Adam Cassie and his wife Isabella
The image is courtesy of Bill McPherson, Cyprus, and is a formal image of Adam and Isabella taken on Adam’s return to Dorsincilly Cottage, Birkhall, from the front line towards the end of 1917. He was posted to France in late Spring of 1915 and did not see his first child Chrissie, born in December 1915, until she was nearly two years old.
Perhaps someone will be able to identify the rank and other military insignia details on the uniform?
It is thought Adam may have been working for Birkhall Estate (part of the Royal Estates at Braemar) prior to enlisting and had moved into Dorsincilly House on his marriage to Isabella.
Bill MacPherson, a grandson of Adam, says ‘Adam was awarded the Military Medal for gallantry and bravery under fire while in France. I know that he had wounds in his back from sniper bullets which gave him trouble while sleeping……..but I never heard him complain.
I recall a family story about Adam building a tree house for the princesses, Elizabeth and Margaret, when the Queen Mother and George VI occupied Birkhall House during the summer holidays in the 1930’s.’
Adam continued to work on Birkhall Estate and stay in Dorsincilly Cottage until 1932 when much of the forestry and hill land as well as worker houses were either sold or leased to the Forestry Commission. The forestry workers including Adam continued where they were but as employees of the Forestry Commission. At some point, possibly when Charles Duguid who was the Foreman left to join another forest, Adam may have been appointed as his replacement. Adam continued to rise through the ranks and was promoted up to the forester grade and transferred to Countesswells Forest near Aberdeen to take charge there in 1947.
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Groups: Forestry Areas, Groups of people
Group: Forestry in Action - 1908 pictures
4 Comments
Thanks for posting your message. I believe Adam was born in 1894, and I recall talk of New Byth but not the details. Please proceed to add the details of his medal cards you have and I can view them here.
All the best,
Bill Comment left on 08 October 2022 at 10:22 by Bill McPherson
Thank you for your message and confirmation that I may publish other documents on the site. I hope to do this later in the day.
Good health, Bill Comment left on 08 October 2022 at 11:08 by Bill Rayner
Adam Cassie was awarded the "Victory" and the "British War" medals at the end of WW1. These were awarded under his Royal Engineers, Regimental No.:130159.
Adam's "Military Medal" was also awarded to him whilst serving with No.1 Spec. Coy. R.E. (Special Company, Royal Engineers) and this was Gazetted, Registered Paper:68/121/272, Schedule Number:102124. (Published in the Supplement to the London Gazette on the 28th, September, 1917, page 10023)
"130159 Pnr. A. Cassie, R.E. (Turriff)." is the extract of the 'Supplement to the London Gazette' entry.
It would appear that the No. 1 Spec. Coy. R.E. were specifically trained in the use of gas and "equiped to handle gas shells fired from 4-inch Stokes mortars. Each Company having 48 such weapons".
This partial quote was taken from the 'Longlongtrail' website. Link: https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-corps-of-royal-engineers-in-the-first-world-war/the-special-companies-of-the-royal-engineers-poison-gas/
I have replaced the pdf image of 'Adam and Isabella Cassie (nee McWillie) 1917', with an image of Adam Cassie's WW1 medal cards, obtained from the National Archive (NA) and only to be used for personal, educational purposes. Please contact the NA, if you wish to use the images for commercial purposes.
My regards, Bill
Comment left on 09 October 2022 at 01:03 by Bill Rayner
I have done a little research and it appears that Adam served initially, with service number130159, as a Pioneer, with the Royal Engineers. He was then transferred, with service number 20068, as a Pioneer, to the Middlesex Regiment. The lower vertical stripe, sown onto his left arm of the tunic denotes that he was wounded in action and you can see the Military Medal ribbon sewn onto his tunic above the left breast pocket. I am not sure what the inverted cheveron above the wound stripe denotes, or the lanyard that he is wearing over his left shoulder. I have copies of his medal cards that I can post here, providing this is agreeable to Bill and I am happy to send him copies of the cards if he so wishes. May I also ask Bill, if he can confirm that Adam was born in 1894 and lived in Main Street, King Edward, New Byth, Aberdeenshire? If this is correct, he appears to have been staying, along with two syblings, with his widowed Aunt, Annie Taylor, in the 1901 Census. More information is available, but I would rather Bill approved this, rather than publishing it online. Good health, Bill Rayner Comment left on 08 October 2022 at 00:54 by Bill Rayner