More about David Buchan

David Buchan was the son of Mrs Margaret U Buchan of 110 Victoria Road, Dundee and was a Power Loom Tenter. He joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve for service in the Royal Naval Division in August 1915. After training in South London at the Crystal Palace New Entry establishment he went to Blandford Camp in Dorset for advanced military training. On completion he was sent to the Nelson Battalion in the last days of the Gallipoli campaign. After the withdrawal from Gallipoli he carried out garrison duties on the Islands around Lemnos. In March 1916 he was granted leave and he spent it on Malta. The Battalion sailed for Marseilles, France in May 1916, moved to the Western Front by rail and began training in the ways of the British Army. In August he was hospitalised for a few days with a septic foot. The RND was sent to the Somme in late October to prepare for an attack. One of the first day’s objectives of the British assault on 1 July 1916 was the capture of the village of Beaucourt, just to the west of the River Ancre. It was finally taken on 14 November by the men of the Royal Naval Division. This was the first major operation by the Division in France and established its reputation for being a “Can Do” Division. However, the casualty list was very high and over 30 local men were killed and countless more wounded in the two day fight. This was the worst ever day for Dundee’s Naval forces in the First World War. David Buchan was first noted as missing but later confirmed as killed in action on 13 November 1916. His body was recovered and later re-interred in the Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont Hamel, grave number I A 24.