2nd Lieut Francis James Mackie

• Age: 28
• From: Aberdeen
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 29th May 1917
• Commemorated at: Vlamertinghe Mil Cem
  Panel Ref: VII.C.19

Francis James Mackie was born in 1889 in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, Scotland the son of Robert and Jean Mackie.

He lived at 44 Queen Street Peterhead, Aberdeen.

The 1891 Census shows Francis (Frank) living with his grandparents at Maiden Street, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The head of the household is William Leith Murray aged 50, born 1841 is a fishcurer and was born in Midlothian, Scotland. His wife Helen is aged 48, born 1843 in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire and has no occupation listed. They have five children at the time of the Census, Helen aged 25, born 1866 and she is a schoolteacher, Christina aged 22, born 1869 who is a music teacher, Margaret aged 18 born 1873 and William aged 11, born 1880 are both scholars and Frank aged 17, born 1874 is a clerk. They have a further daughter Jane who is aged 27, born 1864 and she is a history officers wife and their two grandsons, William aged 3, born 1888 and Frank aged 1, born 1890. They also have a nephew Edward Douglas aged 21, born 1870 who is a school teacher at the address.  

The 1901 Census shows the family living at Park Cottage, Kirkwall & St Ola, Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland. His  father Robert aged 40, born 1861 in Crimond, Aberdeenshire is a fisheries officer whilst his mother Jeannie, is aged 37, born in Fraserburgh in 1864 and has no occupation listed. They have three children listed: William aged 13 born 1888, Francis aged 11, and Nellie aged 9, and they are all at school. They also have a domestic servant Annie Shearer aged 15 born 1886, in Kirkwall and also a visitorr John Thomson aged 37, born 1864  who is employed as a traveller for a water pipe and cement firm living at the address.. 

Francis enlisted in Fraserburgh on 06th August 1914 just two days after war was declared, joining the 5th Battalion Gordon Highlanders as 51736. He gave his age as 24 and gives his address as 28 Barnwell Terrace, Govan. He states he is an engineer. He had previously served in the 5th Bn Gordon Highlanders - time expired.

From 27th February 1915 he transferred to the ASC and reached the rank of Sergeant before being discharged on 26^th June 1916 on appointment to a commission in 19^th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment.

Before he was commissioned his service was as follows:

M2/051736

1/1st Highland Ammunition Park. On 28th Apr 1915 he embarked on S.S. Viper at Southampton and on 29th Apr 1915 Disembarked S.S. Viper at Rouen.

55 Mechanical Transport Company (G.H.Q. A.S.C.) - joined 22nd May 1915

51 Highland Divisional Supply Column - joined 28th May 1915

Admitted Highland Casualty Clearing Station on 2nd Jun 1915 

Ambulance Train 5th Jun 1915

Admitted 12 General Hospital on 7th Jun 1915

To No 9 Stationary Hospital on 8th Jun 1915

Discharged to 1st Indian Cavalry Divisional Supply Column on 2nd Aug 1915

Frank served with the 1st Indian Cavalry Divisional Supply Column from 2nd Aug 1915 to 4th Mar 1916.

On 10th Oct 1915: He was appointed A.M.S.S. with pay.

Granted leave from 25th Jan 1916 to 2nd Feb 1916

On 5th Mar 1916  he was posted to 28th Bn London Regiment (The Artist's Rifles) then on 14th Aug 1916 he was granted a Temporary commission as 2/Lt in the 19th Battalion of The King's  Liverpool Regiment wef 27th Jun 1916. 

Frank is mentioned in the Battalion war diary as being wounded on 30^th July 1916 during the ill fated attack on the German stronghold of Guillemont. He subsequently rejoined the battalion and the battalion diary gives an insight into the action during which Frank was killed, aged 28.

28^th May 1917, Brandhoek – the battalion rested all day preparatory to going into the trenches in the Hooge sector at night.  The battalion proceeded to the station at 10 p.m. and entrained for Ypres, from there moving off to their positions in support, relieving the 9^th East Surreys. […]  A 7 D Coys occupied the Support lines.  B Coy and 2 platoons of C Coy were in Ypres, the remaining 2 platoons of C coy occupying the Tuillerie and the railway cutting just S of Hellfire Corner.  The enemy bombarded several of the roads by which the Coys had to proceed but no casualties occurred.  The relief was completed at 3.20 a.m. 29^th.

29^th May, In the trenches – During the day on both sides the artillery was fairly active and got much heavier in the evening.  The Bn relieved the 1^st North Staffs in the front line, the relief being complete at 11.50 p.m.  The bn was relieved in support by the 17^th KLR.  2^nd Lt. F.J. Mackie was killed and 4 OR were wounded. 

His death was reported in the press:

2 LIEUT. F. J. MACKIE, PETERHEAD 

Official information has been received by Mr Robert Mackie, retired fishery officer, 44 Queen Street, Peterhead, of the death in action on the 29th of May of his younger son, Second Lieutenant Frank James Mackie, King's Liverpool Regiment. Lieutenant Mackie, who was 29 years of age rejoined the 5th Gordon's at the outbreak of the war. He was afterwards transferred to the Motor Transport Service and was given a commission in the 19th King's Liverpool. He was an engineer by trade and served part of his apprenticeship in the two works of Fraserburgh, and afterwards in the Coventry Ordnance Work, Scotstown, Glasgow. He took a great interest in the Boy Scout movement and was the Scoutmaster in the Kinning Park Division in Glasgow.

Frank now rests at Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery in Belgium in Plot VII, Row C, Grave 19. where his headstone bears the epitaph:

"BELOVED SON OF ROBERT AND JEAN MACKIE PETERHEAD"

Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery was started by French troops in 1914 and was taken over by Commonwealth forces in April 1915. It was used by fighting units and field ambulances until June 1917, when the land adjoining the cemetery was claimed for a military railway preventing further extension. The cemetery is remarkable for the care with which men of the same unit were buried side by side if they died at about the same time. There is also a very high proportion of graves of Territorial units, in particular Lancashire Territorials, who have nearly 250 graves in plots IV, V and VI. During the early months of 1917, whenever it was possible, the 55th Division brought their dead from the front for burial here. The cemetery now contains 1,175 Commonwealth burials of the First World War. The French graves were removed after the war, but three German war graves remain. There are also four Second World War burials dating from the Allied retreat to Dunkirk in May 1940. The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield. The wrought iron gates were presented by the family of the late Lord Redesdale, whose son, Major Mitford, is buried in the Cemetery.

Soldiers Effects and Pension to father Robert 

Frank is commemorated on the following Memorials:

Peterhead War Memorial, Aberdeenshire.

Provincial Grand Lodge of Glasgow.

His elder brother William Leith Murray Mackie married Ada M. Patterson in 1918 in Birkenhead,  he died in 1934.

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