More about Alexander Ogilvie

Alexander has no known grave but is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial.

23848 Pte Alexander OGILVIE 16^th Bn R Scots,  (McCrae’s Bn

Alexander has something of an interesting story.  Born on the 16^th of August 1889 to parents David Ogilvie a shipwright and to Elizabeth Ogilvie at 4 Paterson Road.

An interesting feature is that being a Dundee laddie he actually joined the 16^th Bn Royal Scots rather than a battalion of a local regiment.   Whilst this is in and of itself not that unusual the interesting feature is the choice of 16^th Bn. This was the first Sportsmans Battalion raised in the New Army in Scotland and was raised by Sir George McCrae of Heart of Midlothian fame and he brought with him  many of the Hearts of MIdlothian first team.   The battalion was extremely well recruited with Players and staff from football and other sports teams around Scotland followed by fans of hose teams also joining the ranks of the Bn.

Being an extremely well recruited Bn coupled with its popularity because of some of the big names in Scottish sport of the day,  it would not have required to be “topped up” with recruits which supports the assumption that Alexander chose this Bn rather than being allocated to it

Perhaps he was a local footballer or sportsman or at least a supporter –  there is no way of telling unless a descendant can cast some light on this

The 16th (2nd Edinburgh) Bn Royal Scots  (McCrae’s Bn), was raised in Edinburgh in November 1914 as part of K3 of Kitchener’s New Armies and landed in France on 8 January 1916, alongside the 15^th Bn , as part of 101 Bde, 34 Division.

It was involved in and severely blooded on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme 1 July 1916.  They are famously commemorated on the Cairn adjacent to the Church in Contalmaison which is visited annually in a pilgrimage  by members of the McCrae’s Trust

 Alexander made the supreme sacrifice that day,  1 July 1916 at the age of 25 years alongside so many of his 16^th Bn colleagues.  He is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme and now with this story on the Great War Dundee Roll of Honour.