2nd Lieut William Erskine Watson

• Age: 20
• From: Eccles, Berwickshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 24th March 1918
• Commemorated at: Pozieres Memorial
  Panel Ref: P21-23

William Erskine Watson was born at Eccles, Berwickshire in 1897 the son of the Reverend John Mitchell Watson a United Free Church Minister and his wife Margaret (nee Dodds). His parents married at St Gile's Church in 1880.

The 1901 Census shows the family are living at United Free Church Manse, Eccles, Berwickshire. His father John M. is shown as a Minister of the United Free Church, born at Douglas, Lanarkshire in 1849. His mother Margaret A. was born at Kettle, Fife in 1857.William is shown as 3 years of age and the year of his birth is shown as 1898. He has 6 siblings, all born at Eccles; Marian B. b. 1881, James D. b.1887, George O.D. b.1888, John M. b.1891, Norman B. b.1892 and Margaret A. b.1900. There is also a servant in the household.    

He was educated at George Watson's College in Edinburgh from 1909 - 1915.

His mother died in 1912 aged 56. 

In October 1915 William went to work for Commercial Bank of Scotland as apprentice in the Edinburgh Warrender Park branch.

The family suffered a series of grievious losses. The first of which was reported in the Dundee Evening Telegraph of 22nd December 1915. It records that four of William's brothers had enlisted, and included the sad news of his brother Norman's death.

Dundee Evening Telegraph 22nd Dec 1915

Edinburgh Minister's sons In The Army

The Rev. J. M. Watson of 8 Millerfield Place, Edinburgh, has three sons now in the army, his eldest son, J. Douglas Watson, being dispenser R.A.M.C.;  the second son, George O. D. Watson, M.A., LL.B., second-lieutenant, 7th K.O.S.B.; the third son, J. M. Watson, C.A., second-lieutenant, 4th K.O.S.B., is at present in Gallipoli, where his younger brother, Norman B. Watson, was wounded, dying afterwards in the Military Hospital, Malta. [K.O.S.B. - King's Own Scottish Borderers]

Private 1029 Norman Blythe Watson died of his wounds on 16th August 1915, aged 23. He now rests at A.VII.1 in Pieta Military Cemetery in Malta.

The Scotsman in its edition of 21st November 1917 recorded the death of William's brother John

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

Capt. JOHN MITCHELL WATSON, K.O.S.B. (killed), was the third son of Rev. J. M. Watson, 8 Millerfield Place, EDINBURGH.

The Berwickshire News of 11th December 1917 gave further details of John's death:

THE LATE CAPT. JOHN M. WATSON OF LEITHOLM

We give a photo of the late Capt. John M. Watson, who fell in the recent heavy fighting in Palestine. He was the third son of Rev J. Mitchell Watson, who for 33 years was minister of Leitholm, and for the last 6 years has resided in Edinburgh. After outbreak of war all five sons joined up at the earliest possible moment. His 4th son, Norman, was wounded at Dardanelles, and before he quite recovered, contacted fever, to which soon afterwards in Hospital at Malta he succumbed. Capt. John educated at Duns High School at Edinburgh University, and became in due time a chartered accountant in Edinburgh. Being a Territorial, he was under arms from very beginning of War. Receiving a commission in K.O.S.B., he took part in the fighting on Gallipoli. When the latter was abandoned, his next move was to Egypt, where he took part in early fighting near Gaza, being made Capt. and Adjutant soon after. The news of his death during General Allenby's recent advance through Palestine will be received with sadness by his many friends in Berwickshire. Rev J. M. Watson's eldest son, Douglas, is serving with the R.A.M.C. at Salonika. Capt. George Watson, his 2nd son, has thrice been slightly wounded in France. His health not being sufficiently recovered, is still kept in this Country. Sec. Lieut William Watson, the youngest son, is attached to the Welsh Regiment. The sympathy of the entire Leitholm District goes out to Mr Watson and his family in their present heavy losses and anxieties.

Captain John Mitchell Watson was killed in action on 13th November 1917 aged 27. He now rests at P.23 Rameleh War Cemetery Israel and Palastine (including Gaza). 

William enlisted as Private in the Black Watch (3rd Bn Royal Highlanders) and was promoted to Lance Corporal in October 1916. Having earned a Commission he joined the 17th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as 2nd Lieutenant. He arrived at Battalion Headquarters on 16th June 1917, when it was in billets at Poperinghe, near Ypres, Belgium. He was granted leave to England from 29th September to 3rd October 1917 and on the following day was appointed Intelligence Officer for the Battalion.

He attended a course at the VII Corps Signalling School from 11th November  1917 until 7th January 1918 and was granted further leave from 05th March to 19th March, 1918.

He returned to the Battalion just in time to face the German Spring Offensive. The Germans had broken through British lines on 21st March 1918, and by the 24th the 17th Battalion was in defensive posit at Verlaines, near St Quentin. In the early hours of the morning, the enemy broke through on the left flank and a stand was made on a sunken road south of the village. After half an hour, however, the Battalion was forced to retreat to the canal Bank, west of Esmery-Hallon, eventually digging in east of Moyencourt. Second Lieutenant Watson was presumably killed during the course of the day’s action.

William was deemed as killed in action on 24th March 1918 aged 20.

His body was not recovered from the battlefield or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and he 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.

William's death was reported in The Scotsman on 08th April 1918:

Sec. Lt  WILLIAM ERSKINE WATSON, Liverpool Regt. (killed), was the youngest son of the Rev. J. M. Watson, 8 Millerfield Place, EDINBURGH.

Probate was granted on 03rd December 1918:

Watson William Erskine, 8 Millerfield Place, Edniburgh, 2nd Lieut, 17th (Service) Battalion Liverpool Regiment, was killed in action 24th March 1918, in France, intestate. Confirmation granted at Edinburgh, 3 December to Rev. John Mitchell Watson, 31 Warrender Park Road, Edinburgh. Executor dative qua father. Value of Estate £101. 0s.1d. 

William is also commemorated on the following Memorials;

Commercial Bank of Scotland Memorial at St Andrew Square in Edinburgh

Leitholm-Cross, Leitholm

George Watson College  

William's father died in 1919 aged 70. His death was reported in the Berwickshire News on 15th April 1919 and made note of the loss of his three sons in the war:

BERWICKSHIRE MINISTER'S DEATH

Death to place on Saturday week at Warrender Park Road, Edinburgh, of Rev. J. M. Watson, formerly minister of Leitholm U.F. Church, of which he was pastor 30 years. Mr Watson since his retirement has done much useful work in preaching to congregations whose ministers were on Army service, but the loss of three of his sons in the War told heavily on him latterly. His wife predeceased him some years ago.

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