William Keay Falconer, Lieutenant

• 1894 29 Nov Birth Kinross, Perthshire

Battle of St Julien,

• 1915 Sunday 25 Apr Age: 20 Died in Battle in the village of St. Julien (Ypres) Langemark-Poelkapelle, Flanders, Belgium - from mustard gas.

(during the German's attack on 24th April 1915 they used mustard gas for the first time - subsequently the village was held by the Germans for two years)

• 1915 25 Apr Burial Plot A.1, Seaforth Cemetery, Langemark-Poelkapelle, Belgium Military: Lieutenant, Princess Louise's 7th Bn., Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders.

The cemetery is on the main N313 road a little south-west of the village. Nearly 150 soldiers were buried here.

[Created by: International Wargraves ..  Find A Grave Memorial# 12113470]

"Lieutenant William Keay Falconer was born at Kinross in 1894 and educated at the Edinburgh Academy.

He was gazetted Second Lieutenant in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in September 1913 and promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in September 1914.

Lieutenant William Keay Falconer, 7th Battalion, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, was killed in action leading his men in a charge against the enemy at Ypres on 25 April 1915 and is buried at Seaforth Cemetery, Cheddar Villa, Langemarck, Belgium. "

He earned the 1914-15 Star (Lieut., A. & S. Highrs.); British War and British Victory Medals (Lieut.);

The following is extracted from The Bond of Sacrifice, Volume II:

‘An Officer who conveyed the news of his death to his friends said: “He was killed instantaneously about three miles north-east from Ypres. I buried him last night under a tree behind the position we now hold, and a little wooden cross marks the place.” (He was later reburied in Seaforth Cemetery)

A former Colonel of his battalion, writing of him, said: “When I was with the battalion in France I frequently remarked to his Captain and others upon his coolness. He knew his work well and was devoted to it. He didn’t know what fear was, and he seemed fully to realise the responsibility for his men’s comfort that rested upon him as a platoon commander, and the men were devoted to him. I will never forget your son’s interest in his work and his valuable services from the time of his mobilisation in August last.”

The Colonel who later succeeded to the Command said: “I had formed the highest opinion of your son’s military capabilities. He died bravely leading his men, and is deeply mourned by his brother officers.” ‘ (Quote from dnw uk)

BLAIRGOWRIE ADVERTISER: TWO YEARS OF WAR - AUGUST 1916 KILLED:- Lieutenant W Keay Falconer, (nephew of Mrs MacIntosh*, Allan Street, Blairgowrie), 7th A. & S. Highlanders.

(*possibly related to MACKINTOSH, JOHN FALCONER, b. Fordoun, 26 July 1893. U.D.A., 1914. "D" Coy., 4th Gordon Hrs., 1910. Mobilized. Commd., Oct. 1914. Served — Home, France, 3^ years ; Germany, 6 months. Final rank. Acting Major. M.C., Apr. 1918)

09/08/1915 Kinross Sheriff court - Will - SC22/44/16

BLAIRGOWRIE ADVERTISER: 05.02.1916 CASUALTIES

MEMORIAL TABLET TO LIEUT. W. KEAY-FALCONER

A dedication service was held in St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Kinross, on Tuesday morning, when the Bishop of St. Andrew's dedicated a brass tablet which has been put up in the church in the memory of Lieut. William Keay-Falconer, 7th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, only son of Mr William Keay-Falconer, Sheriff Clerk and County Clerk of Kinross-shire, who was killed in action near Ypres, 25th April, 1915, aged 20 years. The deceased was a nephew of Mrs Macintosh, Allan Street, Blairgowrie.