John Mackie
Rank: Private
Regiment: 11th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Sent by: Miss Florence Bourne
Future Brother-in-Law: Thomas Linster
Miss Bourne’s Address: Filsham Road, St Leonards
Other Info: At the Front. Florence and John were later married. Additional information provided by Woody, in the comments below.
Published: September 1917
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This is my Great-Grandfather John McKie
Will send through full details subsequently but he married Florence Bourne [who sent in the photo] in March 1918. Later in the 1920s he lived in Hollington Old Lane until his death. I believe he worked for the Local Council.
He definitely served with 11 RWF, but ended his military career in Kings Liverpool Regiment.
The military records indicate that 11 RWF came to Hastings before going to France. According to family legend the townspeople were asked to accommodate the soldiers temporarily as there wasn't anywhere to house them.
This is why Thomas Linster/Leinster and John McKie are appearing in Hastings newspapers - neither are from Hastings, they are from Liverpool and Widnes respectively, but due to coming to Hastings as part of 11 RWF they met local ladies en-route to France and in the cases of the 2 above subsequently married them later in the war.
More details to follow when I can dig them out. Some of his descendants still live in the Hastings area I believe.
According to records 11 RWF was billeted in St. Leonards in December 1914 - will be interesting to see how many other 11 RWF soldiers appear on here
Hi Woody, this is really interesting, thanks. There were a lot of marriages between soldiers billeted in the town during the and local ladies. There are 24 men on this site who served with the RWF, some of which are definitely from the 11th. take a look here: http://www.ww1rollofhonour.co.uk/index.php/tag/royal-welsh-fusiliers/. Kind Regards, Kieron