Places > Book of remembrance for Tweeddale > Landward Parishes

90
County of Peebles Book of Remembrance.
son, who are relatives. In a letter to his
father, he stated that the two happiest
days of his life were those spent in Peebles,
where, in company of Mr Thomson, he visit-
ed many of the places so dear to his fore-
fathers. It was his great wish and inten-
tion, if he had lived to see the end of the
war, to pay an extended visit to Ayrshire,
the home of that great Scotsman whose
name he was so proud to bear; but a high-
er power has decreed otherwise. Although
a young Australian of the second generation,
and twelve thousand miles of ocean divided
his birth-place from that of his fathers, he
was always proud of his Scottish descent,
and like the great race from which he sprung,
patriotism and intense love of country were
his strong points. All who knew him were
unanimously of the opinion that it was no
mere love of adventure which prompted
him to offer his all for his country, but a
stern sense of duty.
Private Laurie finally left England in
April, 1917. After being engaged in several
minor engagements in France, he proceeded
to Messines, where he went into the
trenches for the last time on June 5th.
After the firing of the great mine, which
almost shook France to its foundations, he
went over the top on the morning of the
6th. This battle was one of the fiercest in
which Australians were engaged during the
war, and lasted for five or six days. Private
Laurie's battalion had been fighting almost
continually for the whole time, when on
the 11th a long range shell exploded in a
shell hole in which he and three comrades
were sheltering. Two were killed outright,
and Private Laurie was so severely wounded
that he died in the clearing station the fol-
lowing day, at the age of 20 years and 9
months. The sole surviver of the four was
Private J. Montgomery, also a native of
Laurieton, who sent particulars of bis son's
death to his father, and who has since also
paid a visit to Peebles. The late soldier's
remains were laid to rest in "Trois Artres,"
British Cemetery, France, with full mili-
tary honours on June 13th, 1917.
The battle of Arras was now drawing to
a close. On Sunday, 3rd Juno, our out-
posts were attacked. On the 5th, we won
the power station .south of the Souclicz
river; on tlic Gdi, wo look a mile of the en-
emy position north of the Scarpo. On the
evening of the 6tli June, ninteen mines were
wiEtiting for zero hour. From Hill 60 in the
north, to the edge of Messines, nineteen
volcanoes suddenly leaped to heaven on the
7th June. Then every British gun opened
on the enemy. Terrible fighting ensued, with
great gains to us, which we cleared up on
the 8th. By the 14th of June the whole of
the German positions north of the Lys had
fallen into our hands. These operations, ex-
tending over many days, constituted the
battle of Messines. On the 14th, we carried
the enemy lines on the crest of Infantry
Hill south-east of Arras. On th© 15th, we
took a sector of the Hindenburg line north-
east of BuUecourt. On the 24th, the North
J\[idland Division carried Hill 65, soutJi-west
of Lens. On the 26th, the Canadians took
La Coulotte, and on th© morning of the
28th, were in the outskirts of Avion. We
gained all our objectives.
You seek a boy.'' For all the millions dying.
Who drown at sea, or landwiard fighting
fall,
The winds have heard th© voice of women
crying,
" Where is my love who, dying, takes my
all.?"
When kings and captains die, the world
regrets them ;
My boy was proud to serve the self same
State ;
Proud though he died, and all but I forget
him,
I will not grudge him, for the cause was
great.
SECOND-LIEUTENANT HENRY
TENNANT
(Tbaquaie)
Dragoon Guards and Egyal Flying Cori's.
1917. Mat 27.
Socond-Lioutcnanl Henry Tennant, Dragoon
Guards and Royal Flying Corps, who was killed
on the 27th of May, 1917, aged 19, was the
eldest son of Mr H. J. Tennant. He was
educated at Eton, and leaving school on
tlie declaration of war, he entered Sand-
hurst; was afterwards gazetted to the Scots
Greys, and joined the Royal Plying Corps
in 1915. On May 27tli, 1910, ho was serious-
ly injiuod in a flying accident, luit on re-
covering in January, 1917, ho rejoined the