all day
Left Villie 10:30 PM train left 3 AM in cattle trucks
Oct 15th
Dull day
Passed Versailles, Mantes,Vernon; arrived Rouen
G Company left started for Boulogne 4:30 PM F & C Company
Rained the greater part of the night
Oct 16th
Arrived Abbeville at 4 PM the new HQ of the 1.9 C, Rue Staples, Hesdynent, Boulogne
4 PM slept in station all night
Oct 17th
Marched to our billet 15 minutes from station
Funeral parade to docks for Major Hamilton – L. C. Latham & 4 men over to England
Oct 18th
Church parade English Church
Mounted guard at 10:30 PM on ammunition train
Oct 19th
Wet day
Still on guard saw several train loads of India troops
Oct 20th
Relief guard came at 10 AM
F Company under Lt. Allsop returned from Bremen
Oct 21st
M.P.on the Bires Bridge under Sgt. Field
Came off P. duty at 11 PM
Oct 22nd
Fatigue transport; innoculated second time
Funeral for 3 British soldiers
Received father’s parcel
Oct 23rd
Escort German prisoners train did not arrive
Had the rest of the day easy, bad arm
Oct 24th
Guard on ammunition train also supply train
Oct 25th
Guard on supply train
Oct 26th
Funeral party
Oct 27th
Up at 2:30 ready to move for Bethune left 6 PM
Arrived at St Omer 10:30 PM march to trench barracks
Oct 28th
Whole Battalion here, made barracks clean.
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Model of AEC London Bus © IWM (MOD 354)
Oct 29th
Musketry in morning
Orders to move at 3 PM, travelled by bus through Cassil to Ypres
Billeted in town hall
Oct 30th
Stand too
Ready 10 AM moved off to the firing line, too late to go into action
Came back to Ypres, motored to St Eglise, billeted in barn
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Crown Copyright – From London Scottish War Unit Diary in National Archives UK -their ref WO/95/1266/2
Oct 31st
Left at 6:30 AM, marched through rough ground all morning under shell fire
Arrived in Coulon field after being shelled out of town
First Company went with the French, badly cut up
F Company retired, entrenched for the night
Advance again went into the trenches, firing all night
Farm house on fire, villages all on fire round about
## Carbineers [6.P.G ?] entrenched with us
Bayonet charge that night
Nov 1st
Shell fire started at dawn
F Company retired into wood
20 under Lt. Allsop & Sgt. Purvis charged after 7 AM, badly cut up, Lt. Allsop killed & Sgt. Purvis killed, many wounded
Nov 2nd
Retired to a small town, spent the remainder of the day then billeted at night
Breakfast in a field, took it easy all day, billeted again at night
Nov 3rd
Left St Clytte, marched till 2:30 PM
Had dinner in field, marched again, billeted in farm for the night
Nov 4th
Inspection by Brig. Gen. Sir Smith Dorien & Sir Francis Morland
Went into Balliene spent evening
Nov 5th
Easy day, went into town.
H. A.C & Artisan Corps came into Balliene
Nov 6th
Marched into town for equipment, spent the afternoon in the town
Very cold night
Nov 7th
Cleaned rifles for Sgt. Major in the morning
Stand too afternoon
Left Balliene 4:30 PM, marched all night to Ypres, all flames, still further to an old church, slept there until 4:30 AM
Nov 8th
Left billet, went into wood adjoining & got into holes in the ground
Grand cover from aeroplanes
Left wood, marched to another to join 1st Division, left there to join 3rd Division
Nov 9th
Marched all night, arrived at wood where 3rd Division were entrenched, took up our positions
Nov 10th
Heavy fighting all night & day, farm in front shelled by our artillery
Attacked at night, retired from road to wood, now entrenched on the front right.
Nov 11th
Heavy shelling on us
Heavy firing all day
Great thunder storm
Nov 12th
Grand day
Went for water to farm, returned
Alaister & I fell asleep & got shelled by J. J.* smashed both our legs
6 boys did their best to carry me to dressing station
I don’t know what became of Alaister
* Jack Johnson: A German shell which explodes with black smoke.
Nov 13th
## Both legs dressed, carried to village on [?] intended for officers
Motored to Ypres, stayed at Poperinghe for night, been dressed again
Nov 14th
Left Poperinghe for the train for Bologne
Arrived at Bologne, taken to Casino Hospital, now having a very comfortable time
Nov 15th
Dr Martin dressed my legs, a very nice man
Getting on grand, we had a little service this evening
Then his father wrote:
Rev. George Thomson officiating read the first 13 verses of 11th chapter of St Luke
On Nov 21st his father wrote:
Read for me the first eleven verses of the 12th chapter of Hebrews (this at Henry’s request)
Nov 22nd
Died at 1:30 in the morning
Nov 24th
Remains left Boulogne
Nov 26th
Arrived at Kirkcaldy
Nov 28th
Buried in Kirkcaldy Cemetery
And so finished this gentle young life.