Robert William Weir, Lance Corporal, 1st Battalion Royal Scots Guards
Robert Weir was born in 1892 in Shobdon, Herefordshire. The 1901 census records that he was the son of Thompson and Elizabeth Weir, the former having been born in Badmington, Gloucestershire and the latter in Shropshire.
In this census, Robert Weir has two older brothers and one younger brother. The family reside at Moseley Common (close to The Byletts) in a dwelling which has, at least, five rooms. Robert Weir’s father’s occupation is stated as “formerly Queen’s Guards”.
In the 1881 census, Thompson Weir was residing at The Barracks, Northcote, Canterbury.
By 1891, Robert Weir’s father, along with his wife, Elizabeth and one young son and a daughter, is living at Fig Tree Cottage, Shobdon. Again, this dwelling had, at least, five rooms. Thompson Weir’s occupation is described as “groom domestic servant”.
Above photo: Fig Tree Cottage, Shobdon today (1)
By 1911, Robert Weir, aged 19, is residing at Court House Farmhouse, Pembridge. He is working as a “servant” and “waggoner on farm” for a farmer named Thomas Rees Bevan. A waggoner was entirely responsible for care of horses under his control and attended to the watering, feeding and bedding of the horses as well as harnessing them and driving them in accordance with whatever work was to be undertaken - ploughing, reaping, harrowing and carting.
In the same year, his father and mother, with their youngest son, James, aged 13, are residing at Lower Bearwood. His father is a jobbing gardener with army pension.
In the “England and Wales Civilian Registry and Birth Index of 1912”, Robert Weir is residing at 63 Rosebery Road, London.
On 19th February of that year, he enlists in the 1st Battalion Scots Guards. From now on, he is a regular soldier.
“Ten days after Britain had declared war, the 1st Battalion (Royal Scots Guards), part of the 1st Brigade of the 1st Division departed for foreign shores, arriving in France as part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). The first engagement of the war came at Mons where British forces successfully defended against the Germans, inflicting very heavy casualties on them, so much so that they believed the British Army had used far more machine-guns than they had actually used. Despite the victory, due to overwhelming Germans number, as well as the retreat of the French, the British had to withdraw from Mons which the 1st Battalion took part in. The retreat effectively saved the BEF and the French and kept the British in France to continue the fight against the Germans.” (Wikipedia)
Above photo: The Retreat from Mons, September 1914 (IWM)
In September, the 1st Battalion took part in its second major engagement, at the Battle of The Marne which saw the German advance halted after much bitter fighting, with the Germans eventually going into retreat.” (Wikipedia)
A war diary of the 1st Scots Guards dated 14th September states -
'The Battalion moved at 5.30am via Moulins and Vendresse to a hill between that place and Troyon - 2 companies in Brigade reserve and 2 companies sent as artillery escort to Tour de Passy'. The casualties for this day is recorded as 3 officers and 16 men killed, 3 officers and 86 men wounded and 12 missing.” (2)
Above photo: British troops under shrapnel fire, Battle of The Marne (IWM)
“The sides soon dug-in, the trenches that would be made would become one of the defining symbols of the First World War. The battalion subsequently took part in the Battle of The Aisne where the battalion saw heavy fighting, including at the Aisne Heights and Chivy.
Above photo: German dead after the retreat across the Aisne, September, 1914 (IWM)
“The 1st and 2nd Battalions, Scots Guards, then took part in the First Battle of Ypres in November, 1914” (Wikipedia)
Above photo: Soldiers of 2nd Battalion Scots Guards in hastily constructed trenches, Ypres, 1914 (IWM)
“The Battles of Ypres were a series of actions around the strategically important city; the Allies and particularly the British wanted to hold Ypres, the Germans were equally determined to capture it. 1st Division I Corps, which 1st Battalion Scots Guards were part of, was transferred from the Aisne to take up positions around Langemarck and Poelcapelle on 20th October.
1st Loyal North Lancashire Regiment and 1st Scots Guards held off a German attack along the Menin Road on 8th November.” (CWGC)
“On 11 November, the Germans attacked from Messines to Herenthage, Veldhoek woods, Nonne Bosschen and Polygon Wood.
Above photo: The 1st Battalion, Royal Scots Guards in the Ypres Salient (IWM)
Massed small-arms fire repulsed German attacks between Polygon Wood and Veldhoek. The British were forced back by the German 4th Division and British counter-attacks were repulsed. Next day, an unprecedented bombardment fell on British positions in the south of the salient between Polygon Wood and Messines. German troops broke through along the Menin Road but could not be supported and the advance was contained by 13 November.” (Wikipedia)
The Scots Guards website states -
“Wednesday 11th November will be remembered as the day when, after terrific artillery fire, the 1st and 4th brigades of the Prussian Guard made an attempt to break through to Ypres. Fifteen battalions, specially brought from Arras, managed to penetrate our line at three points, getting into some woods behind it. In spite of their numbers and fine tradition, the attack failed, however, with great slaughter to the enemy...It is doubtful whether the annals of the British Army contain any finer record than this.” (3)
Above photo: The 1st Battalion, Royal Scots Guards in the Ypres Salient (IWM)
A war diary -
“11th November 1914 “In Action 9th Brigade Report "Enemy opened very severe artillery bombardment at 7 am which increased intensity until it became of the utmost severity. This was followed by an Infantry attack pushed with great vigour especially along the Ypres-Menin road. Part of the West Ridings and Royal Fusiliers were driven by shell fire out of their trenches and the German Infantry got into them. Counter attacks were delivered very manfully by the 1st Royal Scots Fusiliers causing the enemy heavy losses and later was reported all the trenches were retaken. This report seems to have been inaccurate and after severe fighting by dusk the enemy still retained portions of our trenches.... The 1st (Scots) Guards Brigade decided to attack at 1 am and 9th Infantry Brigade was ordered to co-operate and try and retake trenches when they advanced. The 1st Guards Brigade attack failed and was not successful when re-attempted at dawn.” (4)
It was most likely that Robert Weir died in the above-mentioned failed attack that 1st Brigade made at dawn (12th November 1914). His body was never recovered.
The same war diary -
"12th November 1914. The Commander-in Chief (Field Marshall Sir Douglas Haig) has asked me to convey to the troops under my command his congratulations and thanks for the splendid resistance to the German attack yesterday.” This attack was delivered by some fifteen fresh battalions of the German Guard Corps which had been specially brought up in which to carry out the task of which so many other corps had failed-viz, to crush the British and force a way through to Ypres.” (5)
Above photo: Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards digging out mud from a trench near Reu Petillon, 19 November 1914 - 7 days after Robert Weir was killed (IWM)
Above photo: Polygon Wood, today (6)
From the Scots Guards website -
“Way beyond all others the battle that most marked the Scots Guards was the First Battle of Ypres. The deaths recorded in the four weeks from 18 October 1914, to which must be added those who died of wounds later or as prisoners of war after being captured at Ypres, exceeded the total number of Scots Guardsmen who died in each of the years 1917 and 1918.” (7)
Robert Weir is commemorated at Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
Above photo: Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial (WIkipedia)
“The Menin Gate is one of four memorials to the missing in Belgian Flanders which cover the area known as the Ypres Salient. Broadly speaking, the Salient stretched from Langemarck in the north to the northern edge in Ploegsteert Wood in the south but it varied in area and shape throughout the war.
The Salient was formed during the First Battle of Ypres in October and November 1914, when a small British Expeditionary Force succeeded in securing the town before the onset of winter, pushing the German forces back to the Passchendaele Ridge.
The battles of the Ypres Salient claimed many lives on both sides and it quickly became clear that the commemoration of members of the Commonwealth forces with no known grave would have to be divided between several different sites.
The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known.” (CWGC)
According to the “UK Army Register of Soldiers Effects”, Robert Weir left the sum of £9 5s 5d to his father, Thompson Weir. His mother, Elizabeth had died in 1915 and his father died in 1916.
Rory MacColl
Sources
1/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-0-m8p3Gps
2/ https://www.wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/greatwar-day-by-day/viewday.php?dey=14&mth=September&year=1914
2/ https://scotsguards.org/historical-overview/the-first-world-war/
3/ https://www.wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/greatwar-day-by-day/viewday.php?dey=11&mth=November&year=1914
4/ https://www.wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/greatwar-day-by-day/viewday.php?dey=11&mth=November&year=1914
5/ https://www.wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/greatwar-day-by-day/viewday.php?dey=11&mth=November&year=1914
6/ https://www.tracesofwar.com/sights/45468/German-Bunker-Polygon-Wood.htm
7/ https://scotsguards.org/historical-overview/the-first-world-war/