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Auction: 24112 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 480

The Battle of Passchendeale 1917 campaign group of three awarded to Private W. McInnes, 1st Battalion Cameron Highlanders, who was killed in action on 16 November 1917

1914-15 Star (S-16490, Pte. W. Mc Innes. Cam'n. Highrs.); British War and Victory Medals (S-16490 Pte. W. Mc Innes. Camerons.), good very fine (3)

William McInnes was born in British Ceylon on 5 November 1887, the son of John and Catherine McInnes. His father was born in Ceylon and married Catherine at St. Andrew's Church, Columbo, but by 1901 was living in Glasgow and working as a blacksmith.

The young McInnes enlisted at Glasgow with the 8th Battalion, Cameron Highlanders and entered the war in France with the 6th Battalion on 6 August 1915. Posted to the 1st Battalion in August the next year McInnes was in action with them during the Battle of the Somme. He was wounded by shellfire while they were in the lines at High Wood on 28 September, just before their attack on Mametz Wood.

Returning from leave in early 1917 he was posted back to the Battalion Headquaerters as an Orderly in June 1917. The unit soon went into action at the Battle of Passchendeale and it was station in the Irish Farm trench in mid-November.

They launched an attack against the German positions on 16 November, largely seeing limited resistance except at the Virile Farm position. Here large number of machine guns held up the advance and an attempt to overwhelm the position was caught in an enemy barrage. McInnes was killed during the attack and it is likley he was part of the effort at Virile Farm. He is commemorated upon the Tyne Cot Memorial; sold together with copied service papers, census data and War Diary extract.

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Sold for
£110

Starting price
£60