Family :

Education & Career :

Cargilfield Prep School

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The Second Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902, South Africa.
• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

The Battle of the Somme 1st July - 18th November 1916 is inevitably characterised by the appalling casualties (60,000) on the first day, July 1st 1916. Having failed to break through the German lines in force, and also failed to maximise opportunities where success was achieved, the battle became a series of attritional assaults on well defended defence in depth. The battle continued officially until 18th November 1916 costing almost 500,000 British casualties. German casualties were about the same, and French about 200,000. The Somme could not be counted a success in terms of ground gained or the cost, but it had a strategic impact as it marked the start of the decline of the German Army. Never again would it be as effective whilst the British Army, learning from its experience eventually grew stronger to become a war winning army. The German High Command recognised that it could never again fight another Somme, a view that advanced the decision to invoke unrestricted submarine warfare in an attempt to starve Britain of food and material, and in doing so accelerated the United States declaration of war thus guaranteeing the eventual outcome. 287 Brethren were killed on the Somme in 1916.

Detail :

Captain Alexander Macpherson BLAIR, born Callender, Perth, Scotland, 1874 was a Planter in Ceylon and a member of the Ceylon Planters Rifles in the early 1900's. In 1902 the 1st Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment, after sustaining over 200 casualties during the Boer War, was sent to Ceylon to guard Boer Prisoners of War and shortly after their arrival, a suggestion was made that the island defence volunteers would be prepared to send a force of men to replace the Gloucesters on the African mainland. The idea was accepted and the volunteers, including Blair who enlisted 19.4.1902, were to be called the Ceylon Volunteer Company, Gloucestershire Regiment and numbered 3 Officers and 107 N.C.O.'s and men. They served in South Africa between 23.4.1902-31.5.1902 and during that period they were entitled to the clasps Orange Free State, South Africa 1902 and Transvaal - the clasps were issued in this order (hence the unofficial rivets on Blair's medal) as the Transvaal clasp was granted to the Company after a late claim. Blair was discharged on 12.8.1902, and stayed in Ceylon until the outbreak of the Great War when he was commissioned Captain, Second-in-Command of the Ceylon Planters Rifles. He served during the Great War in the Egyptian Theatre of War from 17.11.1914 and he subsequently transferred to the 10th (Service) Battalion South Lancashire Regiment and was attached to the 2nd Battalion in 1916 when they were on standby for the 1st Day of the Battle of the Somme. Two days later at dawn Blair accompanied the Battalion across the River Ancre by the Black Horse Bridge, east of Authille, where they were thrown into the attack on the heavily defended village of Thiepval. The Battalion War Diary records that 9 Officers (including Blair) and 87 other ranks were killed in action on 3.7.1916. Blair is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. He was a member of three masonic lodges including St John's Lodge of Colombo No 454 and Nuwara Eliya Lodge No 2991. He was also a Past Master. The 1921 from Nuwara Eliya Lodge incorrectly listed his name as Alexander McPhairson BLAIR. The returns from the two ther lodges were not received for the 1921 publication and were therefore omitted, although BLAIR was included in the return for Nuwara Eliya Lodge.

Great War Forum
On the afternoon of 2nd July the battalion went into bivouac at Martinsart, where, at 10.30 p.m., orders were received detailing it for an attack on the German positions south of Thiepval. Accordingly, the battalion marched off to take up an assembly position east of the river, crossing the Ancre by Black Horse Bridge. At 6 a.m. the following morning the British curtain of fire lifted from the German trenches, and the 75th Brigade went forward with the 2nd Battalion on the left of the three attacking units.
The frontage allotted to the battalion was only 250 yards, and therefore Colonel Cotton advanced with “D” Company, under Captain C. P. Whitaker leading, with “C” under Capt. A. M. Blair, and “A” under Capt. A. M. Gates following in succession, while “B” under Capt. C. A.. Rathbone, remained in reserve. About 7 a.m. it was apparent that the enemy’s front line had been entered, but no information was received at Battalion Headquarters, and a little later there was every sign that the attack generally had broken down. What happened afterwards can best be described by quoting a report made by Colonel Cotton to Brigade Headquarters at 9.30 a.m. :-
“The attack is unsuccessful and we hold no portion of the enemy’s line. The attack was led by “D” Company on a frontage of two platoons. This company entered the German trenches in good style, but were subsequently held up by machine-gun fire. All the officers of the company are missing.
Of the second company to advance, I can only account for approximately one officer three NCO’s and about 25 men. They were apparently held up by machine-gun fire.
Of the third company I can only account for one officer, one sergeant and 30 men.
Of the remaining company I have two officers left; this company has only sustained a few casualties. I am in touch with the 8th South Lancashires on my left and 8th Borders on my right, in front line. At the moment I have no men in reserve or support.
Am reorganising front line and holding it in the usual manner.
One platoon of 8th South Lancashires got mixed up with my attack and went over the parapet with my second company. This platoon lost its officer, 2/Lieut. Peacock, who was seen to fall, and only four men of the platoon are now accounted for. Please issue instructions as to supports for my front line.
Officer commanding my leading company, Captain Whitaker, has just crawled back in, badly wounded. Also two men. Attack by battalion on my right has failed. Two companies got in but were reported as bombed back.”
Although there is no doubt that the attacking companies entered the enemy’s trenches the sequence of events is uncertain from then onwards. The attack was apparently shattered by machine-gun fire and accurate shelling which made it impossible to establish a footing in the German trenches, and the remnants of the companies were forced to retire. In the few hours of fighting just described, the battalion lost 14 officers and over 300 other ranks killed, wounded or missing and was withdrawn first into support, and afterwards to trenches in Aveluy Wood, where a miserable night was spent with no shelter and no greatcoats.


Probate BLAIR Alexander Macpherson of Westerton Polwarth-terrace Edinburgh captain 2nd battalion South Lancashire regiment died 3 July 1916 at Aveling Wood France on active service Confirmation of Helen Michie or Blair widow. Sealed London 2 May.

An note also appeared in the Birmingham Daily Post 7th May, 1917. "Captain Alexander Macpherson Blair, late of Edinburg, sometime tea planter in Ceylon and latterly of the South Lancashire Regiment; was killed in France on active service; left personal estate in the United Kingdom valued at ... £12,859"

Masonic :

Past Master.
Petitioning and Founder member of Uva Lodge No. 3429 5th January 1910 at Badulla, Ceylon. Further Joined St John Lodge of Colombo, No. 454 on 21st October 1911.

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley