Southwestern Ontario Memorial Album

Albert Communal Cemetery Extension

Oxbridge Cemetery, Stockton-on-Tees

In Oxbridge Cemetery Stockton-on-Tees is a family headstone which reads:-

In
memory of
Robert Aytoun
born July 29 1845
died June 1 1917
Also of his youngest son
Major F. Ernest Aytoun
born Jan. 21 1886
killed in action Sep. 22 1916
buried in Albert France

Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord

Jean Longstaff has submitted the following:-

Attached to “B” Company who were manning Dot Trench outside Courcelette, the War Diary of the 1st Battalion for the night of 22nd September 1916 states “On the left sector the attack fell down by no failing of the attackers. They went out from around the quarry into the impassable belt of German machine gun fire. Major Aytoun was twice wounded as he led his men. After the second hit he fell, and his last words were “Carry on, take charge!” His body was recovered the same night, nearer to the German trenches than our own”.

In Canada he is remembered on their Virtual War Memorial and in their Book of Remembrance, and on a memorial in All Saints’ Church, Windsor, Ontario.

The Rev. David Youngson has submitted the following:

Major Frederick Ernest AYTOUN
Canadian Infantry
1st Battalion

He was born in London 21st January 1886. When living in Stockton he was a member of the Boys’ Brigade at St. George’s Presbyterian Church. Prior to emigrating to Canada he was serving with the 21st Essex Fusiliers Regiment. A Constructional Engineer he enlisted at Windsor, Ontario, Canada on the 24th March 1916 aged 30.

He was killed in action on the 22nd September 1916 aged 30. The husband of Miriam Aytoun of Clifford Apartments, Windsor, Ontario, Canada he is buried in Albert Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France, Grave Reference I.0.5.

Hamish Neilson has submitted the following:

I have some more information about Major Ernest Aytoun, my great uncle, who is remembered at Stockton on Tees. Although he enlisted in Canada, his parents lived in Stockton on Tees, and he had obviously followed his father into work as a civil engineer.

Our family tree shows:-
Ernest Frederick Aytoun, born January 21st 1886 in Wandsworth, London, became an engineer, trained with Messrs. Head, Wrightsons, bridge builders, Stockton-on-Tees. While erecting a bridge at Orton-on-Spey he saved a workman from drowning in the River Spey, and was complimented by the Duke of Sutherland. He emigrated to Canada in about 1909, where he was followed by and subsequently married 25th July 1910, Miriam, daughter of Joshua Collitt of Ruswarp (?) (Stockton-on-Tees). In Canada, he worked for the Trussed Concrete Steel Company of Canada.

Shortly after war was declared, he went into training as an officer, and was commissioned in 1915 into the Canadian Infantry 99th (Essex) Battalion. He was promoted Captain and Adjutant, his engineering experience proving of great value to his battalion. In 1916 he was promoted Major, and shortly afterwards attached to 1st. Battalion. He was killed in action, aged 30, leading his men in a charge (apparently) in the Somme advance at Vimy Ridge, September 22nd 1916 (buried at Albert, France). He was “a brave and capable officer” and “an admirable disciplinarian, and did his duty nobly”. However, Vimy is about 60 miles from Albert and the famous battle of Vimy Ridge did not take place until April 1917. Perhaps Ernest died as a result of action before the battle of Thiepval Ridge, which began on 26th September 1916. Thiepval is close to Albert, which was used by fighting units and Field Ambulances from August 1915 until November 1916. By that stage, Albert had been largely reduced to rubble.

Ernest's father was Robert Aytoun, born 22nd July 1846, at Hastings, who married Mary Forbes Laing (born 1848, Aberdeen), daughter of Alexander Laing (coach builder, who supplied coaches to Queen Victoria) and Frederica Adam, Aberdeen, 5th April 1877; they were married at 14 Bon Accord Street, Aberdeen by the Rev. John S. Sloan, Free Church of Scotland; witnesses Hugh Auld and James G. Laing. He was listed as living at 3 Fettes Row, Edinburgh in 1863 in the Rollo legal case papers. He was the representative in the male line of Aytoun of Aytoun and Inchdairnie. He was a civil engineer, and was assistant Harbour Engineer at Fraserburgh, where his first three children were born. At the 1881 Census they were living at Athole Cottage, Fraserburgh. Robert part-designed and built Royal Albert Drive, Scarborough. In 1890 he was Borough Engineer in Scarborough and lived at 16 Albemarle Crescent. He died, aged 70, June 1st 1917 – at ‘Glendevon’ 34 Cranbourne Terrace, Stockton-on-Tees and is buried there. Mary Aytoun died 1st April 1939 at Shanklin, Isle of Wight.

Frederick Ernest Aytoun is remembered in Stockton on S138.08 and S138.18a

Canadian Book of Remembrance
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
The CWGC entry for Major Aytoun