More about William Rennie

William Rennie was the son of Mrs Margaret Rennie of 3 Crescent Lane, Dundee and was employed as a Mill Worker when he joined the Royal Marine Light Infantry in July 1894. Later, he married Mrs Isabella Bruce Rennie and their home was at 30 Victoria Street, Dundee. After initial training at Walmer near Deal in Kent he was drafted to the Royal Marine Barracks in Portsmouth. He served in the Ashanti Expedition in 1898 and, in 1900, was awarded the Ashanti Medal and the West Africa Medal with the Sierra Leone Clasp. He was awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct medal in 1913. Most of his RMLI service was ashore and he also spent time as a Pioneer. After the outbreak of war he was drafted to the battleship HMS Monarch and served in her at the Battle of Jutland. Local reports say that he died from the effect of wounds received at Jutland. However, his Service Certificate states that he was invalided out of the service on 27 April 1917 with a Hurt Certificate dated 27 February 1917 saying he was injured during a routine coal resupply onboard HMS Monarch. Coaling ship was an evolution involving most of the ship’s company would swing sacks of coal from a ship alongside and move them in the bunkers near the boiler rooms. William Rennie died in Dundee from war related injuries and was buried in the Dundee Eastern Necropolis, grave reference LL 5 773. The notes in the CWGC Cemetery records say he died from injuries received during the Jutland Battle. However, the Monarch was not hit during the battle.