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| Samuel McKelvie |
Samuel McKelvie was born in Glasgow c1870. He appears in the 1881 census with his
mother Euphemia Boyle, a lodging house keeper in Kircudbright.
He enlisted with the KOSB in June 1887 and deserted 8 months later but rejoined after
33 days. He was convicted and spent 56 days in prison. Shortly after being released he
went to Egypt and earned a Soudan medal with the clasp for Gemaizah and later an IGS
with Relief of Chitral with the KOSB.
He transferred to the Gordons in Oct 1895 and earned two additional clasps to his IGS.
He was one of 3 privates wounded on piquet duty Nov 15, 1897, only 3 weeks after the
storming of Dargai. The casualty records state that he was dangerously wounded with a
gun shot wound to the left thigh.
The Regimental History provides the following:
"On the 13th, Kempster’s Brigade with the addition of the 36th Sikhs, was sent in to the
Waran Valley by the Tseri Kandao pass partly to carry out survey operations and partly
to punish the Zakka- Khels and destroy the stronghold of the Mullah Sayid Akbar, the
principal leader of the revolt. On the 14th Sayid Akbar’s house was blown up. On the 15th
the Gordons remained in camp, but a reconnaissance in force was made by other troops
who, while retiring, were fired at and followed by the enemy to the outlying piquets. They
attacked one of these held by a corporal and eight of the Gordons, obliging them to
withdraw, but two companies coming to their aid the post was immediately reoccupied, and
B Company remained on the hill. The enemy fired from a distance on the piquet as long as it
was light, and after dark fired volleys into the camp. Three men of the Gordons were
wounded on piquet duty."
mother Euphemia Boyle, a lodging house keeper in Kircudbright.
He enlisted with the KOSB in June 1887 and deserted 8 months later but rejoined after
33 days. He was convicted and spent 56 days in prison. Shortly after being released he
went to Egypt and earned a Soudan medal with the clasp for Gemaizah and later an IGS
with Relief of Chitral with the KOSB.
He transferred to the Gordons in Oct 1895 and earned two additional clasps to his IGS.
He was one of 3 privates wounded on piquet duty Nov 15, 1897, only 3 weeks after the
storming of Dargai. The casualty records state that he was dangerously wounded with a
gun shot wound to the left thigh.
The Regimental History provides the following:
"On the 13th, Kempster’s Brigade with the addition of the 36th Sikhs, was sent in to the
Waran Valley by the Tseri Kandao pass partly to carry out survey operations and partly
to punish the Zakka- Khels and destroy the stronghold of the Mullah Sayid Akbar, the
principal leader of the revolt. On the 14th Sayid Akbar’s house was blown up. On the 15th
the Gordons remained in camp, but a reconnaissance in force was made by other troops
who, while retiring, were fired at and followed by the enemy to the outlying piquets. They
attacked one of these held by a corporal and eight of the Gordons, obliging them to
withdraw, but two companies coming to their aid the post was immediately reoccupied, and
B Company remained on the hill. The enemy fired from a distance on the piquet as long as it
was light, and after dark fired volleys into the camp. Three men of the Gordons were
wounded on piquet duty."
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He served in South Africa from Sept 1899 to March
1901 when his time expired, earning the standard 5
clasps for the first battalion and the SA 1901 clasp
since he was not entitled to the KSA.
In 1914 he rejoined the Gordons and claiming to be two
years younger than he actually was and earned a 1914-15
trio while serving with the Gordons and the Labour Corps
Provenance DNW Dec 6, 2006 lot 445
