Remembering

David Rennie, born 22.10.1898, 23 South St James Street, Edinburgh.

27493 MGC then L/Cpl 25530 16th Battalion, Royal Scots.

Killed in action 16 April 1918, aged 19 and a half at the Ypres Salient.

Commemorated on the Ploegstreet Memorial to the missing in Belgium. He has no known grave.

My paternal grandmother's younger brother.

He is my only close relative who died in the First World War. My paternal grandfather was a regular in the Royal Scots before the War and he and his 2 brothers came home. My grandfather won the MM in April in 1917 at the 2nd Battle of Arras.

I don't know if my maternal grandfather fought.

My maternal great grandmother's brother also fought in France, married a Frenchwoman and lived near Arras till he died. He was interned in Germany during the Second World War. He worked for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and has a CWGC headstone in the village cemetery in Duisans.

My dad was in the Royal Signals in the Second World War in Egypt, Greece and Lebanon. His sister in the ATS. She met her husband in Brussels. He  was a regular in the Royal Scots Grey's, converted to tanks and landed D Day+1in a flail tank. My mum volunteered for the WRNS when she was 17 and a half and was in London and Lowestoft, dancing with the US troops! She still reminds us of her experiences.

My eldest son was a Lieutenant in the Highlanders and then a Captain in the Scots Regiment in the full time reserve. He did 3 tours, 1 in Iraq and 2 in Afghanistan.

All but David Rennie came home safe.

Remembering.