David Fisher

  General Notes:

David Fisher

Facts I have established . . .

He died on 14/09/1914 at the Battle of the Aisne, in North-Eastern France. His regiment, the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders suffered heavy losses on that day (their first major losses of the war) especially between 1pm and 3pm in the area around Vendresse and Chivy (approx 5 miles north of the River Aisne) - Reims was the nearest large city.

The Battle of the Aisne was a pivotal battle in the Great War. After the Germans held off the British and French armies they dug into their positions, and from this point onwards, trench warfare began. The Germans had been retreating after the Battle of the Marne - the battle is described in detail on the following web page <http://batmarn1.club.fr/edmoch20.htm>

The weather was foul that day and the Allied Forces were up against it, attacking an enemy on top of a steep hill, just across a river, which the army had to cross. The British and French had little in the way of artillery support and the fighting was confused, often hand-to-hand.

His regiment fought in kilts ("men in petticoats").

He won 3 medals, the 1914 Star the British Medal and the Victory Medal (pictured below). He also had a clasp on one of his medals, although I have not yet found out what this was for (maybe the "Mons clasp"? see below).



It appears that he was originally in a different regiment (in the "SOLDIERS DIED IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1919",) book he was noted as having been formerly in the R.H. (either Ross-shire Highlanders or the Royal Highlanders (Black Watch) I guess) . . . how he came to transfer, I do not know.

His grave was not identified, so he is commemorated at the La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre war approx 10 miles south of his place of death.

His army number was 9443, although he was formerly 3/2072, R.H.

He was aged 15

THINGS I AM NOT SO SURE ABOUT

When did he arrive in France? The Camerons arrived on the battlelines on 5^th September 1914 (I think they arrived at Le Havre on 1^st September). David's medal record indicates that he entered the theatre of war on 14/08/1914. Did this describe his joining up date, or was it actually the date he arrived in France (maybe with the Black Watch or Ross-shire Highlanders?). The Black Watch were certainly in France right from the outbreak of hostilities - they arrived somewhere between the 12^th and 17^th August, so this might fit in with the 14/08/1914 "entered theatre of war" entry.

Why did he transfer? Was this before the outbreak of war? Did he have a specialist role that was useful to the Camerons. He appears to have been the only one who did transfer from the RH to the Camerons (from the death registers). Did he transfer to join a mate or a brother?

SOURCES

1.FROM "SOLDIERS DIED IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1919", Parts 61-70.

Transcribed at Cardiff Library, on 20/03/2007 by Alistair David Pitt

Part 66 -"The Queen's Own (Cameron Highlanders)"
1^st Battalion.
Fisher, David, b, Dundee, Forfarshire, enlisted Dundee (place of residence Dundee), (solider #) 9443, Pte, killed in action, France & Flanders, 14/09/1914, formerly (soldier #) 3/2072, R.H.

Note: (R.H. was former regiment - the one he must have joined on enlistment - was this the Royal Highlanders (Black Watch) or Ross-shire Highlanders (part of Seaforth Highlanders)?


2.I checked the regiment's death register and I counted 136 soldiers (ranks) who also died that day. Read elsewhere that the Cameron's lost 170 men that day. It was the first day of major losses that the Cameron Highlander's experience in WW1. They had arrived in France on 5^th September and joined the First (Guard's) Brigade of the British Expeditionary force (replacing the Munster Rifles?)

3.Memorial register 15-16. Vol 7 including La Ferté-sous-Jouarre.
FISHER, Pte. David, 9443. 1^st Bn. Cameron Highlanders. 14^th Sep 1914. Age 19. Son of David Fisher, of 39 Dallfield Terrace, Dundee, and the late Elizabeth Stewart
N.b. Elizabeth died in 1917, after David's death, but before the memorial registers were written

4.Western Mail7/8/1914

Appeal for 500,000 men
Everywhere in London the proposed expansion of the Army by the addition of half a million men is hailed with enthusiasm. As the Prime Minister explained this afternoon, this will include those who came from overseas: but it is a tremendous effort to put forth, and the public imagination is much impressed. This with the vote of credit of £100,000,000 will do more than anything else to impress our people with the gigantic work now in hand, and the military authorities are quite sure that there will be no great difficulty in getting the men. Youths who have passed through the Boy Scout training, and many who have not are flocking to the colours. There was never less shouting and never more doing than in this war. The recruiting authorities will be busy enough for the next few weeks both for the Regular Army and the Territorials.

5.Medals (from <http://www.royalirishlancers.co.uk/family.htm>) 1914 Star
This medal was awarded to those who served in France and Belgium between August 1914 and November 1914. The medal bears the date 1914 in the centre of the wreath together with the dates "Aug" and "Nov" above and below. The medal ribbon is red, white and blue.The medal is named on the plain reverse. A bar for those under fire between August and November was issued, the "Mons Clasp" (could this be David's clasp)? This medal is commonly referred to as the Mons Star, since the majority of the recipients took part in the retreat from Mons.
British War Medal
This medal was awarded to record the end of the First World War, however this was extended to cover operations upto 1920 which included mine clearance. The medal ribbon bears stripes of blue, black, white and orange. The medal is normally named . No bars were issued with this medal. Over 6 million of these were issued and as such it is a fairly common medal, however medals issued to certain regiments etc., may command more interest.
Victory Medal
This medal bears the same basic design which was adopted by a number of other Allied nations. The medal ribbon bears multiple stripes of various colour . The medal is normally named . No bars were issued with this medal and over 6 million of these were issued making it a fairly common medal


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  Noted events in his life were:

• Census: 1901, 31 Mar 1901, 10 S George Street, St. Andrews parish, Dundee, Forfarshire.

• Occupation: Private Soldier, 1914, France.

• Military, 1914.