Hugh Galbraith MM

Hugh Galbraith seems to have enlisted under the provisions of the Derby Group Scheme which ran from October 1915 to January 1916. This was an effort to boost recruitment numbers without resorting to conscription. Galbraith attested (took an oath to serve in the armed forces when required), was placed in the army reserve and sent home on 16th November 1915. At the time of his enlistment he only just passed the medical examination as his height was 5ft 3in and he weighed 7st 11lbs (50kg). On the basis of his age and marital status he was assigned to Group 33 and as a result was mobilized on 29th May 1916 and sent to the depot of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. At the beginning of June he was posted to ‘B’ Company in the 13th Battalion, probably at Dunfermline, where he did his training. In September 1916 he was posted to 1st Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers in France and crossing from Folkstone to Boulogne on the 13th he reached the battalion in the field on the 27th September.

At some point after reaching France he was wounded in action but it is not known when.

On 7th April 1917 Galbraith was posted as killed in action but on 30th April 1917 his wife received a telegram cancelling the report of his death in action. Without access to the battalion war diary nothing is known about the circumstances. He survived another month and died on 5th May. Again nothing is known about the circumstances of his death which occurred during the Arras Offensive nor about the reason for awarding him the Military Medal which was not gazetted until after his death (18th July 1917).