A Poignant 'Dundonian' Jock's Great War Casualty Group of 3: Lance-Corporal William Angus, 'C' Company, 4th (City of Aberdeen) Battalion Gordon Highlanders (Territorial Force)

- 1914-15 Star (2039. Pte. W. Angus, Gord. Highrs.)
- British War Medal. Silver issue (2039. Pte. W. Angus, Gord. Highrs.)
- Interallied Victory Medal (2039. Pte. W. Angus, Gord. Highrs.)

Died-of-Wounds: Lance-Corporal William Angus, 'C' Company, 4th (City of Aberdeen) Battalion Gordon Highlanders (Territorial Force) is confirmed 'Died-of-Wounds' in Belgium, on July 1915, having earlier been hit by enemy shell fire while serving in the trenches at Hooge, in the Ypres Sector on 19 July 1915

Sadly Lance-Corporal Angus, lingered for two days, before succumbing to his fatal wounds from shell shrapnel. The 4/Gordons battalion war diary records that there were 4 x killed and 13 x wounded on 19 July 1915

The life and supreme self sacrifice of Lance-Corporal William Angus, is commemorated in perpetuity by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission at the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery in the West-Vlaanderen region of Belgium, where his bodily remains lie buried under a headstone engraved with his regimental badge and service details

In Scotland, his grieving widow & family posted an obituary notice to him in the 'Peoples Journal' issue of, 7 August 1915, with a touching elegy from his widow, Catherine Angus (nee Anderson), as cited below:

Quote,

The one I loved is now laid low,
The fond. true heart is still,
The hand that always helped me on,
Now lies in deaths cold chill.

The still, still hand of death
Upon my dear husband fell;
No more on earth will I hear,
The voice I love so well.

Unquote.

The death of William Angus was reported in several Scottish newspapers local to the places he had lived and worked. Prior to enlisting in the Territorial Force of the British Army, William Angus had been working in Aberdeen, and the local newspaper, the Aberdeen Weekly Journal, issue of 7 August 1915, contained the below following article

Quote,

ABERDEEN MEN KILLED OR WOUNDED

Private W. Angus, 1/4th Gordons.

A pathetic circumstance is recorded in connection with the death of Private William Angus (2039), C Company, 1/4th Gordons. Official intimation of his death was received last week. He was expected at his home, 46 York Place, Aberdeen, last week on a few days furlough, and had sent a letter to that effect. Private Angus, who died of wounds received in France (sic), was for nine years, prior to the war, employed with the Northern Agricultural Company, Aberdeen, He went to the Continent with the first draft of the 4th Gordons. He was married and leaves a widow and two of a family.

Unquote

Portrait Photograph: William Angus had his portrait photograph published together with the below following article in the Dundee newspaper 'The Courier' issue of, 4 August 1915:

Quote,

DUNDEE GORDON DIES OF WOUNDS

Lance-Corporal William Angus of the 4th Gordon Highlanders, who died from wounds on July 19 in France (sic), leaves a widow and two children, who reside at 25 Lilybank Road, Dundee. Mrs Angus has received a sympathetic letter from Captain Charles Reid, officer commanding C Company, to which deceased belonged. In the course of which he says:-

"Please accept my heartfelt sympathy in your great loss. Your husband was with me in the trench at the time he was hit by the shell, and I hoped at that time that it would not prove fatal. He has done splendid work for his battalion and his country, and I feel I have lost a friend. He was a fine example to the men in coolness and indifference to all danger."

Lance-Corporal Angus was a native of Dundee, and his parents reside at 98 Albert Street. For the past nine years he had been employed by the Northern Agricultural Company, Aberdeen. On the outbreak of war he re-enlisted in the 4th Gordons, in which Territorial battalion he had previously served, and went to France on 19 February with the first draft

Mrs Angus belongs to a military family. Her father is Colour-Sergeant Peter Anderson, a pensioner of the Gordon Highlanders, who is now doing military hospital duty at Kincardine O'Neil, and her elder brother is Acting-Company-Sergeant-Major Gavin Anderson of the Black Watch, at Nigg.

Unquote

Medals Verification: All of the three x Great War Medals confirmed as entitled, per the below following cited medal rolls:

- 1914-15 Star: WO 329/2800. Shows disembarked France 19/02/15 and 'Died from Wounds' 21/07/15.'
- British War Medal. Silver issue: WO 329/1652, shows served with 4/Gordons
- Interallied Victory Medal: WO 329/1652, shows served with 4/Gordons

Each medal is fitted with and retains its original long length of silk moire riband. as issued

See item code 24932 for the Kabul Kandahar Star that was awarded to the the recipients maternal Grandfather, Colour-Sergeant Peter Anderson of the Gordon Highlanders, and who is referred to in one of the above cited newspaper articles

Condition: Silver medal toned the group about EF

Code: 24950