Site Home
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site you agree to accept cookies.
If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation.
Great War Home
Search
Add Stories & Photos
Library
Help & FAQs
Features
Allied Army
Day by Day
RFC & RAF
Prisoners of War
War at Sea
Training for War
The Battles
Those Who Served
Hospitals
Civilian Service
Women at War
The War Effort
Central Powers Army
Central Powers Navy
Imperial Air Service
Library
World War Two
Submissions
Add Stories & Photos
Time Capsule
Information
Help & FAQs
Glossary
Our Facebook Page
Volunteering
News
Events
Contact us
Great War Books
About
249018Sgt. William Cochrane
British Army 5th Battalion Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
from:188 Dalkeith Road, Edinburgh
(d.17 July 1916)
William Cochrane was born on 14 August 1893, the fourth of six children of George and Helen Cochrane. The family lived at a number of addresses in Edinburgh's southside during William's early years but eventually settled at 188 Dalkeith Road around 1907. Upon leaving school, William followed his father, sister Agnes and older brothers John and George into the printing trade. Younger brothers David and Edward would later follow suit. Following a lengthy apprenticeship, William became a stereotyper, producing stereotype plates for use in the printing process.He was 21 years old and unmarried when he enlisted in Edinburgh on 7 September 1914, shortly after the outbreak of war. He was assigned to the 5th Battalion, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders and deployed to France in 1915, landing at Boulogne on 10 May, followed by his brother David (6th Battalion, Cameron Highlanders) on 9 July 1915.
The 5th Battalion formed part of the 26th Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division, known coloquially as the Jocks and Springboks, after the 1st South African Infantry Brigade joined the Division in 1916. The Division was engaged in major fighting on the Western Front, including The Battle of Loos (in which the 5th Camerons suffered horrific casualties), The Battle of Albert and The Battle of Bazentin Ridge. William attained the rank of Sergeant. He was killed in action on 17 July 1916, when the 9th Division engaged German forces in Delville Wood, adjacent to the village of Longueval. He has no known grave, but is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Pier 15, Face B. Brother David was hospitalised after sustaining gunshot wounds in July 1917 but following treatment at St Omer, Etapes and Boulogne, he rejoined his battalion in December the same year. He eventually returned home safely to Edinburgh in January 1919. His first child, born in 1929, was named William in honour of his brother.
Related Content:
Can you help us to add to our records?
The names and stories on this website have been submitted by their relatives and friends. If your relations are not listed please add their names so that others can read about them
Did your relative live through the Great War? Do you have any photos, newspaper clippings, postcards or letters from that period? Have you researched the names on your local or war memorial?
If so please let us know.
Do you know the location of a Great War "Roll of Honour?"We are very keen to track down these often forgotten documents and obtain photographs and transcriptions of the names recorded so that they will be available for all to remember.
Help us to build a database of information on those who served both at home and abroad so that future generations may learn of their sacrifice.
Celebrate your own Family History
Celebrate by honouring members of your family who served in the Great War both in the forces and at home. We love to hear about the soldiers, but also remember the many who served in support roles, nurses, doctors, land army, muntions workers etc.
Please use our Family History resources to find out more about your relatives. Then please send in a short article, with a photo if possible, so that they can be remembered on these pages.
The free section of The Wartime Memories Project is run by volunteers.
This website is paid for out of our own pockets, library subscriptions and from donations made by visitors. The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources and we currently have a huge backlog of submissions.
If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small to help with the costs of keeping the site running.
Hosted by:
Copyright MCMXCIX - MMXXIV
- All Rights Reserved -We do not permit the use of any content from this website for the training of LLMs or for use in Generative AI, it also may not be scraped for the purpose of creating other websites.