Part of the Earley family tree
When we have researched the Earley family tree, very little was known about our maternal grandfather. All we knew was his name, Robert Ewart Allan, and that he had been a soldier in the Gordon Highlanders. In many ways, he had been “airbrushed” out of our lives, despite accounting for a quarter of our DNA. The discovery of the marriage register on Scotland’s People told us a little more, but we were still unable to identify his background or find much about his military service, and were constantly coming up against brick walls, and going down blind alleys.
I then reached out for help to the Great War Forum, whose members went far beyond what I had expected, not only finding out most of his military history, but also discovering that he had changed his name, presumably when he enlisted. Suddenly, a whole new world of information was opened up!
This is what I have been able to find out about him.
Family background and early life
Robert Ewart Allan was born on 6 July 1891 at 46 Grahams Road, Falkirk, Stirlingshire as Robert Ewart Rutherford. His parents were Thomas Allan Rutherford (1862–1896), a foreman baker, and his wife Alison, née Ewart (1868–1937).
Thomas Allan Rutherford died on 30 April 1896, aged only 33, from tuberculosis, leaving Alison a widow at 27, with four children aged 11 or under, including 5-year old Robert. Alison re-married on 3 July 1900 to John Robertson, also a baker.
At the 1901 census, the family were living at Kirk Wynd in Falkirk. 9-year old Robert was recorded as a scholar.
Military career
Unfortunately, Robert Allan’s service records and medical records have been lost or destroyed, so we have had to fill in the gaps from the various other records that are available, including Casualty Lists and Pension Records.
On 6 October 1908, Robert (aged 17) enlisted into the Gordon Highlanders, at the Gordons’ depot at Falkirk, signing on for twelve years: seven years with the colours with the remaining five years in the Army Reserve.
He enlisted under the name Robert Ewart Allan, replacing his surname with his late father’s second Christian name.
He initially joined the 1st Battalion, with service no. 122. At the census of March 1911, Robert was with the 1st Battalion at Goojerat Barracks in Colchester, Essex, but transferred to the 2nd Battalion between 1911 and 1914.
In August 1914, at the start of the First World War, the 2nd Battalion were stationed in Cairo, Egypt. They were immediately brought back to England arriving at Southampton on 1 October, going on to a camp at Lyndhurst, under the command of the 20th Brigade in the 7th Division.
On 7 October 1914, the 2nd Battalion landed at Zeebrugge, from where they were immediately launched into the horrors of the fighting in the First Battle of Ypres. On 23 October, they were in action on the Menin Road where Drummer William Kenny received the Victoria Cross for several acts of bravery, including rescuing several injured men while under fire.
Six days later, the Germans launched an attack on the British lines, against which the 2nd Battalion launched a number of counter-attacks, preventing the enemy breakthrough.
On 29 October, the 2nd Battalion were attacked near Gheluvelt, east of Ypres. In these attacks, the 2nd Battalion lost over 100 officers and men, either killed or wounded. Among the casualties was Lieutenant James Brooke who received a posthumous Victoria Cross for “conspicuous bravery and great ability … in leading two attacks on the German trenches under heavy rifle fire and machine gun fire”.
It is probable that Robert received his first injury on 29 October 1914 and was one of several men admitted to the 3rd Casualty Clearing Station on that day. Robert appeared on a casualty list on 24 November 1914 (published in The Times on 8 January 1915), although there are no details of the nature of his injury.
It is possible that Robert was sent home to recover from his injuries, as on 13 August 1915, he was married in Aberdeen to Kate Branch [see below]. On the marriage register, his occupation is recorded as “Private, 2nd Batt. Gordon Highlanders No 122″ and his address as Castlehill Barracks, Aberdeen.
Following his return to action, at some point in the next two years he was briefly attached to the 9th Battalion, Gordon Highlanders and then to the 1/4th Battalion, with whom he was still serving in September 1917.
On 20 September, the 1/4th Battalion were with the 154th Infantry Brigade (part of the 51st (Highland) Division) in the front line south-west of Poelcapelle, alongside the Seaforth Highlanders and the Royal Scots, taking part in what became known as The Battle of the Menin Road Ridge. The attack on the enemy lines began at 5:40 a.m. and the battalion soon secured their objective, but with heavy casualties. (The battalion war diary says that “the objective was taken without a great deal of opposition: … our casualties were estimated at [6 officers] and 60 other ranks”.) Soon however, the enemy counter-attacked and by the evening the battalion was pushed back; by the end of the day the casualties amongst other ranks were 37 killed and 137 wounded.
On 20 September 1917, Robert Allan was first taken to the 47th Casualty Clearing Station, from where he was sent by ambulance train to the 18th General Hospital at Camiers, near Étaples on the English Channel coast, where he was admitted on 23 September. His injuries were recorded as gunshot wounds to both thighs and a severe gunshot wound to his upper right arm. On 2 October, he appeared on a Progress List from the 18th General Hospital stating that he was “no longer seriously ill”. He appeared on the casualty list published on 23 October; his address was then given as Brixton i.e. the home of his wife, Kate.
On 6 October, he was sent by hospital ship to England, where his wound was considered so severe that his right arm was amputated.
He was discharged from the army on 24 July 1918, following which he was awarded the Silver War Badge. [This was issued to service personnel who had been honourably discharged due to wounds or sickness from military service.] In February 1919, he was awarded a disability pension of £1 7s 6d. This was the rate for a private without children. His address was now given as Kirk Wynd, Falkirk
His military service earned him the 1914 Star (thus making him an Old Contemptible) plus the Victory Medal and the British War Medal. It was not until November 1933 that he claimed the Clasp & Roses for his 1914 Star, issued to those who came under enemy fire before 22 November 1914.
Marriage and children
On 13 August 1915, 24-year old Robert Ewart Allan married Kate Alfreda Branch, aged 23, at 7 Springbank Terrace, Aberdeen according to the rites of the United Free Church of Scotland; the marriage service was conducted by James Little, Minister of St Clements Church, a short distance from Castlehill Barracks, where Robert was stationed. At the time of the marriage, Kate’s address was 8 Crooked Lane, Aberdeen and her occupation was “flax weaver”.
The couple’s first child, Rebecca Jean Mary Allan was born at 25 Tunstall Road, Brixton on 4 December 1918. On the marriage register, Robert’s occupation is given as “Night Watchman (Ex Private, Gordon Highlanders)”.
The marriage between Robert and Kate was short-lived; at the 1921 census, Kate and Rebecca were still living at 25 Tunstall Road, with Kate’s mother, Emily Branch. Robert has not been traced on the 1921 census.
On 7 September 1922, Robert’s son, Robert Ewart Allan was born at the Royal Maternity Hospital, Edinburgh. The mother was 33-year old Elizabeth Ellen McLanachan, a housekeeper living at 86 High Street, Portobello, also the address of Robert. On the birth register, Robert was described as an “Army Pensioner”.
Elizabeth McLanachan was born in Ireland in about 1889 and married George Lyle Black, a ship’s carpenter, in December 1909, with whom she had five children, one of whom died as an infant. George Black died on 17 April 1935.
On 26 June 1946, Robert and Kate were divorced; the records give no explanation of the grounds for the divorce, which is recorded as a “correction” to the Register of Marriages. Three weeks later, on 17 July 1946, Robert (now 55) married Elizabeth McLanachan (aged 57) at Blythswood (Glasgow) Registry Office. On the marriage register, he is described as a “colliery oncost worker”.
Elizabeth died on 23 December 1953, aged 64, from coronary thrombosis. She died at The Thistle Foundation, a housing complex for disabled ex-servicemen in Craigmillar, Edinburgh. On the death register, Robert Allan’s occupation is given as “coal miner”; Elizabeth’s father, Hugh McLanachan, dec’d, is described as a “missionary”.
Death
Robert died on 9 June 1964 (aged 72) at the British Limbless ex-Serviceman’s Association House in Crieff, Perthshire. The causes of death were recorded as “Hypostatic pneumonia, bronchial carcinoma and pleural effusion”.
Subsequent family history
Robert’s mother Alison’s second husband, John Robertson died at Denny, Stirlingshire on 14 April 1918, aged 40. Like her first husband, the cause of death was tuberculosis. On 23 August 1923, she married for the third time, to 30-year old Robert Jackson, a paper maker, at St Aidan’s Church, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The marriage certificate gives her age as 46, whereas her correct age was 55.
She died, aged 69, at 14 Church Place, Dunipace in Stirlingshire on 1 August 1937; the cause of death was Myocarditis. At the time of death, her normal residential address was Holt Street, West Hartlepool.
Robert Ewart Allan junior married Anne MacKay at Haymarket, Edinburgh on 19 August 1944. On the marriage register, his occupation is recorded as “Leading Aircraftman, Royal Air Force, formerly Motorbus Conductor”.
He worked as a bus driver in Edinburgh: in December 1956, he was awarded a medal from the chief constable of Edinburgh for five years safe driving. Sadly, in September 1957, he was involved in a collision with a car, which resulted in his bus turning over injuring several passengers; he received a serious head wound in the accident. He was fined £8 and had his driving licence endorsed.
He died at Leith near Edinburgh in 2014. His death was reported by his son, Donald, who was then living in Clevedon, Somerset.
Sources
Special acknowledgement must go to the members of the Great War Forum, without whose magnificent help this story could never have been written.
Ancestry.co.uk:
1871 Scotland Census
1881 Scotland Census
1891 Scotland Census
1901 Scotland Census
1911 England Census
British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
London, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1906
UK, Silver War Badge Records, 1914-1920
UK, World War I War Diaries (France, Belgium and Germany), 1914-1920
UK, WWI Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923
UK, WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920
BritishEmpire.co.uk: Gordon Highlanders
Edinburgh Evening News: 9 September 1957. Edinburgh Bus Crash
Falls, Cyril. Gordon Highlanders In The First World War. Naval & Military Press. pp. 159–160.
Find My Past: 1921 Census of England & Wales
The National Archives:
WO 95/1656/2. 2 Battalion Gordon Highlanders
WO 95/2886/2. 4 Battalion Gordon Highlanders
Statutory register of births:
18 August 1862 Thomas Allan Rutherford
21 July 1868 Alison Ewart
27 August 1877 John Robertson
11 March 1866 Thomas Allan Rutherford
23 January 1888 Beatrice Wallace Rutherford
6 July 1891 Robert Ewart Rutherford
11 May 1893 James Duff Rutherford
29 January 1901 Margaret Dalgleish Robertson
7 September 1922 Robert Ewart Allan
Statutory register of marriages:
6 November 1885 Rutherford – Ewart
3 July 1900 Robertson – Rutherford
13 August 1915 Allan – Branch (including record of divorce)
20 August 1923 Jackson – Robertson
19 August 1944 Allan – MacKay
17 July 1946 Allan – McLanachan
Statutory register of deaths:
30 April 1896 Thomas Allan Rutherford
14 April 1918 John Robertson
1 August 1937 Alice Jackson
23 December 1953 Elizabeth Ellen Allan
9 June 1964 Robert Ewart Allan
Census returns:
1901 Scotland census
1911 Scotland census
1921 Scotland census
uk.forceswarrecords.com: UK, WWI, Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923