Speirs, James Hamilton S/18170 (1886 - 1917)

Sergeant, 7th Bn. Cameron Highlanders

Buried at Dochy Farm New British Cemetery

Commemorated at City of Glasgow Roll of Honour at Glasgow City Chambers

Jimmy Speirs was a footballer who represented his country on one occasion, scored the winning goal in the 1911 English FA Cup Final, and received the Military Medal during the First World War.

He had spells at Rangers, Clyde, Bradford City and Leeds United.

At the end of the 1914-15 season, Speirs returned to his native Glasgow and enlisted in the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders on 17 May 1915. Conscription was a year away, from which Speirs would have been exempt because he was married with two young children.

Private Speirs was posted to the regiment's headquarters in Inverness where he joined the 3rd Battalion, a reserve battalion, for training. He was appointed to the position of Lance Corporal while on training, and after the British troops suffered heavy casualties, Speirs was posted overseas on 29 May 1916.

The following month, he was promoted to the position of Corporal. Later the same year, he wounded his elbow, from either a gunshot or shrapnel injury.In April 1917, Speirs took part in the Second Battle of Arras, for which he was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in May 1917, before he was promoted to Sergeant in June.

The following month, he returned home to Scotland on leave, but he soon returned to France and was killed during the Battle of Passchendaele on or about 20 August 1917, aged 31. He is buried at Dochy Farm New British Cemetery, near Ypres.