Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Bethune Town Cemetery | II.G.3 | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.122 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 37B GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | Volunteer Long Service Medal | ||
Family :
Son of Capt & Mrs Alexander Findlay. Husband of Beatrice M Findlay 25 Chester Terrace, Eaton Square Belgravia london.Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The Second Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902, South Africa.
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 14th Battalion London Regiment (London Scottish) |
1/14th (County of London) Battalion (London Scottish) August 1914 : at 59 Buckingham Gate. Part of 4th London Brigade, 2nd London Division. Moved on mobilisation to Abbotts Langley. 16 September 1914 : left the Division and landed at Le Havre. Was engaged at Messines on 31 October 1914 under command of Cavalry Corps. 7 November 1914 : came under command of 1st Brigade in 1st Division. 8 February 1916 : transferred to 168th Brigade in 56th (London) Division. |
| Action : The Battle of Aubers |
Fought on 9th and 10th May 1915 and intended to support the French attacks near Arras, this battle was notable for the remarkable bravery of infantry having to cope with inadequate planning, poor artillery support and not least a very competent enemy that had learnt the lessons of Neuve Chapelle just two months before. It also highlighted the problems of quantity and quality in artillery shell supply - a symptom of the general unpreparedness of Britain to fight a major European war, and not really rectified until well into 1917. Possibly one of the least known but most heartbreaking battles of the war, fought in an attempted pincer attack around the village of Neuve Chapelle with the intention of securing the 'high' ground that dominated the approaches to Lille.
He fell at the Battle of Aubers Ridge and died of wounds on 9th May 1915. This battle was a dreadful failure illuminated with moments of extraordinary bravery by the men who tried their best in impossible conditions. A pincer attack to the north and south of the village of Neuve Chapelle, already fought over in March 1915, was called off after two days at a cost of nearly 12,000 casualties. A significant reason for the failure was the probelm of shell quantity and quality - a symptom of the problems of having to gear up production to meet the requirements of the army. 12 Freemasons fell in this battle, mostly men of battalions of the London Regiment.
Edward FINDLAY was a member of the LONDON SCOTTISH RIFLES LODGE No 2310 which had strong links to his Battalion, the 1/14 London Regiment (Scottish Rifles). Fifteen Brethren from the Battalion died in the war of whom six were members of the LONDON SCOTTISH RIFLES LODGE.
His name is one of the people on the Commemorative Roll are in a book located in the Commemorative Area of the Australian War Memorial. See also: Australian War Memorial.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | London Scottish Rifles' No. 2310 E.C. | London |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
21st November 1912 | 16th January 1913 | 27th March 1913 |
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