My name is Ailsa Clarke and I’m a native
of the Isle of Lismore, although I now
live in Edinburgh. I was home at the
weekend and was accosted (in a good way)
by someone who wondered if I’d visited
the battlefields recently: before I
trained to become a teacher, I used to
be a WW1 battlefield guide. I was told
that there was something on the
community website about a WW1 casualty.
I left the thistle and cross at Tyne Cot
that you photographed on my last visit
to the Salient. I am not a relative of
Donald’s, although his nephew and niece
still come to the island regularly and I
know them both. Sadly, Donald died
before either of them was born. They
may well get in touch with you – the
Liosach grapevine is very quick! – but
I’d love to tell you what I know.
Donald was a tailor on Lismore – by all
accounts a handsome and generally lovely
bloke: my stepfather’s father knew him
and says he had ‘that little bit extra
about him’. It seems that the girls
liked him and this irked some of the
young men on the island! He tried to
join up when war was declared but was
found to be unfit because he’d recently
undergone an appendectomy. A newspaper
article reporting on his death says that
he was called up in January 1917,
although I am not certain if this is the
case. He certainly went into the 2nd
btn Argylls. The battalion war diary
records that this unit was in the line
in the Ypres Salient on the evening of
25 / 26 September 1917, during Third
Ypres. This was the start of the Battle
of Polygon Wood, where the Australians
went on to lose a lot of men in some
extremely bitter fighting. The Argylls
started off from the wood known as
Stirling Castle and crossed the Menin
Road towards the NE corner of Polygon
Wood, known as ‘Black Watch Corner’.
Around this time, ‘A’ and ‘C’ coys came
under very heavy shellfire and
communications were cut. The war diary
records that the OC ‘sent several
runners [to HQ], but only one got
through.’ Unfortunately, Donald was one
of those who volunteered for the task
and was killed in the attempt. His
friend, Charles Cameron – also from
Lismore – was with him when he died. He
records that Donald was ‘struck by a
piece of shrapnel,R17;
although
his
family were told that he was shot by a
sniper. His body would have been lost
in the fighting that followed, so he is
commemorated at Tyne Cot. It seems that
Donald’s sister was devastated by the
loss of her much loved big brother. She
kept everything that he sent and his
niece still has these keepsakes,
including his field Bible which was sent
home after his death. The inside covers
are stained with blood – it was a very
strange moment when I held that!
I first encountered Donald through a
yellowing newspaper article and a poem
that he had written before he went off
to fight. It was about the croft house
where he grew up and the last lines
seemed especially touching and
prophetic:
R16;Fare thee well my home of yore
I may not see thee any more
And though I lie on foreign shore
I love thee still…’
Some years ago with my stepdad’s help, I
located the croft house that he wrote
about. It’s now in ruins. I took some
earth from inside it and scattered it at
Tyne Cot, next to the memorial. I try
to return to Ypres and the Somme each
year and always go to pay my respects to
Donald, and another Lismore lad, Sandy,
who are remembered there.
from Bill Sutton....
I am Ailsa Clarke's husbands uncle and I
also share an interest in the Great
War.I have undertaken some research into
Donald Buchanan and I would like to
share it with you.Donald came from
Achnacroish he was five feet seven and a
quarter inches tall,twentysix years old
and employed as a tailor.He first
enlisted on 10/12/15 at Oban for the
Argylls with the service number 4551.He
was re-examined on the 20/9/16 and found
to have an appendix problem.He was
re-mustered into the Argylls on 17/1/17
at Stirling castle with the number
202417 for the 5th reserve battalion.He
embarked at Folkestone on
24/4/17,disembarked at Boulogne
24/4/17,and proceeded to the base depot
at Etaples on 25/4/17.On 9/6/17 he was
transferred to the 2nd battalion and he
moved up to the front.He was killed in
action on 25/9/17 during the third
battle of Ypres.He nominated his sister
Margaret to have his effects ,these were
as follows disc,wallet,railway
ticket,photographs,registration card,pay
book,and three coins.His sister also
received his medals,scroll,and memorial
plaque.Donald Buchanan was awarded the
British war medal,and the Victory medal
he has no known grave and he is
remembered on the memorial wall at Tyne
Cot .I hope this information will help
anyone interested about Donald
Buchanan. Bill Dutton .