More about Thomas Cartmill

Thomas has no known grave but is remembered on the Loos Memorial.

18338 Thomas Cartmill 13^th Bn Royal Scots

Thomas enlisted in to the Kitchener New Army Battalion of 13^th Bn Royal Scots within 45 Bde of the 15^th (Scottish) Division which was first blooded at The Battle of Loos and which was where Thomas met his fate on the second day of the Battle, on 26 Sept 1915

He was a married man to Susan and with two Children details of which can be seen on his Pension card.  Thomas was born at 12 Hospital Wynd Dundee on 12 Jan 1880 to parents Robert, a millworker and Jane.  Thomas married Susan at the age of 34 years on 21 December 1914 before his deployment to the Western Front

On the first day of Battle of Loos Thomas with 13^th  Bn Royal Scots were in 45 Bde in 15 Div Reserve,  (44 and 46 Bde’s headed the initial assault on 25^th Sept),  with 45 Div coming forward to reinforce the line and ready to resume attack on 26^th when Thomas fell

An account of the actions at Loos on 26^th Sept reads as follows

When the battle resumed the following day, the Germans had recovered and improved their defensive positions. Much of the barbed wire, in some places 30 ft (9.1 m) deep, remained uncut and the British had used their stock of chlorine gas. British attempts to continue the advance with the reserves were repulsed. Twelve attacking battalions suffered 8,000 casualties out of 10,000 men in four hours. The British preparatory bombardment, which amounted to desultory fire for about twenty minutes apparently inflicted no casualties. German machine gunners reported being “nauseated” from the sight of so many corpses and ceased firing so that the British could retreat with their wounded.

Thomas has no known grave and is remembered on the Loos Memorial at Dud Corner cemetery which is on the site of the German strongpoint of Lens Road Redoubt and Jews Nose Trench