Lindsay Stuart Mackersy was aged 23 when he applied for a commission on New Years Day 1915. He was a single man, living at 12 Gayfield Square, Edinburgh.

He had some military experience prior to the war, having served as a Driver with the City of Edinburgh Lowland Heavy Battery of the Royal Garrison Artillery between 16 March 1909 and 31 January 1912. His application was supported by both Lord Anderson and John Alison, the Headmaster of Lindsay’s former school - the George Watson’s College in Edinburgh.

His application was accepted and he was immediately commissioned into the Royal Field Artillery as a Temporary Second Lieutenant.

An entry in the London Gazette of 27 April 1915 notes that he transferred from the RFA to the heavy branch of the gunners, the Royal Garrison Artillery. At some point he joined 419 Siege Battery, which was assembling at home prior to being moved to the Western Front.

[419 Siege Battery was formed as a unit of the new army. There is no surviving record of its existence, except to say that the personnel of the Battery moved to France on 21 August 1917. One Section joined II Corps and was posted as reinforcement to 118 Siege Battery, and the other Section went to XIX Corps on 28 August 1917, being posted as reinforcements to 95 Siege Battery. At this time, most of the Siege Batteries that had been equipped with four 9.2-inch howitzers were being expanded to six such guns, and therefore required extra men.]

On 4 August 1916, Lindsay was promoted to Temporary Lieutenant.

He was posted to France, arriving at Le Havre on 22 August 1917. His battery was disbanded on arrival, the various equipment and detachments of men going to Numbers 95 and 118 Siege Batteries. Lindsay himself was posted to 118 Siege Battery RGA on 16 September 1917.

[118 Siege Battery was also formed as a unit of the new army, and on completing training moved to France on 27 June 1916. The gunners had been drawn from Territorial units on the Forth defences, and the Battery considered itself an Edinburgh unit. With the exception of a period between 13 and 29 September 1916, when the Battery was split up, it’s four Sub-Sections going to replace losses in other Batteries, and then reformed, it saw much action on the Somme, Arras and Ypres fronts. In common with all other such Batteries, it moved between many different Heavy Artillery Groups and did not enjoy the consistency of higher command in the way that infantry units did.

Lindsay served with the Battery during the Third Battle of Ypres: Battery War Diary.

118 was made up to six guns on 30 December 1917, having been withdrawn from active duty on 12 November 1917. It enjoyed a period for rest, re-equipment and training that lasted until 2 January 1918, when it was attached to 65 Heavy Artillery Group, with which it then remained until the Armistice.]

On 3 November 1917, he was transferred to 12 Siege Battery and immediately became Second-in-Command of the Battery. For this he was appointed to the Acting Rank of Captain . This promotion was duly announced in a Supplement to the London Gazette of 1 July 1918.

He enjoyed two weeks leave in the United Kingdom in early February 1918.

Lindsay was again promoted in the field to Acting Major, when placed in command of the Battery on 10 April 1918.

He was awarded the Military Cross on 9 April 1918, by authority of the General Officer Commanding XI Corps dated 25 May 1918. The award was announced in the Supplement to the London Gazette on 16 September 1918. The citation reads “For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He fought his section to the last under continuously heavy barrage; and when the enemy entered the position, retired fighting on the infantry in rear with the remainder of his men”.

He enjoyed another two weeks leave in the United Kingdom in September 1918. Shortly after returning from leave, Lindsay was posted to X Corps Artillery Depot, arriving there on 2 October and remaining for exactly one month.

[12 Siege Battery is something of a mystery, as it has left no war diary on record. It is known that it moved to France on 8 May 1917, and joined 6 Heavy Artillery Group on 28 August 1917. It moved out of action for rest and refit between 20 November and 26 December 1917, and then joined 70 (LXX) Heavy Artillery Group, with which it then remained.

The British Official History (France & Flanders 1918 Volume II) says that LXX Heavy Artillery Brigade – the heavy groups had reverted to their old title of Brigades at this time – was with XLIX and in support of the Portuguese Army when the latter were attacked by the enemy on 9 April 1918. The German onslaught, which is now officially known as the Battle of the Lys – easily broke through the untried Portuguese and enemy infantry streamed into the rear areas. The two RGA Brigades lost all but three of their twenty-four guns to the enemy. This is the action for which Lindsay was awarded the Military Cross, and the circumstances are certainly in accord with the citation.

1918 Volume V mentions that LXX Brigade was in support of two Belgian infantry Divisions for an attack in the area north of Ypres on 19 September 1918.]

Lindsay obtained leave again on 10 February 1919, and had it extended, for “urgent private affairs”: he in fact went home to be married. He returned to France after 10 March 1919, and was finally returned to the United Kingdom for discharge on 26 April 1919. He relinquished his Acting Rank on 11 May 1919 when he finally left the army.

He arrived from Edinburgh to Red Deer, Alberta in 1911, went back in 1915, returned to Canada after the war and eventually became the President of the Imperial Bank of Commerce, and was the first President of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.

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