John Meikle VC MM

b. 11/09/1898 Kirkintilloch, Scotland. d. 20/07/1918 Marfaux, France.

John Meikle (1898-1918) was born on 11th September 1898 at 34 Freeland Place, Kirkintilloch, Dunbartonshire, Scotland. His father, also John Meikle, hailed from Linlithgow, West Lothian. He was a carter, and married Elizabeth Ballantine, a domestic servant from Gogar, Midlothian, on 31st December 1880. Sadly, Elizabeth died three weeks after the birth of their first child, Jane, in 1881. John senior served as a gunner in Burma with No 8 Battery, 1st Battalion, 2nd Division, Royal Artillery from 1885-1887. He married Anna “Annie” Hollywood on 11th April 1890 at the Wesleyan Methodist Church, Cowgate Street, Kirkintilloch. John senior later moved the family to Nitshill where he was employed as a section chargehand at Perry & Hope Co Chemical Works. John junior had eleven siblings from his father’s two marriages. Tragically, only the three youngest siblings would live past the age of 28.

John Meikle VC MM

John was educated at Levern Public School, Nitshill, Glasgow. He worked as a clerk with Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Railway Co at Nitshill for 7/6 per week. John was a keen football fan and supported Nitshill Victoria FC.

Eventually he was accepted by the Seaforth Highlanders on 8th February 1915 at Maryhill Barracks. He lied about his age saying he was 18, when in fact he was 16 years and five months old. He even ate extra portions of porridge to broaden his chest. But even at his pretend age of 18, he had to wait a further year to go to France, as a soldier had to be 19 to fight overseas.

Meikle’s personal military service record, along with many others, was destroyed in an air raid during the Second World War. But it is known that on July 31st, 1916, Meikle, who had by now trained as a Lewis (machine-) gunner, was sent to France. He was transferred to the 1/4th Seaforth (Ross Highland) Battalion, fighting in the Battle of the Somme and subsequently rising quickly through the ranks.

He was injured in the 3rd Battle of Ypres in 1917, during which he was awarded the Military Medal for his actions near Langemarck. On 20th September 1917 he demonstrated bravery and leadership when his Battalion was in the line. He was wounded by a bayonet in this action. He was sent home to Glasgow to recover from his injuries. While in Nitshill in November 1917, he was presented with a gold watch on behalf of his fellow villagers in the local public hall. The watch engraved with his initials remains a treasured family heirloom. When Meikle returned to France, he had been promoted to sergeant on 12th April 1918.

The Second Battle of the Marne was the turning point for the Allies in the War, and became known as the last great German offensive. By 20th July 1918, Meikle and his unit (No 2 Company, 4th Battalion), were with the 51st Highland Division in the French Aisne-Marne Sector, and would defend the Ardre Valley. Sergeant Meikle, single-handed and armed only with a revolver and a stick, rushed and put out of action a machine-gun which was delaying his company’s advance. Shortly afterwards, seizing a rifle and bayonet from a fallen comrade, he charged another machine-gun post, but was killed almost on the gun position near Marfaux. His bravery enabled two other men who followed him to put this gun out of action.

Meikle’s comrade, Company Sergeant Major G W Sturrah, (who was only 23 years old himself), in a letter to Meikle’s mother Annie, wrote: “It is with the deepest regret that I write to you to inform you of your dear son 200854 Sgt Meikle, J, of his death, (killed in action) on the 20th July. We were on this day attacking a strong enemy position, and your dear lad behaved as gallantly as ever Britisher did. He single handed knocked out an enemy machine gun post and its crew. Knocking out with a walking stick he always used to carry and was afterwards rushing another similar post when he was killed by Machine Gun fire. His death was instantaneous.”

He was the youngest Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross to date. The VC was presented to his father by Lieutenant General Sir Frederick William Nicholas McCracken KCB DSO at Maryhill Barracks, Glasgow on 28th October 1918. This was due to the fact John’s parents could not afford to travel to London for an investiture with the King at Buckingham Palace. John was buried in Marfaux British Cemetery. His mother presented some of the money she had been saving for his return to two local churches in Nitshill. He is commemorated with a granite memorial at Nitshill Railway Station, Glasgow (now moved to Station Square, Dingwall), with a plaque at Nitshill Station, a plaque at Nitshill Public Hall, is named on the Nitshill War Memorial, Edinburgh Castle War Memorial and St Enoch’s Railway Station Memorial in Glasgow. He also has two VC commemorative stones both unveiled on 20th July 2018 at Nitshill Railway Station, Glasgow, and St Mary’s Church, Kirkintilloch.

John’s mother was invited to the VC Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in 1920, and his brother Job and one of his sisters attended the VC Centenary Celebrations in Hyde Park in 1956. In addition to his VC and MM he was awarded the British War Medal 1914-20 and Victory Medal 1914-19. When his father died, the VC passed to Job. He presented his brother’s medals to the 4th Seaforth Highlanders Reunion Club at their AGM at the National Hotel, Dingwall on 11th November 1972. The medals are now held at the Dingwall Museum.

LOCATION OF MEDAL: DINGWALL MUSEUM, DINGWALL, SCOTLAND.

BURIAL PLACE: MARFAUX BRITISH CEMETERY, MARFAUX, FRANCE.

PLOT VIII, ROW C, GRAVE 1