Private William Rankin McLintock Royal Canadian Dragoons

Private William Rankin McLintock Royal Canadian Dragoons

“Private McLintock left this parish when young, and went to Canada, but like many another, he heard the call and answered and has made the supreme sacrifice.” Milngavie & Bearsden Herald (July 1917). William was born on August 19, 1886, at Netherton Cottage, Strathblane The 1891 Census registered the family at Kessogbank. Unfortunately family life there did not go as planned. Having lived there for less than three years his mother Agnes McLintock died on in 1892, followed tragically two years later by his father Robert McLintock in 1894. It’s not clear what happened to their orphaned children in the immediate aftermath but it’s possible that Jean (15), Finlay (13) and William (7) were taken in by their Uncle John McLintock of Alexandria, who is listed as a witness to Robert’s death. The 1901 Census shows Jeanie L McLintock & William back in the village as ‘visitors‘ at the Schoolhouse of John I McEwan. But it’s unclear how long they had been living there, or where they may have stayed previously. Interestingly, there is no mention of their brother Finlay’s whereabouts. In 1907 his sister Jean L McLintock chose to make a new life life for herself in the province of Manitoba, Canada. The following year she married a fellow Scot, William JR Brown, in Deloraine. William was to follow his sister and emigrate. It’s unclear when he arrived in Canada, or where he settled. Upon enlistment for the CEF his Attestation Paper highlights the 19th of Edmonton, Alberta, as his first military service. Also, in the intervening years he had found time to qualify as an engineer. Prior to his enlistment at Valcartier, Quebec, on September 4th, 1914, it’s probable that he had moved closer to Jean in the Deloraine area. By this time he had become a member of the 34th Fort Garry Horse Regiment of Winnipeg, which, according to the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum in Ontario, “chartered two trains themselves, and came down to Valcartier without authority; and no one had the heart to send them back.” Indeed, the arrivals were far from the finished article, described as “a motley crew”. They sailed to Europe from Valcartier, Quebec, on October 3rd 1914. It was a very impressive array of 33 troop transport ships and 7 naval escorts carrying 33,000 Officers and Men. William and the Forth Garry Horse were aboard the SS Lapland, while another cavalry regiment, the Royal Canadian Dragoons, was on the SS Laurentic. The original disembarkation point was set as Southampton but due to German U-Boat activity it suddenly switched to Plymouth. Upon arrival in England on October 14th William’s regiment became part of the 6th Battalion, its role changed to Infantry, which must have been difficult for such proud cavalrymen to accept. But they had to adapt, and throughout the war they alternated between the two roles, either as dismounted infantry or reverting back to cavalry at the whim of the Generals. In December 1915 the Fort Garry Horse was then chosen to replace the 2nd King Edward’s Horse in France, thus creating an all Canadian Cavalry Brigade. On February 25th 1916 William McLintock boarded the SS Nirvana at Southampton bound for Le Havre. Shortly afterwards William transferred to the Royal Canadian Dragoons (RCD). The reasons are unclear, but as part of the same Brigade he was never too far away from his former regiment. He was to see action in the Battle of the Somme, notably at the Battles of Bazentin Ridge and High Wood, Pozieres & Flers-Courcelette. Throughout this time his Brigade was permanently allocated to the 2nd Indian Cavalry Division, under the command of the British 4th Army. On March 16th 1917 his new regiment was able to fight as a cavalry unit once more and captured the town of Longavesnes, north of Peronne. This was followed on the 27th by a combined attack on German positions in the Guyencourt-Saulcourt area, the first major action involving the entire Canadian Cavalry Brigade as a mounted unit. The War Diary of the RCD provides a fascinating account of the last few days of William’s life. His ‘B’ Squadron of 40 men was involved in a successful night time trench raid on the night of July 8th 1917, just South of Buisson-Gaulaine Farm, near Athies. However, this only led to brutal German retaliation the following day, especially tragic as the RCD's were in the process of being relieved by the 11th Battalion Suffolks. The War Diaries catalogued that while the Squadrons were returning independently to Athies “Private McLintock (was) killed in afternoon by enemy shell.” The Canada War Graves Register confirmed that William was killed in action and “was one of a carrying party employed in a communication trench, when he was hit in the back by a piece of shell which penetrated his heart causing instantaneous death.” The attack took place just South West of Bellicourt, and William was buried at Mons-en-Chaussee Communal Cemetery (outside Estrees-Mons).

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  • Born 1886

    Canadian Expeditionary Force 14686