223719 Pte. William Smith Lund DCM.British Army 2nd Battalion Scottish Rifles from:Bolton My grandfather, William Smith Lund, originally trained with the Dragoon Guards. As a farmers son, he could ride a horse so was deemed fit for the cavalry. However, it didn't take long for the Army to realise that cavalry was not suitable for trench warfare and he was transferred to the Second Battalion, Scottish Rifles.
On 16th of August 1917 he took part in the Battle of Langemark, which was part of the Third Battle of Ypres, also known as the Battle of Passchendaele. He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his bravery (Gazetted on 22 October 1917). His citation reads :
"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in continually leading assaults on enemy strongholds which were full of snipers and machine guns. Using his rifle with great skill, he shot, bayonetted or captured the occupants, displaying dash and gallantry in these hand-to-hand conflicts which were beyond praise. Finally he was wounded when advancing, regardless of danger, against a hostile machine gun in a concrete emplacement. It was entirely due to his fearlessness and determination that his platoon was able to continue their advance."
After being shot he was invalided home and it was not until after the War that he visited Edinburgh Castle where a list of all those killed whilst serving with the Scottish Rifles are listed. My grandmother said he was in tears that day as he learned of the deaths of a number of his comrades, after he had left the Unit.
Grandad was a captain in the Home Guard during WW2.
One of his sons, my father, served in a Sherman Tank with the Guards armoured Division in WW2. His other son served with the Eighth Army, also as a crew member in a Sherman, both in North Africa and Italy.
|