A 'Highlander's' Battle of Passchendaele 'Killed-in-Action Medal Group of 3: Private W. McInnes, 1st Battalion Cameron Highlanders, late 6th & 8th Battalion's Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders

- 1914-15 Star (S-16490, Pte. W. Mc Innes. Cam'n. Highrs.)
- British War Medal. Silver issue (S-16490 Pte. W. Mc Innes. Camerons.)
- Interallied Victory Medal (S-16490 Pte. W. Mc Innes. Camerons.)

Wounded-in-Action: Private William McInnes 1st Battalion Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders is confirmed 'Wounded-in-Action' during the Battle of the Somme, when on, 28 September 1916, he was wounded by Gunshot & Shrapnel (or GSW) in the vicinity of 'High Wood'

Killed-in-Action: Private William McInnes 1st Battalion Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders is confirmed 'Killed-in-Action' on, 16 November 1917, during the Battle of Passchendaele. On that date 1/Camerons launched an attack against the German positions, 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 likely he was part of the effort that centred on Virile Farm.

The body of Private McInnes was never recovered from the battlefield, but his life and supreme sacrifice is commemorated in perpetuity by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission on the Tyne Cot Memorial located in Belgium

Medals Verification: All 3 x Great War medals verified as the recipient's entitlement per the respective Great War medal rolls referenced below:

- 1914-15 Star: WO 329/2804 shows entered France 16/08/1915
- British War Medal. Silver issue: WO 329/1666 shows first entered France with 6/Camerons
- Interallied Victory Medal: wo 329/1666 shows first entered France with 6/Camerons

The recipients service papers (burnt series) are extant and accessible at The National Archives

William McInnes, son of Scottish parents, John McInnes & Catherine McInnes (nee McKay) was born in Ceylon Colony, on 5 November 1887. John's father (b. 1854) - recorded an an Engine Fitter in the 1901 National Census for Scotland - had married Catherine McKay at St. Andrew's Church, Colombo, Ceylon Colony on 13 April 1882 . William was one of a several children born in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), the others being his elder brother John (b, 1885) his elder sister Catherine (b. 1886), and younger brother James (b. 1891). Sometime after 1891 and before 1894, the McInnes family relocated back to the United Kingdom, where by 1901 the family was living in Glasgow, Scotland, where the family resided at 14 South Wellington Street, Govan, Glasgow. In 1915, William, described as a 'Sore Worker' was residing at, 332 Rutherlglen Road, Glasgow, hen enlisted for the British Army at Glasgow, on, 4 January 1915. On enlistment he was posted to the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, with which regiment he joined 8th Battalion Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders. He subsequently entered theatre of war 'France' on, 6 August 1915, then serving with 6th (Service) Battalion Queen's Own Highlanders. William further transferred to the 1st Battalion Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders in August 1916. He saw action with 6/Camerons during the Battle of the Somme, where on, 28 September 1916, he was wounded by GSW when they were in the lines at High Wood, just before their attack on Mametz Wood.

Returning from the United Kingdom, in early 1917 William was later posted back to the Battalion Headquarters as an Orderly in June 1917. The unit soon went into action at the Battle of Passchendaele where it was stationed in the Irish Farm trench in mid-November. 1/Camerons launched an attack against the German positions on 16 November, largely seeing limited resistance except at the Virile Farm position. Here a large number of machine guns held up the advance and an attempt to overwhelm the position was caught in an enemy barrage - William McInnes was killed during the attack, and it is likely he was part of the effort at Virile Farm

Condition: About EF

Code: 24790