Places > Book of remembrance for Tweeddale > Burgh and Parish of Peebles

BURGH AND PARISH OF PEEBLES. 3OI
252. private (I bailee Simpson Carrie.
Ibigblanfc Xutbt Jntantvv (attached mnck matcb).
1 918 — November 20.
ON Saturday, 9th November 1918, Private CHARLES SIMPSON CURRIE,
third son of Thomas Currie, Inspector of Tweed Police, Dalwoodie,
Haystoun Place, Peebles, arrived home on leave. While on the
journey from France he had contracted a slight cold. This gradually
became worse, and on the forenoon of Monday, nth November — just
when the joybells were ringing for the signing of the Armistice — he
went back to bed. His illness was found to have developed
into pleuro-pneumonia, and notwithstanding unremitting care and
attention, he was unable to throw it off, and died on the 20th
November, aged 20 years. He was very ill and delirious for about a
week before he died, and while in that condition his mind was almost
wholly taken up with his work in France, speaking to his mates,
working his horses, &c, &c, yet in all his wanderings he never made
use of any expression which the fondest mother might not hear
without a blush. He refused brandy from the doctor, on the ground
that he was teetotal and had never once taken his rum-ration while in
France. His parents felt proud and profoundly thankful that their
boy could have spent over four years in the Army and remain thus
pure in word and in deed. It said much for him and much for the
British Army of to-day as he found it.
Private Currie was born at St Boswells, Roxburghshire, on the 13th
August 1898, and came with his parents to Peebles while quite young.
He joined the 2,'8th Royal Scots on 22nd October 1914, at the age of
16. He trained at Haddington, Peebles, Falkirk, and Chelmsford, till
September 1916, when he went out, with a draft, to France, where he
was transferred to the Highland Light Infantry, and was latterly
attached to the 9th Black Watch. He had two years and two months'
service in France, and was on his second leave when he died.
Private Currie was well known for his prowess as an Association
football player, and great things were predicted of him in that line
had he been spared. He was a constant playing member of the 2/8th
Royal Scots football team, which had so many successes in Scotland
and England, before he was drafted to France, though he was only a
boy at the time — 16 to 18 years of age.
" I have just received a letter from mother to-day. In it she tells
me about Charlie's death. I cannot realise that my dear old school
chum has gone to rest; it sounds like a dream, but it only shows