Alnwick Gazette Almanack 1918

CWGC Headstone

Newcastle Journal Wednesday 03/04/1918

Photo:

Medal Index Card

In Amble East Cemetery is a family headstone which reads:

In
loving memory of
Ellen Margaret
wife of
Robert G. McInnes
born January 10th 1853
died November ? 1883
Also of the above
Robert Green McInnes,
who died January 29th 1931
aged 85 years.
and of their son
2nd Lieut. Robert D. McInnes
17th Lancashire Fus.
who was killed in action
in France March 30th 1918
aged 38 years.

Robert was born 28th December 1881 at 37 Church Street, Amble, the only son of Robert Green McInnes, a Stationer, Amble, and his wife Ellen, daughter of David Harrison. She had died by 1891.

He was educated at the [Medd Memorial school] in Amble and the Herriott Watt College, Edinburgh. He was in the printing trade.

He married at Amble Parish Church, on the 22nd May 1915, Eleanor (Marine Road, Amble, daughter of Thomas Spowart).

On the outbreak of war he was called up and served in France and Flanders from the 6th January 1916.

He had enlisted in the 18th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers, and was in 9th Platoon, 'C' Company with the service number of 18/606, reaching the rank of Sergeant, before being commissioned.

He returned home in March 1916, and after a period of training at St. Johns College, Oxford, was gazetted as 2nd Lieutenant to the 17th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers in October 1917.

He went back to France in November 1917, and died from wounds near Albert, received earlier in the day on the 30th March 1918.

His commanding Officer wrote: He was with me in the front line a few hours before he was hit, and I was struck with his courage and cheerfulness in a very trying situation.

In the 17th Battalion Lancashire Regiment War Diary there was no officer killed in the month of March 1918, and on the day he died the battalion was resting. This suggests that he may have been wounded a few days before and died of his wounds. There is a mention of an officer wounded.

Source: De Ruvigny Roll of Honour

His father moved away to 31 Junction Road in Sheffield where he re-married.

Morpeth Herald 05/04/1918 carries a brief obituary:

Lieut. R.D. McInnes, only son of Mr R.G. McInnes, of Amble, died of wounds on Saturday last.

Robert Donald McInnes is remembered at Amble on A13.01, A13.03, A13.04, A13.07, A13.11 and Alnwick in A11.56, page 10, and also at Newcastle in NUT075 page 170 and 131

Amble and District Local History
Amble East Cemetery
The CWGC entry for 2nd Lieutenant McInnes