HLI Chronicle 1909 - The Royal Highland Fusiliers

HIGHLAND LIGHT INFANTRY CHRONICLE.63ment weather, the funeral was followed byalarge number of his fellow-townsmen andseveral Volunteers to their last resting-placeby the margin of Lochleven.-The KinrossshireAdvertiser, January 16, 1909.DEATH OF A CRIMEAN VETERAN.By the death at his residence in Westport,KiIsyth, of Mr. William Young, the list ofCrimean veterans is further depleted. Aged80 years, deceased was a native of the district,and enlisted in the 716t Highland Lightlnfantry in 1854. With them he saw a gooddeal of foreign service, having three medals,clasps, and bars for the Crimea, 1855; India,1858; and Turkey. •DEATH OF ANOTHER CRUlEANVETERAN.Sergeant W. Nairn, Montrose, a Crimeanand Indian Mutiny veteran, died reoently.He was born in 1826, at Newtyle, and enlistedat the early age of 16 in the 7lst HighlandLight Infantry. He was at once drafted out toCanada. He took part in the siege of Sebastopol,and during the Indian Mutiny wasstationed at Gwalior, in Central India. Of his27 years' service with th.e colours, Nairn wasonly six weeks at home. He held the rank ofSergeant for 21 years, and possessed fivemedals-Crimean, Turkish, Indian Mutiny,Long Service, and Good Conduct and ~IeritoriousService. He was buried at SleepyHillock Cemetery with military honours.accompanied it to Kandia, where he was presenton the 6th of September during the Moslemoutbreak. At the time of the outbreak hewas a patient in hospital. All the patientSat this time took their rifles and ammunitionwith them, and those that were physicallyable got under arms. Private M'Neill having·been mortally wounded outside the hospitalenclosure, a rescue party was formed from theHospital guard and convalescents to bring thewounded man in; and while covering theretirement of this party back into the hospital,Guthrie was severely wounded, being shotthrough both shoulders.Guthrie was subsequently mentioned byMajor-General Chermside in his dispatch, andwas awarded the medal ·for DistinguishedConduct for his gallantry on that occasion.He was sent home to Netlel' to be invalided onaccount of his wounds, but was sufficientlyrecovered to travel to Windsor on the 11th ofMal', 1899, when he received the medal fromthe'hands of the late Queen Victoria.OUR REGIMENTAL BREASTPLATE.WE are indebted to Mr. J. C. Leask for theabove sketch of an old 731d breastplate in thepossession of Mr. Milne of Calverley, Leeds,who has kindly given a description of it. Hesays i~ is, no doubt, a genuine silver plate ofabout 1780 of the old 73rd, but not hallmarked;that he had also made certain it wasWe have also to record the death of anotherCrimean and Indian Mutiny veteran, 1n JohnEadie, late 7lst Highland Light Infantry, whodied at Paisley on the 17th March, aged 78.He left the Regiment in 1876. He was inpossession of five medals-Crimean, Turkish,Central India, Umbeylah, and Good Conduct.THE LATE W. GUTHRIE.We regret to note in the Pensioners' Obituarythe death of No. 6409 Private W. Guthrie,whom many in the Regiment WIll rememberas having gained the Distinguished ConductMedal in Crete. .Enlisting in theH.L.I: in 1897, he joinedthe 1st Battalion in Malta,· and· soon afternot a silver gill; plate of the present 73rd,stripped of its gilding. It differs from otherspecimens. of the breastplate of the old 73rd,and it is possible that the pattern of bleastplatewas different in the two Battalions whichexisted at that time.