Robert Wilson Cassels

1914 Commissioned Lieutenant on 10th September. Appointed to ’D’ Company on the formation of the 17th HLI (Glasgow Chamber of Commerce Battalion) in September. ‘C’ and ‘D’ Companies were recruited from the business houses of the city.
The 17th HLI trained for a year before crossing to France in November 1915. During this period it spent time at Gailes and Troon, Ayrshire, Prees Heath, Shropshire, Wensleydale, North Yorkshire, Totley Rifle Ranges, Derbyshire and finally Codford St Mary on Salisbury Plain. In January 1915 Cassels was promoted Captain.
Finally on 22nd November 1915 the battalion, part of 32nd Division, sailed from Southampton for Le Havre and proceeded to the Amiens area. Much of the following months were spent gaining experience of trench warfare and from May 1916 the Battalion was engaged in preparations for the Battle of the Somme which began on 1st July.