George's Story.
Birkenhead News 24 April 1915KILLED BY A SHELL.
Fate of Another Local “Scottish.”
A CLAUGHTON HIGHER GRADE BOY.
News has been received of the death, in the firing line, of Private George Veitch, if the 1st Battalion, 10th Liverpool Scottish, elder son of the late Mr. Andrew Veitch, and whose mother (for whom, with other members of the family, much sympathy will be felt) now resides at 4, Woodsorrel Road, Claughton. Private Veitch was killed on Friday, 16th inst. Letters written to the family by comrades in the trenches show that he met his death by the bursting of a shell while he was getting some sleep in a dug-out. With him was an Australian, Colin Bailey, with whom he had been very friendly since they were inoculated together. Bailey was killed instantly; Veitch lived for about a quarter of an hour.
It was only on the morning of the day when he was killed that Private Veitch had written home to his mother. The letter was characteristically bright, and he said he was still in very good health, as, indeed, he had been all along. That letter was received on Monday; on Tuesday Mrs Veitch had the sad news that her son had been killed. This came from a soldier friend, Private Broster, who conveyed the intelligence in sorrowful terms, and said his comrades and those of Bailey buried the two together in one grave, and erected a small cross to mark the spot. His (Veitch’s) comrades highly esteemed him, for he was full of life and spirit, and ever prompt to volunteer for any new work that had to be done.
In a letter to another member of the family, one of Veitch’s comrades (Private Sloan) has written expressing his sincere sympathy in the loss the family had sustained. “George and I were great friends, and I feel his loss greatly. His bright and cheery disposition, his bravery amidst danger, made for him many friends, and we shall all miss his presence; but we must console ourselves with the thought that he died a noble death, without suffering any pain. He was buried in the village behind the firing line, along with two comrades of out Battalion, where a simple cross marks his grave.”
Private Veitch, who was 27 years of age, was born in Birkenhead, and was educated at Claughton Higher Grade School. As a lad he was a member of the choir of All Saints’ Church, Oxton. Before he went to the front he was engaged in the office of Messrs. Peter Williams, Ltd., Paradise Street, Liverpool. He served four years in the Liverpool Scottish, and rejoined when the war broke out, and was sent to the front early in November. He has come through the fighting without injury until the fatal shell burst on the 16th inst. The deceased was a member of the Birkenhead YMCA, and some four years ago was a member of the gymnasium connected therewith, being fond of athletic exercises and sport. For some years he played football with the Hamilton Rugby F.C.
TOUCHING TRIBUTE FROM MAJOR A. S. ANDERSON
“AN EXAMPLE TO HIS COMRADES.”
Yesterday the family received the first official intimation of Private Veitch’s death, and this came in the form of a personal letter from Major A. S. Anderson, commanding his Company, to the deceased’s elder sister. The letter, dated April, 19th is as follows :-
“Dear Miss Veitch – As the officer commanding ‘V’ Company, may I, on behalf of all the officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of the Company, offer you our most sincere and heartfelt sympathy in the sad loss you have sustained by the death in action of your gallant brother.
Among all the splendid men I have the honour to command, he was one of the cheeriest and best, and his loss is keenly felt by us all. There was not a better soldier in our Battalion – always smart, always willing, and always cheerful. He fell in the execution of his duty, and while your sorrow will be great, you will, I trust, be comforted by the thought that his death was a glorious one, while his life was an example to every one of his comrades, amongst whom he was popular in the highest degree.
May I add my own personal expression of most sincere sympathy. I feel That I have lost a good and gallant comrade. Believe me dear Miss. Veitch,
Yours very sincerely,
A.S. Anderson (Major).
P.S. - I am returning to you his few valuables.”