The Scottish War Graves Project

Valerie · Joined: 09 Nov 2010 Posts: 4

Hello

My name is Valerie and I have found a grave for Robert Duncan Livingstone this is my Great Uncle. Would like to know if you have more information such as was he married. If you don't have this could you suggest other sites. Thank you

ADP · Joined: 05 Jul 2009 Posts: 105 Location: Edinburgh

Hi Valerie,

What year did your Robert Duncan Livingstone die? And what age was he? On www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk there is a small number of births, marriages and deaths for various people named Robert Duncan Livingstone.

On www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk you can download images of death certificates more than 50 years old, marriage certificates more than 75 years old and birth certificates more than 100 years old. The searches and downloads are pay per view, but fairly inexpensive. Newer certificates appear on the index and can be ordered, but these are costly - you would want to be confident you had the right one before committing your money to it.

ADP

Valerie · Joined: 09 Nov 2010 Posts: 4

Hi ADP

Thank you for your reply. Robert Duncan Livingstone died April 10 1918 France age 30. I will look into the scotlandspeople web page. Who would have posted the information on this site about Robert Livingstone as some of the information about his parents and were he lived before enlisting wouldn't have been found on the grave marker I don't think. Have a good day and thank you again.

Valerie

apanderson · Joined: 02 Oct 2007 Posts: 6903 Location: Stirlingshire

Hi Valerie,

It was me who posted the photo of Robert's Family Stone in Old Monkland and the details listed were from the Commonwealth War Graves Database ( http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=869632 )

Name: LIVINGSTONE, ROBERT DUNCAN
Initials: R D
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Northumberland Fusiliers
Unit Text: 1st/5th Bn.
Age: 30
Date of Death: 10/04/1918
Service No: 61301
Additional information: Son of the late Duncan and Sarah Livingstone (nee McFarlane). Came from Buenos Aires to enlist.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 2.
Memorial: PLOEGSTEERT MEMORIAL

The full inscription on the stone reads:

"Sacred to the memory of DUNCAN LIVINGSTONE who died 10th January 1917
His wife SARAH McFARLANE who died at Inverlochy, Blairhill 22nd September 1907
Their only son ROBERT DUNCAN LIVINGSTONE
Who fell in action in France 10th April 1918."

From the Soldiers Died in the Great War Database:

Name: Robert Duncan Livingstone
Death Date: 10 Apr 1918
Death Location: France & Flanders
Enlistment Location: London
Rank: Private
Regiment: Northumberland Fusiliers
Battalion: 1/5th Battalion (Territorial)
Number: 61301
Type of Casualty: Died
Theatre of War: Western European Theatre
Comments: Formerly 112169, Tank Corps.

He is not listed on the Scottish National War Memorial Database.

Neither is he listed on Coatbridge Civic Memorial ( http://warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/viewtopic.php?t=665&mforum=warmemscot)
or on Old Monkland Church M emorials ( http://warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/viewtopic.php?t=5659&mforum=warmemscot )

The CWGC info states that he came from Buenos Aires to enlist so that presumably indicates that he was working there.

I had a look to see if I could find his Service Record, but it doesn't appear to have survived.

I downloaded a copy of his Medal Card Index which shows his medal entitlement - if you send me a PM (Personal Message) containing your private e-mail address, I can send you a copy. Not much info on it other than the extra info that he was a Private, Service No. 1936 in '2nd K. Edw. H' before being in the Northumberland Fusiliers.

K. Edw. H. = King Edward's Horse (King Edward's Horse was a cavalry regiment of the Special Reserve Battalions during the Great War.)

On 'Googling' 2nd King Edwards Horse, I found the following, but I don't know how accurate the contents are:

"In 1914 a unit bearing the title 2nd King Edwards' Horse made its
appearance and produced a badge slightly larger than that of the KEH, but
with the additional scrolls 'Crown Colonies', '1914' and 'Empire and
Liberty' plus '2nd' in the title. There was no connection between the two
units and certainly no love. King Edward's Horse never called themselves
the 1st simply because they preferred to believe that the 2nd never existed.

The 2nd KEH was formed in London on 10 Aug 1914. In Dec 1914, it replaced
the Essex Yeomanry in the Eastern Mounted Brigade in 1st Mounted Division
in Essex. On 1 Feb 1915 it transferred to the Canadian Cavalry Brigade at
Maresfield, Sussex. On 4 May 1915 the regiment went to France with the
Canadian Mounted Brigade in a dismounted role. There it was known as
Seeley's Detachment and was attached to 1st Canadian Division until Sep
1915. On 27 Jan 1916 the regiment reformed as a two squadron cavalry
regiment as part of GHQ Troops. RHQ and A Squadron remained with GHQ
Troops, while B Squadron went to 56th Division as divisional cavalry from
23 Mar 1916 to 30 May 1916.

In Jun 1916 the 2nd KEH was joined by a service squadron of the 21st
Lancers from England to form the XIV Corps Cavalry Regiment. This unit was
broken up in Aug 1917 and the 2nd KEH left France for Wareham, Dorset on 5
Aug and was absorbed into the new Tank Corps.

The 2nd KEH formed a reserve squadron which crossed to Ireland in Jul
1915. Later it expanded to a regiment and was based at Kilkenny in 1917
and 1918.

The 2nd KEH did not survive long after the First World War and were
disbanded in Mar 1924."

Anne

Valerie · Joined: 09 Nov 2010 Posts: 4

Hello APD

Wow that is a lot of information and I thank you ever so much as to finding it all out for me. I have tried to send a personal message but for some reason can not. So here is my address valeriej252001@yahoo.ca.
And again I thank you for all that you have done. I have found these sites www.ww1photos.com/NorthumberlandFusiliers.html thay have a picture of Robert Livingstone for $5.82 I think it is.also this site says it has military records for Robert http://www.military-genealogy.com/registerForm.php?type=viewDo you know anything about these sites? Just don't want to send money and not get the picture or records. A little sceptical I guess but one never knows. Look forward to hearing back. Take care.
Valerie Wink

apanderson · Joined: 02 Oct 2007 Posts: 6903 Location: Stirlingshire

Will contact you via your personal e-mail.

I don't know anything about either of those sites, but hopefully someone else on the forum will.

Anne

ADP · Joined: 05 Jul 2009 Posts: 105 Location: Edinburgh

Hi Valerie,

His birth certificate can be found on www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk can be found easily with the age information that you have for him. Allow ±1 year (at least).

His outgoing passenger record can be found on www.findmypast.co.uk for his voyage from London to Buenos Aires in 1906. He is listed as a boilermaker, as are some of his fellow passengers. No sign of a wife travelling with him.

ADP

kenmorrison · Joined: 05 Oct 2008 Posts: 747

Robert Duncan Livingston was born 1887 at Rothesay, Isle of Bute.

Thanks to a couple of guys on the Great War Forum who extracted the following from "Activities of the British Community in Argentina during the Great War 1914 - 1919" Printed by the Buenos Aires Herald in 1920.

Livingstone, Robert Duncan. 2nd King Edward Horse, missing Estaires, April 10th 1918. Employee of Harrods Ltd. Buenos Aires, left 1915.

(Harrods opened a store in Buenos Aires in 1914)
There is also a photo of Robert which I've sent on to Valerie.

apanderson · Joined: 02 Oct 2007 Posts: 6903 Location: Stirlingshire

Photo now added to the appropriate thread in Old Monkland, see (Page 9):

http://scottishwargraves.phpbbweb.com/viewtopic.php?p=5930#5930

Thanks Ken!! Very Happy

I'm sure Valerie will be delighted!

Valerie · Joined: 09 Nov 2010 Posts: 4

I am delighted to have the picture and all the other information. Would like to thank you all for your help. It is much appreciated.

Regards to all Valerie Wink