Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Private J. McLaren, Royal Scots, who was killed in action on 9 April 1918

British War and Victory Medals (51311 Pte. J. McLaren. R. Scots.); Memorial Plaque (James McLaren) good very fine (3) £100-£140

James McLaren was born in Govan, Glasgow, in 1899, and attested into the Royal Engineers for service during the Great War. After training, he transferred into the Royal Scots and served on the Western Front with the 16th Battalion. Initially posted as missing, he was killed in action at Bailleul on 16 April 1918 and is buried in Outtersteene Communal Cemetery Extension, Bailleul, France.

Tragically, his father, who lived in South Wellington Street, Glasgow, had exchanged correspondence with the authorities asking for news of his son, only to be mistakenly advised that he was alive, until it was later realised that the initial reply referred to another solider of the exact same name, who lived just 20 houses away from him in the same street.

Sold with detailed copy research.