Letter: Scottish battle

It was good to see your mentioning that 25 September was the anniversary of the opening of the first major British offensive of the Great War on the Western Front at Loos (your report, 25 September).

This is often referred to as "The Scottish Battle" due to the large number of Scots troops involved, especially in the 9th and 15th Scottish divisions.

Piper Daniel Laidlaw, who was born just outside Coldstream, won his Victoria Cross there, piping his comrades of 7th King's Own Scottish Borderers out of their trenches to the assault on the Lens Road Redoubt.

The battalion suffered very heavy casualties of 20 officers and 611 other ranks. Laidlaw survived the war and died in June 1950. He is buried in Norham churchyard with a headstone dedicated in June 2001.

It is a pity then that you used as an accompanying picture a French dressing station of a period later in the war.

William Murray

Tweed Terrace

Coldstream, Berwickshire