More about Henry Trueland

Harry Trueland   Gordon Highlanders

“COURIER” RESERVIST MISSING.

PRIVATE “TEDDY” TRUELAND, OF THE GORDONS.

Intimation was received on Saturday by Mrs Trueland, who resides at 1 Milne’s East Wynd, Dundee, that her husband, Private Harry Trueland, of D Coy. of the Gordon Highlanders is reported missing, after an engagement on August 26.

“Teddy” Trueland, as he is familiarly called, is a “Courier” employee.  He is a reservist, and served twelve years with his regiment in India, and played the bassoon in the regimental band.

“Teddy” Trueland is a big favourite in his regiment, and is a boxer of no mean repute.

As was reported in Saturday’s “Courier,” the relatives of Private Thos. M’Donald, also of D Coy. Of the Gordon, have not heard from him for seven weeks.  Trueland and M’Donald left for the front together, having been close companions in India, and before the train steamed out of Dundee with the brave lads, they made Mrs Trueland the following promise :___”If one gets in hot water the other will pull him out or take his share of the trouble with him.”

Mrs Trueland is anxiously awaiting further news of her husband, and as she herself said, “I am living in hope that he has been taken a prisoner by the Germans.

Dundee Courier 12th October 1914

DUNDEE RESERVISTS WHO WERE REPORTED MISSING

ARE PRISONERS OF WAR.

“Just a line to let you know that we have been captured.”

This was the welcome news which Mrs Trueland, 1 Milne’s East Wynd, received from her husband, who had been reported missing since 26th August.  Private Harry Trueland was in D Company of the Gordon Highlanders.  He was a reservist, having served 12 years with his regiment in India.  When called up “Teddy” as he was known to his friends, was a “Courier” employee.  In his letter to his wife he says :—

“Just a line to let you know that we have been captured.  Tommy and I are still together.  You might let people know that he is still alive.  Do not fret.  We will be home when the war is ended.  I cannot tell you any more, as we are not allowed to write, but there is a chance of this reaching you.  Goodbye just now, and may God watch over you till I return.”

The Tommy to whom Trueland refers is Private Thomas M’Donald of the Gordons.  His Parents reside at 3 Scott Street.

Dundee Courier 14th October 1914

DUNDEE PRISONER OF WAR SENDS THANKS.

Private Harry Trueland, of the Gordon Highlanders, who is a prisoner of war, has sent a postcard to a friend in Dundee.  He says :—“ Just a P.C. to let you know I am keeping well, and to thank you very much for remembering me.  I want you to thank all the staff for their goodness to me.”  Pte. Trueland was an employee in the “Courier” Office prior to the outbreak of war.

Dundee Courier 13th May 1915

FORMER MEMBER OF THE “COURIER” STAFF

TELLS OF THE GREAT MONS RETREAT

AND HIS EXPERIENCES AS PRISONER OF WAR.

Broken in body and health, and with the knowledge that he will perhaps never be able to sit upright again, Private Harry Truelord, 1st Gordon Highlanders, lies in the Third General Military Hospital Wandsworth, London.

Private Trueland who before the outbreak of war was an employee of the “Courier,” has just returned from Germany, where he had been kept prisoner by the military authorities there since the 27th August, 1914.

I found Private Trueland a pale, emaciated figure.  His eyes were sunken, and his cheekbones show plainly through the skin.  Through an accident which he sustained after his capture by the Germans the whole of his body has been paralysed.

“Yes,” he said in reply to my question, “as soon as they can move me I’m going to Dundee.

“Fighting? No, I didn’t see much of that.  I was only four days under fire when I was captured.

“I was called up on the 5th August, and reported to Aberdeen.  Next day the 1st Gordon Highlanders, to which I had been appointed, left for Plymouth, and we reached Mons on August 21.  We took part in the great retreat from Mons, fighting rearguard actions all the time amidst the German shells.

“At 2 a. m. on the 27th August we had covered a great deal of ground, when we arrived at a cross road, where we halted.  Here a civilian offered to show us the way, but when he came to a certain point he refused to go on.

“We had gone about 60 yards further when we were startled by shots in the darkness.  Eventually we discovered that we had been trapped.  The civilian was a spy.  The Germans surrounded us.  We had to drop our rifles and put our hands up above our heads while we were searched.  The search occupied a long time. Never before have I felt my arms so tired.

Kindness of a German Officer.

“After marching for several days we entrained at a railway station for Germany.  We were two days in the train, and had nothing but bread and water.  We reached Sennelager Camp on September 4.  What crowds of people there were to see us!

“Next morning, the 5th September, we got up at 5 o’clock, and were served with coffee.  We couldn’t get a wash, and there was no milk or sugar with the coffee, only a piece of black bread.  At 1 p. m. we were given rice and potatoes, and more coffee at night.

“I was at Sennelagar Camp ten months altogether, and then I was sent with eighty other fellows to work on a farm.  It was here that I sustained my accident.

“We were directed to a bathing pool.  The water seemed quite deep, and I dived.  But the water was only 3½ feet deep.  My head struck the bottom, and fractured my spinal column.

“ I was pulled out of the water and taken to the hospital.  The doctor here says I might have been alright now if they had attended to me at once, but they just kept me in bed and fed me with ordinary prisoners’ food.

“In July I was moved to another, where they kept me until I was sent to England.  One of the German officers at the Sennelagar Camp was very kind to me. One night when I was very feverish he sat up with me and gave me milk.  He couldn’t understand a word of English.

“There were some Dundee chaps taken prisoner along with me, but they were all sent to different camps, and I was left alone.”

Dundee Courier 28th August 1915