Send a Message via the The Wartime Memories Project Website
Send a Message via The Wartime Memories Project Website
Your message will be forwarded to the last contact details we have, your email address will not be passed on, they can reply to you via this messaging system.
Please scroll down to send a message.
212874
Pte. Thomas Ballantyne
British Army 1/5th Btn. Royal Scots Fusiliers
from:Newton-on-Ayr
(d.25th Apr 1916)
Thomas Ballantyne was the son of a slater, Andrew Ballantyne, and the youngest of his two sons. The 1st/5th Battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers was a territorial unit based in Ayr and Thomas sailed with his comrades for Gallipoli on the 21st May 1915 where he fought in the battles of Gulley Ravine, Achi BabaNullah and Krithia Nullahs, in one of the bloodiest campaigns ever known. Thomas survived, unlike many others, and was evacuated to Abbassia, near Cairo on 7th and 8th January 1916. By April, Thomas had moved to defending the Suez Canal and was posted to an oasis at Dueidar where his battalion repelled the advancing Turks. Sadly Thomas was one of the wounded and died shortly after on 25th April 1916, aged 22. He is buried in the war cemetery in Port Said, Egypt.