This is one of a series of posts to mark the international Rugby players who died during The Great War. If anyone has further information on the men concerned, I’d be most grateful if it could be added to the thread. Gareth Huggan, James Laidlaw played for Scotland Internationals: 1 : 1914 E- (1t) James Huggan was born on 11 Oct 1888, Jedburgh, son of Robert Huggan. Played as a Wing for: George Watson’s College, Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Darlington, Wakefield, Darlington, Edinburgh University, Royal Army Medical Corps, The Army, London Scottish Profession: Medicine/Royal Army Medical Corps. Remarks: He was one of the six members of the last pre-War Scottish team who were killed in action. Played for the Officers of the Army v the Officers of the Royal Navy in 1913 (8-18) and 1914 (26-14). War service: Lieutenant, Royal Army Medical Corps, attached 3rd Battalion, Coldstream Guards, 4th Brigade, 2nd Division, I Corps. Mentioned in Despatches in the Gazette of 19 October 1914. He was killed in action on 16 September 1914, on the Aisne, and is commemorated on the La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial, Seine-et-Marne, France.
Annie Thanks very much for that. I've often been struck by the custom of contemporary writers to describe sport as something that prepared its participants for the 'bigger thing' that was going to war. There are echoes of Newbolt's Vitai Lampada. How non-sportsmen were prepared remains a mystery. Gareth
Non-sportsmen were prepared - either by working all the hours God sends for a pittance or they didn't have a job at all ... and were thrilled to be able to go to war and do something In Memory of Lieutenant JAMES LAIDLAW HUGGAN Royal Army Medical Corps attd. 3rd Bn., Coldstream Guards who died age 25 on 16 September 1914 Son of the late Robert Huggan, of Jedburgh. Former Scottish International Rugby Football player. Remembered with honour LA FERTE-SOUS-JOUARRE MEMORIAL
Watsonian War Record says the following:- HUGGAN, James Laidlaw. A native of Jedburgh, was born in 1888, and entered G.W.C. in 1896, whence he passed to Darlington Grammar School, where he was Football Captain and Athletic Champion for two years. He studied medicine at Edinburgh University, and, graduating M.B Ch.B., entered the R.A.M.C. As a student he was one of the foremost players in the Varsity XV., and he got his International cap. Going to France with the 3rd Coldstream Guards, he was killed in the battle of the Aisne while engaged in the rescue of sixty Germans wounded from a farmhouse set on fire by their own artillery, September 16, 1914. A public memorial to his memory has been erected in Jedburgh. Andy
