Roll of Honour World War I 1914-1918
Name Gowans, James (Jimmie)
Rank: Lance-Corporal (in Strathallan Archive).
Private on Commonwealth War Graves website
Service No. S/9869
Regiment: Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders Depot
Died 06/06/1917 Age 20
Buried or commemorated at PERTH (JEANFIELD AND WELLSHILL) CEMETERY G. (P1). 2211. United Kingdom
For Commonwealth War Grave Commission click here
In detail:
That we know anything about these early years of Strathallan School is almost entirely due to James’ brother Stewart who wrote an account of their time in Bridge of Allan. James had been educated first at Perth Academy, alongside Allan Langlands Harley, but had moved with him and his brother Stewart to Strathallan in September 1913. We know that James was a slow-left arm bowler in the earliest cricket side, not to mention the first Captain of School, but he distinguished himself in passing the Cambridge Senior Examination with Honours in December 1913, going on to finish second in Britain in the London Matric in early 1914. Bolstered by this impressive academic background he went up to King’s College London in the autumn of 1914, entering the Engineering Faculty, and improving his burgeoning academic standing by winning the Tennant Prize for Geology in his first year. According to his obituary in the King’s College Review, ‘his modesty of disposition gained the affection of both Staff and Students’. At the end of the university year in 1915 he joined up as a private in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. He served with the Battalion in France, being shot through the knee. According to accounts he lay in no-man's land for over fifteen hours before being rescued, subsequently contracting pneumonia. Repatriated to recover from his wounds, he died at Tooting Military hospital on the 6th of June 1917, aged twenty. His body was returned to Perth and buried in the Wellshill Cemetery.
Joining the 14th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
However, in 1915, at the end of his first year at University, James joined up as a private in the 14th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. He was quickly promoted to Lance Corporal, suffered injury and was then transferred to the 2nd Battalion. With them he was involved in a number of battles on the Western Front. In early May 1917, his Battalion was out of the line, resting near Arras in northern France. The weather was good and they played inter-Company football matches and, according to their War Diary, ‘a considerable amount of cricket'. This wasn't to last however,- the Arras offensive was in full swing as the British attempted to break through the German front lines so after a brief spell of training and refitting, James ’ Battalion was back in trenches on the front line. An attack on the heavily fortified Hindenburg line was planned at 7.30pm on May 20th. The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders left the trenches at dusk, and found little opposition, though there were some casualties from sniping. A road by the river was taken, thirty four prisoners captured and many Germans killed. In a second phase, machine gun fire stalled the advance, even after reinforcements arrived. Stokes mortar and rifle grenades targeted the machine gun nests, further advances were made from 2am and more prisoners taken. The Battalion made it as far as the river but were held up by machine gun fire and so dug in. As dawn broke on 21st May, the advance paused - it would be too dangerous in the daylight but small advances were made during the night. The Battalion were then relieved the following night. A few days later, the Battalion supported a successful attack on the German trenches on May 27th. James was wounded, shot through the knee, and lay there in no-man's land for fifteen hours. Eventually he was found, brought back behind the lines and a day or two later was on his way back to England. Unfortunately, with the blood loss and exposure, he contracted pneumonia and died in Tooting Military Hospital on June 8th 1917. He was just twenty years old.