SAMUEL BALLANTYNE, Private S/6875, 7th Bn Seaforth Highlanders

SAMUEL BALLANTYNE, Private S/6875, 7th Bn Seaforth Highlanders, is listed on the FERNIEGAIR War Memorial, and had family and sisters who lived in Ferniegair and Larkhall.

A photo of the panel on the Ferniegair War Memorial is attached.

SAMUEL BALLANTYNE was born at 3 Merryton Rows, Ferniegair, Hamilton, on 5th October, 1896.

His parents were James Ballantyne, a Coal Miner, and Martha Dunlevy who were married at Wishaw on 27th June, 1873.
His paternal grandparents were Thomas Ballantyne, a Coal Miner, and Marion Dalziel.
His maternal grandparents were James Dunlevy, a Hawker, and Margaret McKay.

The 1901 LARKHALL Census was taken on 31st March, 1901.
The family are listed at 31 Meadowhill Rows, Larkhall, as follows:
James Ballantyne, age 51, Head, Coal Miner, b Wishaw.
Martha Ballantyne, age 49, Wife, b Kilmarnock.
Thomas Ballantyne, age 22, Son, Coal Miner, b Wishaw.
James Ballantyne, age 17, Son, Coal Miner, b Law Village.
John Ballantyne, age 13, Son, Scholar, b Law Village.
Robert Ballantyne, age 10, Son, Scholar, b Law Village.
Marion Ballantyne, age 8, Daughter, Scholar, b Law Village.
Jane Ballantyne, age 6, Daughter, Scholar, b Law Village.
SAMUEL BALLANTYNE, age 4, Son, b Hamilton.

The 1911 FERNIEGAIR Census was taken on 2nd April, 1911.
The family are listed at 6 Merryton Rows, Ferniegair, Hamilton, as follows:
James Ballantyne, age 59, Head, Coal Miner, b Law.
Martha Ballantyne, age 59, Wife, b Law.
John Ballantyne, age 22, Son, Coal Miner, b Hamilton.
Robert Ballantyne, age 20, Son, Coal Miner, b Kilmarnock.
SAMUEL BALLANTYNE, age 14, Son, Coal Miner, b Wishaw.
Joseph Ballantyne, age 14 months, Adopted Son, b Larkhall.

SAMUEL BALLANTYNE enlisted at Hamilton and joined the 7th Bn, Seaforth Highlanders as Private S/6875. He went to France on 7th October, 1915.

5 days later, SAMUEL BALLANTYNE was Killed-In-Action on 12th October, 1915, age 19.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) entry for SAMUEL BALLANTYNE shows that he is buried at RAILWAY DUGOUTS BURIAL GROUND (Transport Farm), Zillebeke, West Vlaanderen, Belgium. There are 2,463 casualties buried there.

A photo of his gravestone is attached.

The commune of Zillebeke contains many Commonwealth cemeteries as the front line trenches ran through it during the greater part of the First World War.
Railway Dugouts Cemetery is 2 Kms west of Zillebeke village, where the railway runs on an embankment overlooking a small farmstead, which was known to the troops as Transport Farm. The site of the cemetery was screened by slightly rising ground to the east, and burials began there in April 1915. They continued until the Armistice, especially in 1916 and 1917, when Advanced Dressing Stations were placed in the dugouts and the farm. They were made in small groups, without any definite arrangement and in the summer of 1917 a considerable number were obliterated by shell fire before they could be marked. The names "Railway Dugouts" and "Transport Farm" were both used for the cemetery.

The Scottish National War Memorial (SNWM) at Edinburgh Castle shows that SAMUEL BALLANTYNE is commemorated there.

The entry in Soldiers Died in the Great War (SDGW) shows that SAMUEL BALLANTYNE enlisted and was a resident of Hamilton.

The Medal Rolls Index Card (MIC) for SAMUEL BALLANTYNE shows that he was awarded the 1914-15 Star Medal, the Victory Medal and the British War Medal.

The "Soldier's Effects" record shows that his father James received his Outstanding Pay of £-/-/5 (paid in postage stamps), and a War Gratuity of £3/-/-.

Walter Smith sent a newspaper clipping to me. This is taken from The Hamilton Advertiser, dated 12th October, 1918. It reads:
"BALLANTYNE - In loving memory of our dear son, Pte Samuel Ballantyne, Seaforth Highlanders, who was killed by a shell on 12th October, 1915, aged 19 years.
'Dear son, our loss can never be told,
We miss you more as the days grow old;
Oft when I sit in sorrow and woe,
There comes a dream of the dear long ago,
And unknown to the world you stand by my side,
And whisper 'Dear mother, death cannot divide'.

Dear son of my bosom, you sleep with the brave,
Where no mother's tears can e'er drop on your grave;
In the red fields of France you are laid far away,
My fond thoughts are with you for ever and aye.'
- Inserted by his father and mother, No 6 Merryton Rows, by Hamilton.

'Could I, his sister, have clasped his hand,
The brother I loved so well,
Or kissed his brow when death was nigh,
Or whispered, 'Dear Samuel, farewell'.
- Inserted by his sister and brother-in-law, Mr and Mrs Holland, Strutherhill, Larkhall.

'Although from us you passed away,
Your memory will for ever stay;
Your duty done, and nobly too,
Our thoughts will always be with you'.
- Inserted by his sister and brother-in-law, Mr and Mrs Hugh Penman, 14 School Street, Low-waters.

Three years have passed since that sad day,
When our dear brother was called away;
God took him home, it was his will,
Forget him! No! We never will.'
- Inserted by his sister and brother-in-law, Mr and Mrs John Kirkland, 18 Hamilton Street, Larkhall".

On 11th January, 1931, his father James Ballantyne, age 78, died at 16 Clyde Avenue, Ferniegair.

On 30th October, 1933, his mother Martha Dunlevy or Ballantyne, age 79, died at 16 Clyde Avenue, Ferniegair.

Lest We Forget!