Coutts, George

No.40525 – Private George Coutts – 17^th Battalion Highland Light Infantry

George Coutts was the son of Captain George and Isabella Coutts of Victoria Rd Fremantle. In the First World War George Coutts enlisted in the British Expeditionary Force in Glasgow Scotland. He was assigned to D Company of the 17^th Battalion of the Highland Light Infantry. This unit was originally formed in Glasgow on the 17^th September 1914 by the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce. After training for a year in the UK the Regiment arrived in France in late 1915 and was assigned to the 32^nd Division.

George was not a unit original but joined them at a later date. His regiment were badly cut up on the 1^st July 1916 during the Battle of the Somme and they served in 1917 at Arras. Their unit history details that during April 1917;

“While at Holnon on the 13th, "C" and "D" Companies were sent forward in support of the 2nd KOYLI who were attacking Fayet. This attack was carried out in conjunction with one being made by the French, who were endeavouring to take St Quentin. "B" Company joined the others in the front line, and later the Battalion took over a sector of the front line… … “They lived for some days in earth holes, and the weather flayed them unmercifully. Then one dark morning, the 13th April, they assembled silently and lay down in the field, whilst dawn broke with singing of birds, and the shriek and whistle of the barrage. The Division was attacking Fayet, the enemy's last stronghold before the city (St Q)Before they went over, grey and green coated figures were being brought down. there were many other grey and green figures grotesquely contorted in the brown ribbed fields, and those of them that had escaped from the inferno fought it out intermittently, in the woods beyond the village. But their sniping was braved for a few days more........”

It was possible that George was a victim of the sniping as his date of death is officially recorded as the 14^th April 1917. He was 25 years old though unfortunately it appears that his body was not recovered as he is thus commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial France