Private William Dillon

9th (Service) Battalion Seaforth Highlanders Service No: 10658

Born / Resided

Rutherglen / Coatbridge.

Died

Died of Wounds on the 04/05/1917 at the 3rd Battle of the Scarpe (part of the Battle of Arras)

Enlisted

Coatbridge

Employed

Clyde Tube Works / Reservist.

Age

27 / DOB - 07/05/1889

Buried / Remembered

Faubourg D'Amiens Cemetery (V. C. 34), Arras, France.

Family Information

Son of William and Margaret Craig Dillon of 49b Coatbank St, Coatbridge. William's younger brother Private David Dillon of the Highland Light Infantry was Killed in Action 6 months earlier and his cousin Private William Dillon of the Royal Scots Fusiliers Died of Wounds in October 1914. From the 1891 Census - Address - 55 Lock St, Coatbridge - William Dillon aged 30, Margaret Dillon aged 26, Elizabeth Dillon aged 5, Patrick Dillon aged 3, William Dillon aged 2, Margaret Dillon aged 3 months. From the 1901 Census - Address - 2h East Stewart St, Coatbridge - William Dillon aged 40, Margaret Dillon aged 34, Elizabeth Dillon aged 15, Patrick Dillon aged 13, William Dillon aged 11, Margaret Collie Dillon aged 10 (27/01/1891-04/04/1983), Lillias Dillon aged 8, David Collie Dillon aged 7, James Dillon aged 4, Agnes Dillon aged 3 and Janet Craig Dillon aged 1. Brother Alex and sister Sarah also both listed on William's Army Register of Soldiers Effects. William and his brother David's Pensions were awarded to their mother Margaret. David's also were awarded to his wife Elizabeth.

Additional Information

The Battalion arrived at Boulogne on the 10/05/1915 and were part of the 9th (Scottish) Division. William arrived in France on the 01/09/1915. The Arras offensive, 1917 (Battle of Arras) - 9th April -16th June 1917 : Once again the British are called upon to launch an attack in support to a larger French offensive: the battles of the Chemin des Dames and the hills of Champagne. The opening Battle of Vimy and the First Battle of the Scarpe are very encouraging, but once again the offensive – often known as the Battle of Arras – bogs down into an attritional slog. Final attempts to outflank the German lines at Bullecourt prove terribly costly. William is listed as 1ST BATTALION on the Memorial and as DALLON in the Newspapers of the time (see photos). William was a Reservist who had served 5 years in India. I personally laid a Poppy at William's grave in 2008. His brother Private David Dillon of the 17th Battalion Highland Light Infantry was Killed in Action on the 18/11/1916 and his cousin Private William Dillon of the 2nd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers who Died of Wounds on the 31/10/1914 (see Directory for both mens pages). William is also remembered in the St Patrick's (book) (see photos for more Family information x 2) and Stewarts and Lloyds Rolls of Honour (see photos). A huge thank you to Robert D Corrins for sending me a copy of his St Patrick's and the Great War book. See photos for Williams Medal Index Card, his Newspaper clippings x 2, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls x 2, photos of Williams Grave x 2, his Headstone Report, his CWGC Grave Registration x 2, Faubourg D'Amiens Cemetery, the Seaforth Highlanders Cap Badge and William and his brother David's Pension Records x 4.

Likeness

Medal Index Card

Coatbridge Express 13/12/1916

Coatbridge Leader 16/12/1916

Grave

Stewarts and Lloyds Roll of Honour

William's Army Register of Soldiers Effects

William's Service Medal and Award Rolls (1)

William's Service Medal and Award Rolls (2)

Poppy laid at William's grave

William's Grave

William's Headstone Report

Williams CWGC Grave Registration (1)

Williams CWGC Grave Registration (2)

Faubourg D'Amiens Cemetery

Cap Badge

Family information from the St Patrick's book (1)

Family information from the St Patrick's book (2)

William and his brother David's Pension Record (1)

William and his brother David's Pension Record (2)

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