Name
Eric Macintosh
9/11/1897
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/07/1917
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lieutenant
Hertfordshire Regiment
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Searched but not found
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 54 and 56.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
He has no Headstone. He is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial to the missing in Belgium.
UK & Other Memorials
Haileybury College Cloister Wall Memorial, Hertford Heath, Cheshunt Town Memorial, Goff's Oak Village Memorial, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford, Scottish National War Memorial Roll of Honour
Pre War
Eric Macintosh was born in Highgate, London, on 9th November 1897, son of Edwin Macintosh a, Managing Director of a Printing Company and Isabella (Blair) Macintosh.
1901 Census records Eric aged 3, living with his parents, brothers Duncan (12), and Ian (2) at , 62 South Lane, Hornsey, Middx. 1911 Census records Eric aged 13, a Student at Haileybury Collage, Great Amwell, Herts.
He was Educated at Haileybury College between 1911-14.
E. Macintosh is recorded in the Batten House manuscript record in February 1911 as having won the set prize for maths. In March 1914 Macintosh is recorded in the House rugby team.
Later lived in 53 Bedford Court Mansions, Bedford Square, London.
Eric left Collage at the end of 1914 and enlisted. He was Gazetted 2nd Lieutenant to the Hertfordshire Regiment in March 1915. In October 1915, he was made Temporary Lieutenant.
He was sent to France and joined his Battalion at the front on 1st December 1916.
Wartime Service
Killed in action at the Battle of Pilkem (Ypres) attacking St Julien from Steenbeek when over 460 men of the Hertfordshire Regiment were lost.(*1)
Hertfordshire Mercury August 18th 1917: "Lieut. Eric Macintosh, Herts Regt, (Territorials), who was killed on July 31, was the son of Mr and Mrs Ewen Macintosh, 53, Bedford Court Mansions, London, WC. and formerly of Burleigh, Cheshunt. He was born in 1897 and was educated at Haileybury College."
A near identical short notice appeared in the Hertfordshire Express on the same date. "He passed the London Matriculation examination in 1914 and received his commission in March 1915, being promoted lieutenant, (temporary) in the following October.
He went to the Front last November. The regimental chaplain writes. He fell facing the enemy. His men tell me that he was wounded in the hand and refused to leave them and was shortly afterwards killed by a piece of shell. He was as brave as the bravest of our officers, always cheerful and dear to the hearts of us all."
*1 St Julien
The 1st Hertfordshire Battalion were in support of an attack on the Langemarck Line and a general bombardment of the German lines commenced at 3.45am on the 31st July and the planned assault began. It had three objectives to achieve known as Blue, Black & Green and units of the 116th Brigade easily captured the first two objectives, preparing the way for the forward companies of the Hertfordshire battalion, to take the third objective.
They had marched from Vlamertingue to their assembly position arriving by midnight on the 30th/31st July 1917. A general bombardment of the German lines commenced at 3.45am on the 31st July. At 05.00am the Hertfordshires left their assembly positions to attack their objective, which lay over the crest of a ridge.
As they made their way forward, they came under heavy fire from both German machine guns and snipers but after eliminating a German strongpoint moved up towards St. Juliaan, which was only lightly held. The Battalion crossed the Steenbeek with some difficulty and two of its supporting Tanks became bogged down in the mud. Things then went from bad to worse. A pre-arranged artillery barrage never materialised due to the guns being unable to move forward over the muddy terrain and the German barbed wire defences, which were fifteen feet deep in some places, were found to still be intact. It was soon realised that ground could only be won by section "rushes" supported by the unit’s own fire.
The Cheshire Regiment were on the right of the battalion but the Black Watch, who were due to cover the left flank, had been seriously delayed. This left the Hertfordshire Regiment seriously exposed, the Germans exploited this by bringing a hurricane of fire down upon the stricken troops. This was followed by a German counterattack and by 10.30am it was clear that the objective could not be achieved. Casualties were very heavy with 459 men being killed, missing or wounded. This was 100% of its Officers and about 75% of its Other Ranks.
Additional Information
His effects of
£105-8-00, went to his father Edwin Macintosh.
Acknowledgments
Derry Warners, Stuart Osborne
Malcolm Lennox, Karen Smith - Acting Director of External Relations www.haileybury.com/honour, Brian Lodge, Hertfordshire Mercury/County archives, Jonty Wild, Brian Lodge, Hertfordshire Mercury/County archives
