Private William DAWSON (1315)
1/6th (Morayshire) Battalion Seaforth Highlanders

Date of birth: 21st November 1898
Date of death: 15th June 1915

Killed in action aged 16
Commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial Panels 38 and 39
He was born at Kirdels, Knockando on the 21st of November 1898 the eldest son of Robert (a farmer) and Charlotte (nee Kelly) Dawson of Mains Farm Knockando, later of 4 Fife Street, Dufftown.

He was educated at Knockando Public School following which he was a farm servant at Home Farm in Wester Elchies.

He enlisted in the Seaforth Highlanders at Archiestown in December 1912 and was mobilsed on the outbreak of war.

He embarked with his battalion at Folkestone at 8.30pm on the 1st of May 1915 arriving at Boulogne in the early hours of the morning on the 2nd.

On the 15th of June 1915 the battalion were in support of an attack by a company of the 1/5th Seaforths as they attacked to the south of the La Bassee Canal.

The 1/6th Seaforths manned their parapet and poured rifle fire into the German front trench. British artillery bombarded the German trench all day but shortly before the attack went in the German artillery retaliated causing heavy casualties among the Scots. The 1/5th Seaforth attack failed with the company losing half its men.

The supporting 1/6th Battalion suffered 140 casualties of which 29 were killed.
Bouldow

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