Newbattle at War a history of the Parish at war   

I recently 'discovered' George Ross whilst conducting some research, George was a 28 year old man who originally hailed from Peterhead, in common with a lot of men he moved to the coal fields of the Lothian's where he settled in Deanpark, Newtongrange, there is some dubiety whether he stayed at 109 or 119 but he did stay in Deanpark.

A married man he had previously been a serving soldier with the 1st Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders, when it became obvious that the war would not be over any time soon he volunteered his services and enlisted with the Gordon's on the 5th of June,1915. He was immediately posted to the 2nd Battalion and no doubt due to his previous service was made an unpaid Lance Cpl .

The following month he was dispatched to France and on the 25th of September 1915 he took part in the famous battle of Loos, which in many ways was  the 'Scottish Somme' such was the heavy involvement of Scottish regiments.

On what turned out to be some of the blackest days of the war for the parish he was posted missing presumed dead, this was subsequently confirmed and he is commemorated on the Loos Memorial, his body never having been found.

Others that died in the battle were

He left behind a Widow Marion and two young girls, Marion 3 and Agnes 6 months

Oddly his death was not recorded in the Dalkeith Advertiser nor is he remembered on the war memorial in his native Peterhead or his adopted home of Newtongrange. By coincidence he was one of 4 men of his Battalion with the surname Ross to perish that day, 3 of whom were Lance Corporal's a remarkable coincidence.

It is my intention to move to have his name added to the memorial in Newtongrange .