John Smith, 19 Habost, Ness

Private JOHN SMITH
Last address in Lewis: 19 Habost, Ness,
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, of 19, Habost, Ness, Stornoway.
Service unit: 2nd Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: 3/7402
Enlisted at Stornoway
Date of death: 23 April 1915 at the age of 19
Killed in action in France
Interred: Seaforth Cemetery, Cheddar Villa, grave B. 1. (Headstone "A" 63).

His brother Finlay died in 1919 after the end of the war of pneumonia, having served with the Canadian Expeditionary Forces. 

From the battalion war diary
We find the battalion becoming involved in the start of the 2nd Battle of Ypres, which was to run on into May. The entire battle would claim 70,000 Allied and 35,000 German casualties, and was to see the first deployment of poison gas on the Western Front. Of those originating from Lewis in the 2nd Seaforth Highlanders, several dozen would be lost over the duration of the battle.

BAILLEUL
11.30 am Ordered to hold ourselves in readiness to move off at short notice.
7.30pm Brigade moved to DRANOUTRE



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