Private Daniel CRUICKSHANK (202777)
1/4th (Ross Highland) Battalion Seaforth Highlanders

Date of birth: 19th May 1895
Date of death: 21st March 1918

Killed in action aged 22
Commemorated on the Arras Memorial to the Missing, Bay 8
Daniel Cruickshank was born at Tomlea, Knockando on the 19th of May 1895 the second son of William Cruickshank, a farmer, and Helen Cruickshank of Moss Street, Archiestown.

He was a farm worker before enlisting at Archiestown as Private 1408 in the 6th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders in 1914 and disembarked in France on the 1st of May 1915. He later transferred to the 1/4th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders.

On the morning of the 21st of March 1918 the 1/4th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders was in reserve at Lebucqutiere when the German spring offensive, Operation Michael, was launched at 5am. In minutes the battalion hurriedly got dressed under a bombardment of shells and gas and at 5.15am orders were received to move forward and occupy the Beumetz-Morchies line. They advanced under shell fire but with no casualties and took up position commanding a small valley running south from Doignies and another between Doignies and Hermies. At 7am the shelling slackened but Major A.C. MacIntyre the battalion commander had been mortally wounded. At this time a number of transport wagons passed through the battalion lines in full retreat. The enemy had broken through which had forced the left flank to fall back past Doignies. By the afternoon the Germans had reached the village and could be seen massing for an attack on the Doignies-Beaumetz Road. A counterattack by the 8th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment at 7.15pm was repulsed by the enemy, forcing the survivors to fall back to the Seaforth trenches at 8.30pm. The fighting resumed the following morning by which time Daniel Cruickshank was dead.
Tomlea

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