Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

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.

Detail :

MACGREGOR, Robert Murray, Lieutenant, 1/13 London Regiment (Kensington Btn) Robert MACGREGOR was killed at the Battle of Aubers Ridge in May 1915. This battle was very costly and provoked questions in Parliament. The assault was initially successful but as with most trench battles the problem was not to break into the defences, but to break through them. The assault of the 1/13th formed the left column of the 25th Brigade was successful. On the explosion of two mines at 05.40hrs 9/5/1915 the leading companies occupied the two resulting crates, and on arrival of the supporting troops which pushed up under heavy fire, they went on beyond Delangre Farm passing the German third trench. Then as ordered they swung left and occupied the German communication trench to form a protective flank. After a strong German counter attack at 02.30hrs 10th May, strenuous efforts were made by 2/Berks and 2/Lincs to reinforce the 1/13 Londons. Although parties of both Battalions succeeded in entering the mine craters and German trenches their numbers were insufficient to maintain the position. The men of the 1/13 London and their reinforcements were forced to return to the British lines. By 03.00hrs all British troops were back in their own lines and the enemy had regained its front line. 1/13 London casualties; 13 officers and 423 O/R out of 21/602 - a casualty rate of 70%. Robert Murray Macgregor was Mentioned in Lord French?s despatches on 31 May 1915. The Battalion War Diary also reported that on 1 July 1915 Lt MAGREGOR was mentioned in dispatches His brother officer and Brother Mason 2/Lieutenant Leonard Herman STERN of the 1/13 Battalion fell with him. Sources; Tom Thorpe Complete Despatches of Lord French Kensington War diary, National Archives, WO 95 128, 1 July 1915 A Serious Disappointment - Bristow

Masonic :

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