He is the father-in-law of CHG member and blogger Kay McMeekin.
We know he was in the Royal Scots Fusiliers and served in Palestine; he was fond of talking at length about Palestine. Unfortunately his son did not pay much attention to his tales. His service records did not survive, but he did.
This from June 1915 a worrying time for the family.
A report in the Cumnock Chronicle of 15 Oct 1915 entitled A ROUSING WELCOME details his return from the Dardanelles on leave. He was the first to return and his lifelong friend Hugh Blackwood picked him up from the station in his car and took him to Glengyron Row where there was a big turn out. He had been wounded on July the 5th in the right foot and left arm. His son confirms he had a bullet in his left arm.
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| David McMeekin aged about 22 |
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| This has turned out not to be his record. This David McMeekin was killed in action. |
This is the transcript from his time in hospital. Note the spelling of his surname. And his service number.
First name(s) David
Last name McMeckin
Age 24
Birth year 1891
Service number 6827
Rank Private
Battalion 1/5
Corps Royal Scots Fusiliers
Hospital 149th Field Ambulance
Admission year 1915
Admission date 12 Jul 1915
Transfer year 1915
Transfer date 12 Jul 1915
Transferred to Clearing Hospital 'W' Beach
Country Great Britain
Archive
The National Archives
Piece MH 106/207
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| 6827 Pte McMeckin David Bullet wound right foot and left arm |
Armed with his regimental number from the above record I had another look in the Medal Roll Cards and found him as David M. Meekin!!
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His younger brother Jimmy 1895-1978 also a miner, enlisted in the Royal Scots Fusiliers and his records survive. He enlisted at Cumnock on the 28th August 1914. He was recruited by recruiter John Sykes. He gave his age as 20 years and 160 days but he was only 19. This was probably a mistake and not an attempt to enlist when too young. You could enlist at age 18 but you weren't sent abroad till you were 19. He was 5 ft 5 and a half inches, blue eyes, fair hair, teeth defective, but nutrition good. Pulse 70 (underlined, is this good?). This noted by Dr McQueen in Cumnock. He was discharged at Aldershot after 25 days, as he was "physically unfit for active service due to chronic rheumatism and valvular heart disease". Nevertheless, he continued to work as a miner and died age 83!
Although none of the family died in the war, the family did not escape unscathed. A third brother Andrew died in 1916 in a rock fall in Garallan colliery. He was only 19. I wrote about his death here.
On his death certificate his father John McMeekin is listed as a miner and a private in the Royal Defence Corps (the Home Guard). In the article above he was a sergeant in the National Reserve. He had previously served in the regular army, being in Ayr Barracks in the 1881 census.
Name: John Mc MEEKIN
Gender: Male
Rank: Pte
Birth Date: 1866
Residence Place: Cumnock
Military Service Region: Scotland, Scotland
Discharge Date: 2 Nov 1917
Service Number: 17465
Regiment: R.D.C.
Title: Pension Record Cards
Description: Pension Record Ledger
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