2nd Lt.Ian Cameron Macfarlane – A Yorkshire Regiment Officer Who Died in the First World War
A Memorial Roll of The Officers of Alexandra Princess of Wales Own Yorkshire Regiment Who Died 1914-1919, Compiled by Robert Coulson (1952-2008)
http://www.ww1-yorkshires.org.uk/pdf-files/bob%20coulson/officers-died-ww1.pdf
I came across this document quite by accident.I was reading a comment made on another posting regarding the discovery of a name scratched on a wall at Bertangles, that of an A.McFarlane 1918 Australia and decided to do a Google search to see what I could find. I then was sidetracked by this document which lists information about another person entirely, 2nd Lt.Ian Cameron Macfarlane.
Following is an extract of the information which appears on page 146 of the document relating to this officer.Anyone interested in information on the other officers of the regiment who died during World War I should look at the original document mentioned above.
Yorkshire Regiment Officers Who Died in the First World War
Page 146 of 246
2nd Lt Ian Cameron Macfarlane – 11th Battalion att’d 6th Battalion.
Ian Macfarlane joined the 6th battalion on the Gallipoli Peninsula in late November of 1915 when gaining his commission after service with the Royal Fusiliers.Just a few weeks later the evacuation was ordered and on December 18th the battalion sailed for the island of Imbros where they remained until February 1916 when they sailed for Alexandria in Egypt arriving on February 7th.
2nd Lt Macfarlane and the battalion served around the Suez Canal area until June 1916 when they sailed once again arriving in Marseilles on July 1st and then made their way north through France to the Arras sector of the Western Front.They entered the Battle of the Somme in early September and on the night of the 14th at 6-30pm attacked the German stronghold known as the Wonderwerk near Thiepval.The battalion met heavy rifle and grenade fire and three times during the night the enemy counter attacked but were each time repulsed.
2nd Lt Ian Cameron Macfarlane was killed in this action on September 14th 1916 aged just 20.His body lost, he is remembered today on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing close to where he fell.He was the son of Charles and Nancy Macfarlane of 41 Hutton Avenue in West Hartlepool where his name is also recorded on the town’s memorial.
