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Those known to have served with 4th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders during the Second World War 1939-1945. - Edwards Lewis. Pte. (d.4th June 1940)
- Ferguson David Leggatt. Pte.
- Gordon William Logan. Pte. (d.16th May 1940)
- Hobkirk MC, MVO. Ian Kenneth Cockburn. Capt.
- Millar Matthew. L/Cpl. (d.10th June 1940)
- Morrison James Mathew. Pte. (d.4th June 1940)
- Muir John Rathlin. Pte. (d.20th May 1941)
- Paddon Tom. CSM.
- Simpson James Alexander. Pte. (d.4th Jun 1940)
- Steele Robert Wilson. Pte.
- Ward Lewis Henry. Pte.
- Watson Alexander. Pte. (d.4th June 1940)
The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please
Add a Name to this List
Records of 4th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders from other sources.
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Want to know more about 4th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders? There are:1342 items tagged 4th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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Pte. David Leggatt Ferguson 4th Btn. Seaforth Highlanders David Ferguson was a prisoner of war, held at Stalag VIIIB/344 in Lamsdorf, Germany from June 1940-1945, POW number 5822. He was captured at St. Valery while with the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division. He had been shot and lost an eye, and was operated on at the Stalag VIIIB/344 hospital.
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Pte. Lewis Henry Ward 4th Btn. Seaforth Highlanders Lewis Ward, known as Harry, was born on the 19th June 1918.
He enlisted on the 15th July 1939 and after basic training was posted to the 4th Battalion, The Seaforth Highlanders who were posted in France on the 23rd January 1940.
He was taken prisoner on the 13th June 1940 at St. Valery-en-Caux and transported to Stalag XXA (20A), Llullay, Germany. On the 19th March 1942 he was later transferred to Stalag XXB, Marienburg, Poland, where he spent the rest of the war as a POW and working as a farm hand, on a local farm.
He returned to the United Kingdom on the 2nd May 1945 and discharged, on medical grounds, from the British Army on the 17th April 1946.
In August 1990, he met up with two of his ex POWs from Stalag XXB Willie Stoddart, Jim Bettison. He died on the 22nd February 1997.
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Pte. James Alexander "Tufty" Simpson 2nd Btn. Seaforth Highlanders (d.4th Jun 1940) James Simpson was born in 1914 in Elgin, Morayshire. He was the eldest of three boys to Alexander and Elsie Simpson.
James enlisted into the 2nd Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders aged 14yrs at Fort George and was a drummer boy. James re-enlisted in 1938 for a further 12 years and returned home immediately before the outbreak of war. James was still serving in the 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders at that time.
On 18th of January 1940 the Battalion was at Aldershot and was inspected by King George V1.
On the 26th of January the 4th Battalion sailed for France and was moved into position in the Maginot Line in the Saar Valley, France. The German advance in May 1940 bypassed the Maginot Line and the 51st Highland Division fell back to a new position on the Somme at Abbeville.
It was stationed in front of the Ouvrage Hackenberg fortress of the Maginot Line and had thus escaped being encircled with the rest of the British Expeditionary Force at Dunkirk. It was then pulled back to a new line roughly along the River Somme, where it was attached to the French Tenth Army.
For some time, it was forced to hold a line four times longer than that which would normally be expected of a division. The Division was attacked very heavily over 4th to 6thof June and it was on 4th June that James was reported missing in action believed killed during the attack on bridgeheads opposite Abbeville on the Somme.
James is remembered on the Elgin War Memorial
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Pte. James Mathew Morrison 4th Btn. Seaforth Highlanders (d.4th June 1940) James Morrison served with he 4th Seaforth Highlanders. He is remembered on the Dunkirk Memorial.
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L/Cpl. Matthew Millar 4th Btn. Seaforth Highlanders (d.10th June 1940) I accidentally bumped into Matthew Millar's military grave in the village churchyard of Varengeville-sur-Mer, France. It is the sole CWGC military grave in this village churchyard. The photos were taken on 25th February 2017.
It would appear this is how he ended up in this graveyard.
Matthew Millar's regiment, the 4th Btn, Seaforth Highlanders was captured at Saint-Valery-en-Caux by the Germans on 12th June 1940, eight days after the evacuation at Dunkirk ended. That was 20 km to the west of Varengeville-sur-Mer. Matthew died two days before that on 10th June 1940. His battalion had been up near the Somme and were being chased to the west by the Germans. So he must have died just before they reached the town where they were captured.
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Pte. John Rathlin Muir 4th Btn. Seaforth Highlanders (d.20th May 1941) While researching the wartime story of RAF Helensburgh, Scotland, I came across the death of Private John Rathlin Muir who died in Stalag XXa on 20 May 1941, a member of the Seaforth Highlanders. His dad, same first names, was barrack officer at Helensburgh when he was informed of his son's death, 'cause unknown'. I am trying to find out more about Private Muir's death. I understand he had a military funeral at the POW camp. Any feedback much appreciated. Robin Bird, author/journalist, who also wants to do an obituary story for the local paper in Helensburgh.
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Pte. Alexander Watson 4th Btn. Seaforth Highlanders (d.4th June 1940) Pte. Watson is buried in Mareuil-Caubert Communal Cemetery, Plot 1 Row D Grave 3.
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Capt. Ian Kenneth Cockburn "Hobbers" Hobkirk MC, MVO. 4th Btn. Seaforth Highlanders My grandfather, Captain Ian Kenneth Cockburn Hobkirk, MC MVO, was educated at Eton College and Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He was awarded his MC (Military Cross) for valour whilst commanding A Company, 4th Seaforth Highlanders at Saint Valery during the Battle of France in June 1940. He was captured and interned as a prisoner of war in Germany (1940 to 1945) at Oflag VIIB at Eichstatt, Bavaria.
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Pte. Robert Wilson Steele 4th Btn. Seaforth Highlanders My husband's Dad, Robert Wilson Steele served in the 2nd World War with the British Army in the 51st Seaforth Highlanders Regiment]. His Brother James Steele also served as well in the same Regiment. They landed at Dunkirk but Robert was captured at the beaches of St. Valery while his brother James made it on to one of the rescue boats.
What I know is that Robert had a long journey walking etc. to the Stalag IV A 40 POW camp. (M.Stammlager IV A ARB-Kdo 508) whatever that means? [Arbeits-Kommando means Labour Detail] He served for 5 long years and he once told us a story about the conditions there and the German guards made him dig out the latrines with an axe pick in the winter. Every time he chipped away at it he would get a mouth full and had to spit it out. When they were repatriated Robert said that the Germans treated them better than the Russians. As they got away they came upon a broken down German war truck and him and his mates found a camera, a German Army Uniform and a tin of biscuits. The Russians took the camera and the German Army Uniform off of them and the said to Robert Steele, give me the biscuits. He said "munga munga while rubbing his stomach". They said "give us them or we will shoot" So, starving he reluctantly gave them up. He also told us he rode on the top of the trains on the way home and one of the first things he did was eat a handful of salt.
If anyone knows of Robert Wilson Steele POW and any other stories about the 51st Seaforth Highlanders, I would be so interested. My cousin Davy Steele wrote the ballad The beaches of St. Valery. A must see on YouTube. Sadly Robert passed away in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, but had a good life
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CSM. Tom Paddon 4th Btn. Seaforth Highlanders My father in law Tom Paddon was a regular soldier in the Seaforth Highlanders and saw service in India and the area pre WW2. He then went with the British Expeditionary Force and was eventually taken prisoner at Saint Valéry en Caux He spent the rest of the war at Stalag 8b and his number in the camp was 16793.
If any one can help with more information as to the time spent there or any one has memories of him we would be very grateful. He never spoke about his time in captivity so maybe it was not a good time. He would be remembered as he was West Country man in a Scottish regiment.
Please feel free to contact me.
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