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Pte. Robert Goldie
British Army 8th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders
from:Hurlford, Kilmarnock, Scotland
(d.19th Jan 1915)
Robert Goldie was the 2nd oldest son of Hugh and Grace Goldie.He was born in Liverpool, England as his father Hugh( my great grandfather)was a professional footballer at Everton FC at the time. Hugh was later transferred to Celtic FC and as a result the family moved back home to Hurlford near Kilmarnock, Scotland.
Young Robert was a member of the local BB in Hurlford and was a budding footballer and was playing reserve team football with Kilmarnock FC at the age of 17yrs when WW1 broke out. Robert, who was also an apprentice engineer at a local factory in Kilmarnock pestered his parents over several weeks in an attempt to allow him to join up, despite being only 17yrs. They eventually relented and he joined the 8th battalion of the Seaforth Highlanders in October of 1914. In November he was transferred to Aldershot, England for further training. It was at this point during Bayonet training that he was injured and sustained a very serious stab wound which turned poisonous and on the 19th Jan 1915, Robert died of blood poisoning in the Cambridge Military Hospital in Aldershot. He was just 17yrs of age and the first casualty of the War in the Town Robert was brought home to his family and given a full military funeral with pipes and drums as well as a Full Military Escort to the Kilmarnock Cemetery which was 3 miles from his home. The whole route was lined several persons deep. His name is now engraved on the local War Memorial in Hurlford.
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