b. 15/02/1893 Wigtown, Scotland. d. 04/10/1918 Wytschaete, Belgium.
Louis McGuffie (1893-1918) was born on 15th February 1893 at High Street, Wigtown, Wigtownshire, Scotland. His father, Edward, was born at Bridge of Bladnoch, Wigtownshire, and was a general labourer. He married Lillias “Lily” McCallum nee McKay on Christmas Day 1883 at Wigtown. She had been previously married to Benjamin McCallum (who died in 1879). Lily had five children with Benjamin – Evander, David, Maggie, Elizabeth and Benjamin. Lily died in 1890, and Edward remarried to Catherine Gilmour on 13th October 1892 in Wigtown. They had six boys including Louis.
Louis was educated at Wigtown Higher Grade School and was probably employed in farming thereafter. He played for Wigtown United Football Club. He also served with King’s Own Scottish Borderers and was mobilised on 4th August 1914. He departed Liverpool with the Battalion on 21st May 1915, arriving at Mudros on 29th May and landed at Gallipoli on 6th June. He was wounded there in December and returned to Mudros on 7th January 1916.
Louis McGuffie VC
In January 1916 the Battalion moved to Egypt for service in Palestine and Gaza before transferring to France in April 1918. By this time Louis had been promoted to the rank of Corporal and was soon to be further promoted to Sergeant. In September Louis’ brother, Robert, was severely wounded and had his left arm amputated. Barely three weeks later Louis was killed. The Galloway Gazette reported: “Mrs E McGuffie, Low Vennel, Wigtown, has received official intimation of the death in action on 4th inst of her son, Sergt L McGuffie, KOSB. The Chaplain in writing to his mother says that the Commanding Officer told him that in her son he had lost his best and bravest man. During the fighting recently Sergeant McGuffie took 40 prisoners single-handed, and released ten men of a British regiment that had been taken prisoners by disarming the enemy escort that was leading them off. He was killed instantaneously by shell fire.”
Just before Christmas 1918, the Galloway Gazette carried the news that he had been awarded the Victoria Cross: The Victoria Cross has been awarded to the late Louis McGuffie, 1/5thBattalion, KOSB (TF), Wigtown “for most conspicuous bravery and resourceful leadership under heavy fire near Wytschaete on September 18th 1918. During the advance on Piccadilly Farm, he single-handed, entered several dug-outs and took many prisoners, and during subsequent operations dealt similarly with dug-out after dug-out, forcing one officer and twenty-five other ranks to surrender. During consolidation of the first objective he pursued and brought back several of the enemy who were slipping away, and he was instrumental in releasing some British soldiers who were being led off as prisoners. Later in the day, when in command of a platoon, he led it with the utmost dash and resource, capturing many prisoners. This very gallant soldier was subsequently killed by a shell.”
He was originally buried 630m west-southwest of the church in Kruiseik. His remains were exhumed in November 1919 and were reburied in Zantvoorde British Cemetery, Belgium. He is commemorated with Louis McGuffie VC Memorial Gardens in Wigtown, with a VC commemorative stone placed in the VC Memorial Gardens in Wigtown on 28th September 2018, with a brass plaque in Wigtown Town Hall, named on the Wigtown War Memorial, and on a memorial at Glasgow Central Station dedicated on 8th May 2022.
The VC was presented to his mother by King George V at Buckingham Palace on 17th May 1919. She was given a civic reception on return to Wigtown where she was met by the Provost and other dignitaries.
In addition to his VC, he was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal 1914-20 and Victory Medal 1914-19. The VC was presented to the King’s Own Scottish Borderers by his brother, Robert, on 19th August 1971. It is held at the Regimental Museum in Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: KINGS OWN SCOTTISH BORDERERS MUSEUM, BERWICK UPON TWEED, NORTHUMBERLAND.
BURIAL PLACE: ZANTVOORDE BRITISH CEMETERY, BELGIUM.
PLOT I, ROW D, GRAVE 12
Acknowledgements:
Kevin Brazier – Cemetery Map.
Andrew Swan – Image of the McGuffie VC Medal Group at the KOSB Museum, Berwick upon Tweed.