Home Leave 1917

A combined leave and railway ticket dated 20 June 1917, from France via Boulogne and Folkestone to Stornoway.

It came from the Maclennan family of Valtos and we thought it had belonged to Alex Maclennan Reithmir, though he was in the Ross Mountain Battery rather than the Gordon Highlanders, but a newspaper report from 13 September 1918 says:

AT HOME – At home this week – Hugh MacKay, R.A.M.C., 30 Valtos; Alexander MacLennan, Raimer, Ross Mountain Battery (all the way from Salonika and the first time home in four years); Murdo MacKay, 30a Valtos, discharged from a labour corps; Murdo Buchanan, Seaman, Valtos; Kenneth Maclver, Seaman, Kneep; Kenneth MacLean, Seaman, 15 Crowlista; Peter MacDonald, Seaman, Geshader.

Of Alex’s brothers, Donald and Murdo were in the Navy and the youngest, John, died of influenza in 1918 at the age of 18, the day before his call-up notice arrived.  The search continues for a Gordon Highlander.