Capt Arthur de Bells Adam (MC)
1885 - 1916

CPL David Wallace Crawford
1887 - 1916

Lce-Corpl John Joseph Nickle
1894 - 1916

Pte 17911 Morton Neill
1897 - 1916

Lieut Edward Stanley Ashcroft
1883 - 1918

Pte 57428 Findlay Alexander Luke

Age: 21
From: Dunoon, Argyllshire
Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
K.I.A Friday 22nd March 1918
Commemorated at: Pozieres Memorial
Panel Ref: P21-23

CWGC gives his first name as Findlay but his name on the Pozières Memorial is shown as Finlay. The numerous Pension Cards and Soldiers’ Effects records mostly give his name as Finlay. The Medal Roll and Medal Card, show Alexander F., and SDGW gives his name as Alexander Frederick.

Finlay Alexander Luke was born in Dunoon, Argyllshire, Scotland, in 1896 the only son of Paul Luke and his wife Jane (Jeanie) née Campbell who married in 1893 at Falkirk.

Dunoon is the main town on the Cowal peninsula, on the western shore of the Firth of Clyde, to the south of Holy Loch. It was a popular holiday resort for people from Glasgow, and beyond.

A pension card shows his father’s address as Convalescent Homes Lodge, Argyll Street, Dunoon. It is possible that his father was employed at the Dunoon Convalescent Home. Also known as the West of Scotland Convalescent Home, or Seaside Convalescent Home, and commonly just Dunoon Homes, it opened in 1869 and was intended to serve the poor of Glasgow (about 30 miles away).

His father, born in Argyllshire, and his mother in Stirlingshire, married in 1893 and had three children. Findlay had younger sisters Janet and Margaret.

In 1901 the family is living at Burnside Cottage, Low John Street, Dunoon. His father Paul, 37, is a gardener, his mother Jane is 38, Findlay is 4, Janet 2, and Margaret 9 months old.

Unfortunately the 1911 Scotland census is not available.

He enlisted in Glasgow as Private 1136 Lowland Divisional Cyclist Company but following a transfer he was serving in the 19^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 57428.

The amount of the War Gratuity suggests that he enlisted in about July 1915. A pension card shows rank as Signaller. The medal roll shows only K.L.R., indicating that he was transferred before proceeding overseas.

He was killed in action on the 22^nd March 1918, aged 21, during the German Spring Offensive.

The Battalion diary gives an insight into the days events:

22^nd GERMAINE – HAM- MOYENCOURT

The battalion moved up accordingly being in position at 6:30 a.m. About 3pm the enemy attacked the left of our position and advanced on our left flank towards FLUQUIERES. At 4:30 pm an attack was launched on our front and the enemy forced his way through on our right. The remainder of the Battalion was forced to retire to south of FLUQUIERES. During this engagement the Battalion lost 11 Officers and About 21 O.R. The order was given to retire to the defences at HAM. The Battalion by this time was very weak, and passing through the 20^th Division took up positions in HAM, as ordered, getting into position at 2am.

Findlay Alexander has no known grave and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial.

The POZIERES MEMORIAL relates to the period of crisis in March and April 1918 when the Allied Fifth Army was driven back by overwhelming numbers across the former Somme battlefields, and the months that followed before the Advance to Victory, which began on 8 August 1918. The Memorial commemorates over 14,000 casualties of the United Kingdom and 300 of the South African Forces who have no known grave and who died on the Somme from 21 March to 7 August 1918.

The cemetery and memorial were designed by W.H. Cowlishaw, with sculpture by Laurence A. Turner. The memorial was unveiled by Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien on 4 August 1930.

Records are inconsistent concerning the date and circumstances of his death. Pension cards (one shows died of wounds, another death presumed) and Soldiers’ Effects (one shows that he died at Cugny, southeast of Ham, another POW, death presumed) give date of death as 26th March 1918, but his CWGC record gives his date of death as 22nd March 1918. Evidently this soldier was missing between 22nd and 26th March, during the German Spring Offensive.

His family made enquiries with the British Red Cross on 2nd August 1918, stating he was wounded and missing since 22nd March, and again on 20th November 1918. Their records show he served in ‘D’ Company. No record has been found in the International Red Cross database showing that he was held by the Germans.

However, The Scotsman, over a year after he went missing, on 17th May 1919, reported:

“Now reported by the German Government - Killed or died of wounds, King’s (Liverpool) R. - Luke 57428 F.A. (Dunoon)”

It is not known when his family was notified of his presumed death.

His parents received a pension of 5/- a week from November 1918. His Army effects and a War Gratuity of £14-10s went to his mother Jeannie.

Finlay (sic) is commemorated on the Dunoon and Cowal War Memorial

Alexander Frederick Luke (sic), 1136 Highland Cyclist Bn, (sic) is also commemorated on the Scottish National War Memorial.

Father Paul Luke died 1943 in Edinburgh aged 79

We currently have no further information on Findley Alexander Luke, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.

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(108 Years this day)
Tuesday 30th April 1918.
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Tuesday 30th April 1918.
Pte 27948 Joseph Atherton
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(108 Years this day)
Tuesday 30th April 1918.
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(108 Years this day)
Tuesday 30th April 1918.
Pte 46630 Watson Bell
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(108 Years this day)
Tuesday 30th April 1918.
Lieut Roland Henry Brewerton
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(108 Years this day)
Tuesday 30th April 1918.
Pte 51708 Charles Norman Dod
21 years old

(108 Years this day)
Tuesday 30th April 1918.
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24 years old

(108 Years this day)
Tuesday 30th April 1918.
Pte 23056 John William Jones
27 years old

(108 Years this day)
Tuesday 30th April 1918.
Pte 49572 John Henry Leadbeater (MM)
27 years old

(108 Years this day)
Tuesday 30th April 1918.
Sgt 22462 James Lowe (MID)
25 years old

(108 Years this day)
Tuesday 30th April 1918.
Pte 51712 Edgar Domenico Murray
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(108 Years this day)
Tuesday 30th April 1918.
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A total of 14 Pals were killed on this day. View All