James and Annie's second child and only son was Thomas Morrison, named after his grandfather. He was born [i] at home at Ellismuir on 26th. February 1891 and was killed, [ii] aged 24 years, 23rd. August 1915 in France. Thomas was a coal miner before enlisting into the army as a private in the 8th.(Service) Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders in 1915. As a coal miner he was in a reserved occupation and was not liable for war service. However, he was given 3 white feathers coming out of the mine and rather than being branded a coward, he enlisted. He was the only miner in the family, as his father had died 7 years earlier, and his mother was forced to work at the colliery, separating coal from the rocks to retain their Reid's Row colliery house. His mother never found out who had given him the white feathers.
Tommy (sitting extreme right) with his section at Parkhouse Camp, Tidworth in June 1915 before embarking for France. note the picture of the SS Lusitania, which was sunk by the Germans on 15th. May 1915. Most of these men were to become casualties on 25th. September 1915, the first day of the Battle of Loos.
The 8th.Battalion Seaforth Highlanders was one of Lord Kitchener's New Army battalions and had been formed at Fort George in October 1914 and attatched to the 44th.Brigade, 15th.(Scottish) Division. On 22nd. January 1915, the Division was in full uniform for an inspection by Kitchener, by the early summer the Division was considered to be ready for France, and embarkation orders were received on 3rd. July. The next day, the 8th.Battalion Seaforth Highlanders were warned 'to be ready to proceed overseas'.[iii] On 8th. July Tom left Tidworth railway station with his battalion for Folkstone, Kent, where they embarked for Boulogne, arriving there on the same day. They remained in Boulogne overnight then moved by train to Ganspette where they were billeted for the next 6 nights; the billets were 'on the whole good'. During this time training was carried out under company arrangements and on 12th. July there was a battalion route march. On 15th. July the battalion set out to march to Houchin, arriving there 3 days later and once again went into billets 'which were found in a very dirty condition'. They remained in Houchin until 1st. August and during this period Tom would have made a visit to the trenches.
On 1st. August the 8th. Battalion Seaforth Highlanders were ordered to billets in South Maroc 'as battalion in Brigade Reserve in Sector W1 of the line' and on 6th. August they took over Sub-sector W1 from 7th. Cameron Highlanders. Tom entered the trenches for the first time that evening. The first spell in the trenches was very quiet and they were relieved on the 10th. August. One soldier was slightly wounded in the face by shrapnel during the relief. For the next week the battalion was the Divisional Reserve at Mazingarbe. Once out of the line the adjutant was able to reflect on their first encounter with life in the trenches.
"This section of the line has been very quiet. Activity was mainly confined on the Enemy's side and ours to firing from Trench Mortars. No. 8 Trench Mortar Battery was operating in our sector; and on one occasion seemed to silence an enemy battery - a success which brought over some enemy shrapnel. Otherwise the enemy did not shell our trenches, and except for the few 'pipsqueaks' [shells] mentioned did not shell billets in Maroc. This may have been explained by the fact that our artillery, apart from registering the first day, was not active during the period. The enemy shelled (fairly regularly) Fosses 5 and 11, NE & SW of Maroc respectively."
