Private Charles MCDONALD (9890)
2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders

Date of birth: 27th January 1887
Date of death: 20th October 1914

Killed in action aged 27
Buried at Houplines Military Cemetery, Plot II Row D Grave 4
He was born at Aberlour on the 27th of January 1887 the son of Jessie Ann McDonald.

He enlisted in Elgin as a regular soldier, serving seven years in India and also in Egypt. He was awarded the India Service Medal in 1906.

On leaving the army he found employment as a distillery foreman at Knockando.
He was an enthusiastic shot and was a member of the Miniature Rifle Club.

On the outbreak of war, being on the reserve list, he re-joined his old regiment and was posted to the 2nd Battalion landing in France on the 23rd of August 1914 where his letters home describe the hardships which he and his comrades suffered during the fighting.

On the 19th of October the 2nd Seaforths had advanced to the outskirts of the village of Frelinghien in France.
At 4am on the morning of the 20th B and D Companies advanced through A Company which had been in reserve and joined C Company who were occupying some of the houses on the edge of the town. Loopholes were made in the walls of the houses and plans were laid to attack the German trenches beyond in conjunction with the Royal Irish Fusiliers.

The Irish advanced under the cover of artillery but came under fire from the German positions as well as being held up by the barbed wire entanglements. The German fire slackened and the trench was taken with none of the defenders managing to escape, all being killed or captured.
At this point B Company of the 2nd Seaforths moved forward and occupied the trench as well as occupying more houses to the east of the main road. The brewery building in the town contained snipers who brought fire on the Seaforths but following the surrender at about 1 pm of some of the defenders of the houses a captured German prisoner was sent to the Brewery and persuaded the three men there to surrender at 3.30pm. After dark two sections of A Company moved up and occupied the brewery.

Casualties for the day were 1 officer killed with 2 wounded and 13 other ranks killed with 17 wounded. In all the Seaforths took 50 prisoners and killed around 30 more.

Charles McDonald was among the dead, he left a widow and two young children.
Knockando

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