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I came across his obituary by accident and wondered if it was all really true. Having now found his pre-ABW, ABW and Great War attestation papers and service records I can confirm it is all true.

This from the Hawick News & Border Chronicle of December 1924:

Death of Hawick Man in Canada

INTERESTING MILITARY RECORD

The Medicine Hat Daily News, Alberta, Canada, for November 27, gives a long account of the funeral service of the late Mr James Hogg, who died at Medicine Hat on November 23. The procession to the cemetery was nearly a mile in length. His remains were interred with military honours.

The newspaper referred to above also contained the following sketch of Mr. Hogg’s career:

The late James Hogg was born at Hawick, county of Roxbrough, Scotalnd, on the sixth day of March 1864. He enlisted in the K.O.S.B.’s, 17 April 1882, at Hawick, and went to Fermoy, Ireland, then to India, 3 January, 1893.; was stationed at Umballa 1884, Meerut 1885 to 1899, and returned to Berwick-on-Tweed 1890. After serving seven years in India and five years on reserve he was discharged April 17, 1894.

He re-enlisted in the Second Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) as a Piper, on December 13, 1894, at Leicester, England and was stationed at Edinburgh Castle, 1894 to 1896; York, England 1897 to 1898; Aldershot 1899 and from there went to South Africa under General Wauchope on October 10, 1899. He took part in operations in the Orange River Colony, south of Orange River, the advance on Kimberley, including Magersfontein, also operations in the Orange Free State and the Transvaal. He was wounded in the left shoulder and left ear and captured at Magersfontein, 11 December, 1899, and was a prisoner of war for six months. He was decorated with the Queen’s and King’s medals for the South African War with clasps 1901,1902, Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal.

He embarked for home October 26, 1902 returning from Africa with the First Battalion the Second Battalion going to India from Africa. He was stationed at Edinburgh after coming from Africa, and toured Canada in 1904 with the Pipe Band and Brass Band of the First Battalion of the Black Watch. He returned from Canada to Fort George, Inverness-shire, then to Curragh Camp, Ireland where he was discharged at his own request, May 4 1909, after serving 22½ years, having served under Generals Wauchope, Duff and Burton.

In civil life he was employed in the General Post Office, Edinburgh, and wasa member of the Post Office and Royal Archers Pipe Bands, also a member of the Edinburgh Borderers Union.

He came to Canada in 1912, and was employed on the gas department of the city of Medicine Hat for two years and was later assistant caretaker at the Post Office, Medicine Hat.
At the outbreak of the Great War he enlisted in the 46th Battalion Saskatchewan Regiment, September 4, 1915 and went overseas October 22, 1915 and returned to Canada October 8, 1918. He served in France and Belgium, from August 10 1916 to June 14 1918 and was discharged at Calgary on December 8, 1918.

On his return he was employed as assistant caretaker at the Post Office, Medicine Hat till 1923, after which he was employed as a steward at the Great War Veterans Club, Medicine Hat.

He leaves a widow and five children, all of whom live in Medicine Hat. Deceased has three brothers and two sisters resident in Hawick.

His ABW service records do not record he was wounded but when he underwent a medical near the end of the Great War it is noted he had a scar on his left shoulder as a result of the South African Campaign.

I find it surprising that his pre-Great War service occupied 3 paragraphs but only one short paragraph was devoted to his Great War service. This service is remarkable because when James enlisted in September 1915 he was actually 51½ years old but gave his age as 44½ years (the Canadian Army accepted men up to 45 years old).

Also notable is that the 46th Battalion of the Saskatchewan Regiment became known as the “Suicide Battalion” because they suffered more casualties then any other Canadian Battalion. James would have seen service in the last stages of the Somme Campaign, the Battle of Arras including Vimy Ridge, Passchendaele and countering the 1918 Spring Offensive of the German Army.

By the Spring of 1918, not surprisingly, James was beginning to struggle suffering from a variety of minor ailments including shortage of breath when playing the bagpipes. In early July 1918 he went before a medical board who diagnosed emphysema and overage – yes he obviously had confessed – emphysema was probably incorrect, more likely “bagpipe” lung, an infection caused by the moulds etc that tended to grow inside the instrument especially in damp conditions. His discharge certificate stated he was of “Very Good” character but medically unfit for further service.

Some photos: his (undated) likeness found on a public family tree on Ancestry, the 46th Battalion Pipe Band courtesy of Noonans and the final resting place of James in Hillside Cemetery, Medicine Hat, courtesy of Find a Grave.