Have You a Tiger In Your Family?

Rank : Lieutenant Colonel

Unit : 7th Bn

Biography :

Educated at Loretto School (Edinburgh) and RMC Sandhurst (first prize for riding), William Drysdale was commissioned into The Royal Scots on 5.9.1896, promoted Lt on 30.8.1898 and Captain 19.11.1902. Served in 2nd The Bn Royal Scots in India and Burma, where he gained a fine reputation as a fine cricketer and polo player [his cricket career is described below]. On 24.11.1902 he was awarded the Bronze Medal of The Royal Humane Society for attempting to save the life of Private Weaver who drowned in a river near Poona. Adjutant of The Royal Scots Volunteers Dec 1903-Dec 1906. At the Staff College in 1908-9, he had a distinguished career, being elected Captain of the cricket and hockey teams; he won the Staff College Point-to-Point, Golf and Tennis Tournaments. On leaving the Staff College he was appointed DAA & QMG of HQ The Wessex Division, Southern Command (May 1910-April 1912), and thence he went as Brigade Major to HQ 15th Infantry Brigade, Irish Command, at Belfast (April 1912-April 1914). On the outbreak of war he went out as Brigade Major (Aug. 1914) to 21st Infantry Brigade, 7th Division, and served with great distinction. He became Major 27 Nov.1914, and was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order as a Captain on the Staff (L.G. 18.2.1915: "For gallant conduct throughout the terrible experience of the 7th Division in the First Battle of Ypres. He showed an unsurpassed example of fearlessness and cheerful courage, refusing to quit his brigade when wounded."). After many months' hard fighting, he was made GS02 at HQ 16th Division and then at HQ 37th Division. On 1.10.1915, he was given command of 7th Bn The Leicestershire Regtiment, and was given his Brevet of Lieutenant-Colonel in the spring of 1916. He was wounded near Mametz Wood immediately before the storming of Bazentin-le-Petit 14.7.1916 and handed over command. He had only just returned to the Battalion when he was Killed in Action by a sniper near Guedecourt on 29.9.1916, aged 39 years. His General wrote: "He was a splendid officer, fearless and always cheery. He was the best man I knew for making other men fight." An officer of the battalion said: "Without exaggeration his loss is the biggest blow the battalion has yet received. He will never be forgotten by the regiment as long as there is any regiment left."
He is buried at Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, Longueval, Somme, France. He is commemorated on a panel in the chapel of Loretto School, and on a brass memorial plaque at Kirkcaldy Old Church, Fife..

A right-handed batsman, at school Drysdale was in the cricket XI for three seasons and at RMC Sandhurst he was in the XI as well as playing in a number of other military matches. Between September 1900 and September 1902 he palyed in four First-Class matches, for The Europeans, in the Bombay Presidency. On his debut on 13.9.1900 against The Parsees at the Deccan Gymkhana Ground, Poona, he scored 2 and 55 in a drawn match. Against the same opponents on 29.8.1901 at the Gymkhana Ground, Bombay, he scored 5 and 0, in a losing side. He next played on 12.9.1901 at the Deccan Gymkhana Ground, Poona, and scored 16 and 0 and took one catch, in a winning side. His final First-Class match was on 11.9.1902 at Poona and he scored 2 and 12, in a winning side. ‘Wisden’ commented on his play, “a very useful all-round player – he could hit hard, field brilliantly at cover point and bowls lobs and fast…” He did not, however, bowl in those First-Class matches.

This website was last edited on 29.9.2019.

Date of Birth : 4.11.1876

Place of Birth : Pitteadie, Kircaldy, Fife

Date of Death : 29.9.1916

Place of Death : Guedecourt, The Somme, France

Period of Service : 1894-1916

Conflicts : WW1

Places Served : England, India, Burma, Scotland, Ireland, Flanders, France