Rifleman James Coutts, 1st Cameronians, India.
Rifleman James Coutts 14529924 Cameronians.
"When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say,
For Their Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today"
Kohima Memorial.
Memorial stone to Rifleman James Coutts 14529924.
Recently I was talking to a friend Tom McDonagh who had recently returned from a visit to India.
Whilst there he visited the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery at Kohima the site of the great battle of 1944 between Japanese and British Commonwealth Armies.
One stone that stood out was of 14529924 James Coutts of the 1st Cameronians, killed 11th June 1944, age 20.
Knowing the Regiment didn't fight at Kohima Tom did some research and found James was native of Larkhall, the son of James and Christina of Larkhall Lanarkshire, dying as the result of an air incident of a craft carrying reinforcements to Imphal. The crew of four and twenty four troops of mainly Scottish and Irish regiments being killed by the mid air explosion.
Speaking to the ground's staff they informed Tom that the grave had never been visited by family or friends which put him into action.
Scrounging a wreath from a local Indian Signals Regiment and having an insert of the Cameronian badge made he arranged with local cadets and school a wreath laying ceremony and a Conventicle in the Cameronian style of worship in memory of James buried in a land far off from Larkhall.
I don't know if any of the Coutts family still live in Larkhall or follow the local internet page but Tom asks if anyone knows of them please let them know the grave of James is lovingly taken care of and has had a wreath laid in his memory.
Tom intends again to visit Kohima and lay a wreath.
The families message on the stone,
"In Our Thoughts Till He Cometh".
