More about William Harris Beaton

William was the brother of Pte Adam Beaton, S/21073 6th Battalion, Cameron Highlanders, who died 06.08.1915.

For reasons unknown William is not listed on the original Dundee Roll of Honour, although his brother Adam was.

William Beaton joined the 9th Battalion Black Watch, on 5th August 1914 and went to France in early November. He was wounded on 14^th October 1916 in the battle to capture the strongly held Schwaben Redoubt near Thiepval 8.5 miles north of the Somme River, and evacuated to the UK for treatment.

From a local newspaper… October 27 1916

“Two Montrose chums, who are members of the Black Watch, made a compact that whoever came out of a recent charge unscathed should send information to the relatives of the other. As a result Mrs Beaton (Helen Keith) 25 Bernard Street Dundee, on Monday received a note intimating that her son, Private William Beaton, had been wounded by shrapnel in the head. Mrs Beaton formerly resided at Montrose, and had gone to Dundee since her two sons enlisted.

William was a member of the first Territorial Battalion to go on active service, and had seen much fighting, but up to the present had escaped without hurt. Her elder son Private Adam Beaton, Cameron Highlanders died from wounds in August last.

Private William Beaton is 21 years of age, and was employed at Lochside Brewery.”

Two years later, early on the morning of Thursday 24^th October 1918, Corporal William Beaton 240391, 4/5^th Battalion the Black Watch was again wounded during enemy shelling near the Sheldt River at L’Ecuelle, Belgium, and evacuated with three others 22 miles to No.15 Casualty Clearing Station in the small village of Don to the SE of Sainghin-en-Weppes, close to a lock on the Canal du Nord.

On Saturday, like his brother Adam before him, William died of his injuries aged 23 and was buried in one of the first plots opened nearby. His sister Jane Ann was then 21 and expecting the birth of Nellie two months later.

William fought through all of the First World War only to die 18 days before the end.

He is interred in Don Communal Cemetery Annoeullin Nord, grave I.A.55.