25390 Sapper James A. Traill, R.E.

Lieutenant Colonel Edward De Santis, MSCE, P.E., MinstRE
(2004, revised October 2022)

Figure 1. Sapper Trail in South Africa, 1899-1902.
(Photograph courtesy of the late John Reilly, from A Military History of Perthshire)

An initial search was made for the military service papers of Sapper Traill in War Office files WO97 at the National Archives, formerly the Public Record Office (PRO) in Kew, Richmond, Surrey in 2004. The files searched for then included WO97/4042, WO97/6099, WO363 T/1283, WO364/4265, WO363/5722, Pension Record Ledger 1/MT/492 and Supplementary Files WO97, PIN 71, PIN 82 and PIN 26. No papers could be located for this man at that time. However, some information, including a photograph, was located in a book entitled A Military History of Perthshire. The medal roll pages for Traill's award of the Queen's South Africa[1] and King's South Africa[2] medals were found at the PRO.

In 2022 another search was made for records of Sapper Trail on Ancestry.com. This search was more productive than the earlier one. The 2022 search uncovered his Short Service Attestation documents for service in the Royal Engineers in 1890 and his Territorial Force documents for one year’s service in the Black Watch in 1915. Unfortunately, many of the handwritten entries in these documents are illegible or barely legible, so some inaccuracies should be expected. In addition to the service papers that were found, an Ancestry.com search uncovered a number of family trees relating to Traill. The latest information found in 2022 has been incorporated into the modified narrative presented here.

2. EARLY LIFE AND FAMILY INFORMATION

James Alexander Traill was born in the town of Gask in the county of Perthshire, Scotland on 5 April 1870.[3] On modern day maps the town is shown as Findo Gask, located approximately seven miles west southwest of Perth.[4] It is a town of much historical significance. The actual or historical name of the town was Findogask after St. Findoc, the patron saint of the parish church. Standing in the middle of nearby Gask Woods is an area that once held the refuge of the Scottish patriot William Wallace (1272 - 1305) while he was escaping from Perth after a failed English plot to capture him.[5]

James's birth surname was actually Alexander. It appears that he may have become an orphan early in life and that he was adopted by John Chaplain Trail (1851-1933)[6] and Mary Steward Trail, née Douglas (1841-?)[7] of Methven, Perthshire. The 1881 Census of Scotland shows the following information for the family of John Trail:

James’s birth surname appears to have been Alexander and he had a sister by the same father named Isabella Alexander. It appears that their father, John Alexander (1837-1870) died and that they were adopted by John Chaplain Traill. Their mother, Mary Ann Stewart Douglas, then married John Chaplin Traill. As shown in the table above, by 1881, John and Mary Ann Traill had a son and two daughters: John (6), Frances (4) and Mary (2). When Isabella (13) and James (10) joined the family, they were the eldest of the Trail family children. The Traill’s had three more children after the 1881 Census: Elizabeth McDougall Trail (1881-1948), William Douglas Trail (1884-1950) and George Dow Slater Trail (1887-?), the first two born in Methven, Perthshire and the last born in Perth.[11]

James used the name James Alexander Traill during the period of his military service.

The following description of James Alexander Traill was noted in his military service papers when he joined the Royal Engineers in 1890:

NOTE: Trail was revaccinated twice on 22 January 1891 in the left arm. The results were “perfect” according to the Medical Service Corps Surgeon.

A photograph of Traill (see Figure 1) found in A Military History of Perthshire shows him to be a man of average height and slender build. He had dark hair, bushy eyebrows, and a well-groomed mustache.

Trail claimed to have been a plumber in civil life. He had not been an Apprentice, was not married, had never been imprisoned by civil power and had never served in Her Majesty’s naval or military forces. These were the responses he gave upon his attestation in the Royal Engineers on 17 November 1890. He had been given a medical examination at Perth on 15 November and had been certified as “fit” for service in the Army. On 17 November he was certified as “fit” for service in the Royal Engineers by an officer at the 42^nd Regimental District and his attestation was approved by a field officer at the 42^nd Regimental District on that same date. He was mustered as a Sapper, Regimental Number 25390, and was sent to the School of Military Engineering at Chatham for his recruit training. His enlistment was to be for period of three years active service and nine years in the reserve.[12]

Following the administrative actions involved with his enlistment, Traill was sent off for his recruit training. With the exception of Drivers, every recruit enlisted for the Royal Engineers had to have a trade. Pioneers and Sappers were sent to Chatham where they were trained for a year in infantry drill and pioneer duties. During the summer, every training company in turn went into a tent-camp at Wouldham near Chatham, where the recruits were taught camp duties, pontooning and other field engineering tasks. The engineer recruits also received musketry training. When the course of training was completed, the recruits had to pass an examination and were then transferred to engineer formations, where they received higher pay and could earn extra allowances by working at their special trades.

Traill had claimed to be a plumber in civil life and probably was tested to see if he would be designated a plumber as his military trade. A note at the top of his Statement of Services stated that he was a “Bad” Plumber and was to be remustered as a “Labourer” on 13 December 1890. Normally, if a soldier performed poorly on his trade tests he would be graded as “Poor.” The use of the term “Bad” in Traill’s case surely indicated that he had very little, if any skill as a plumber.

The 1891 Census of England confirms that Sapper James Alexander Traill, 21 years of age, unmarried, was living at Brompton Barracks, in the Civil Parish of Gillingham and the Ecclesiastical Parish of Holy Trinity in Kent at the time of the census.[13]

His postings following the completion of his recruit training are not precisely known. His medical records show that he served at Chatham from November 1890 to February 1892, at Aldershot from February 1892 to June 1893 and back at Chatham from June 1893 to November 1893. His Statement of Services show that while at Chatham he was transferred to the Class “A” Army Reserve on 17 November 1893 after serving his 3 years of active service. With trouble brewing with the Boers in South Africa he was recalled to Army service on 4 December 1899 under Special Army Order of 2 December 1899. He had served by this time 6 years and 18 days of his 9-year Reserve commitment. On 11 December 1899 he was posted to Shorncliffe Camp in Kent where he joined the 38^th Field Company, Royal Engineers.

Figure 2. Crest of the 38^th Field Company, Royal Engineers.
(Image courtesy of S. Gase)

The 38^th Field Company was commanded by Major Alexander William Roper, R.E.[14] at the time that Traill joined the unit. In November of 1899 the company was attached to the newly formed 6^th Infantry Division for service in the South African War. The 6^th Infantry Division was commanded by Lieutenant-General Kelly-Kenny and the division's Commander Royal Engineers (CRE) was Lieutenant Colonel Philip Thomas Buston.[15]^,^[16]

The 38^th Field Company departed Shorncliffe bound for South Africa aboard the SS Tintagel Castle[17]. By 10 February 1899 the company was located, along with other 6^th Infantry Division troops, along the western railway line from Graspan Station to the Modder River. The company reached the Modder River in the vicinity of Klip Drift on 14 February and on the 15^th it took part in the operations, under the overall command of Lord Roberts, to relieve the British forces besieged in the town Kimberley.

Kimberley having been relieved after a siege of four months, Lord Roberts then devoted his attention to the Boer Army under General Cronje, which was attempting to make good its retreat to Bloemfontein along the north bank of the Modder River. Cronje succeeded in getting past the British force at Klip Drift and formed a laager near Paardeberg Drift on the north bank of the river, while the British took up a position with the infantry on the south and the cavalry on the north of the Modder and east of the Boer laager, so as to cut the road between Cronje and Bloemfontein. The 38^th Field Company remained with the infantry on the south bank of the river.

An attempt was made to capture the laager on 18 February 1900, but it was not successful, and Lord Roberts decided to reduce the Boers to submission by investment. The 38^th Field Company, along with other Sapper units, was ordered to dig trenches towards the laager both from the east and west. The 38^th Field Company worked on the east side along with the 9^th Field Company. The work of both companies was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Charles Maxwell, R.E.[18] The Boer position was carried on 27 February.

By 6 March 1900 the 38^th Field Company had moved to Poplar Grove in preparation for operations at Driefontein. The company advanced from Poplar Grove on the 10^th of March with Lieutenant General French's column to attack the Boer positions at Driefontein where the Boers occupied a position about seven miles in extent, which was attacked in front by the 6^th Infantry Division. The Boers were driven out of their position, thereby opening the road to Bloemfontein.

In May of 1900, the 38^th Field Company, with the other units of the 6^th Infantry Division, was operating in the Orange Free State guarding the line of communications (primarily the railways) and maintaining order in the eastern and southern parts of the State. During June and July of 1900 part of the 38^th Field Company was given the task of occupying the mountain passes in the Brandwater Basin, and during the period from 1 through 29 July 1900 the company took part in the actions at Wittebergen. The campaign at Wittebergen involved operations inside a line from Harrismith to Bethlehem, then to Senekal and Clocolan, along the Basuto border and back to Harrismith.

The 38^th Field Company next moved to the Transvaal where, between 30 July 1900 and 31 May 1902, it worked on maintenance of railways and telegraph lines, the construction of defensive positions, cantonments and hospitals, road construction, bridge building and the construction of blockhouses. The company was known to be stationed at Bloemfontein in August of 1900 and at Nooitgedacht in December of 1900. In July of 1901, the 38^th Field Company was at Kroonstad. On 19 July 1901 the 38^th Field Company's medal roll for the Queen's South Africa medal was prepared. For his service during the South African War, Sapper Traill was awarded this medal with the clasps [RELIEF OF KIMBERLEY] [PAARDEBERG] [DRIEFONTEIN] [WITTEBERGEN] and [TRANSVAAL].[19]

On 4 August 1902 Sapper Traill was transferred to a Provisional Company in preparation for his transfer to the Army Reserve. He was transferred to the Class A Army Reserve on 17 November 1893.

a. Promotions: James Traill was not promoted during his time in service. He remained a Sapper for the 12 years that he served.

b. Conduct: Trail was not awarded any Good Conduct Badges during his 12 years of service. In fact, his conduct was not at all exemplary, as shown in the table below.

NOTE: The time lost due to these disciplinary actions was considered “service not allowed to reckon for fixing the date of Pension.”

Education: There is no record of Sapper Traill having earned any Certificates of Education during his time in service.

Qualifications: Similarly, there is no record of Sapper Traill having earned any special qualifications during his time in service.

On 24 March 1903 he was authorized the award of the King's South Africa medal with clasps [SOUTH AFRICA 1901] and [SOUTH AFRICA 1902].[20] His Queen's South Africa medal with five clasps was sent to him in the U.K. on 12 August 1903. The clasps on this medal included [RELIEF OF KIMBERLEY] [PAARDEBERG] [DRIEFONTEIN] [WITTEBERGEN] and [TRANSVAAL].[21]

Traill’s Queen’s South Africa Medal is named to him on the rim in engraved letters as follows:

James Trail was admitted to hospital a number of times during his time in the Army. The table below summarizes his health problems.

TABLE NOTES: Unfortunately, a large number of entries in Traill’s service papers are illegible. Many of the doctors’ remarks cannot be read and the word “syphilis” in the Disease column is accompanied by another word which is illegible.

Sapper Traill was discharged from the Army at Chatham on the termination of his first period of limited engagement on 16 November 1902. His total service (active and reserve) was reckoned as shown in the tables below:

On 29 May 1915 James Alexander Traill enlisted in No.2 Supernumerary Company of the 6^th (Perthshire) Battalion, The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) in the Territorial Force (TF). His enlistment was for one year’s service in the United Kingdom. At the time of his enlistment he indicated that his home address was 18 Watergate in Perth.

On his attestation form Traill indicated that he was 45 years old and a member of the National Reserve. He also indicated that he previously had served in the Royal Engineers. He was embodied as a Private in the regiment on the date of his attestation and was assigned Regimental Number 3372. On the date that he reported into the regiment he was granted Proficiency Pay Class II. Just what his “Proficiency” entailed is not indicated in his papers.

Trail was transferred to No. 34 Protection Company of the Royal Defence Corps on 29 April 1916, still as a Private, now with Regimental Number 20186. The National Reserve had been formed into Protection Companies in October 1914. These companies were attached to existing Territorial Force battalions, for the guarding of railways and other vulnerable points in Britain. In March 1915 the Protection Companies were redesignated as Supernumerary Companies TF. When this redesignation took place Traill’s Regimental Number was again changed to 13035. The Supernumerary Companies were eventually formed into the Royal Defence Corps.

On 8 December 1919 Traill was transferred to the Class W(T) Reserve and was to remain in that status “as long as it [was] necessary to retain him in Civil Employment.” Class W(T), TF Reserve was introduced on 16 June 1916 by Army Order 203/16. and was “for all those soldiers whose services are deemed to be more valuable to the country in civil rather than military employment.” Men in this class were to receive no emoluments from Army Funds and were not to wear uniform. They were liable at any time to be recalled to the Colours. From the time a man was transferred to Class W, until being recalled to the Colours, he was not subject to military discipline. Traill’s civil employment at that time is not known.

Trail was discharged from the Royal Defence Corps at London on 7 March 1919. His total service towards engagement in the Territorial Force was reckoned at 3 years and 283 days and his character was rated as “Good.” His Military History Sheet provides the following information regarding his service:

Figure 8. Leiths Buildings, Dunkeld Road, Perth, c. 2022.
(Image courtesy of Google Earth)

Trail wrote on his attestation form that his address when he was discharged was 33 Pomarium Street in Perth. There are no buildings on Pomarium Street now. It borders a small park.

Based on the comment on his Military History Sheet described above, it appears that Traill had a daughter named Catherine Alexander. This comment would indicate that he had been married, although no evidence of a marriage was found in his military service papers or in the family trees on Ancestry.com. One also wonders why his daughter would have the surname of Alexander rather than Traill?

James Alexander Traill’s biological father was John Alexander (1837-1870). He had been born in Scotland and married Mary Ann Douglas (1841-1914) in Findo Gask, Perthshire in 1867. They resided in Methven, Perthshire until John’s death in 1870. John and Mary Ann had two children: Isabella Alexander (1867-1905) and James Alexander (1870-?).[23] After the death of John Alexander, Isabella and James were adopted by John Traill (1852-1933) when he married their mother. In addition to their two stepchildren, John and Mary Traill had six children of their own: John, Frances, Mary, Elizabeth McDougall, William Douglas and George Dow Slater.

Isabella Trail, James’s biological sister, does not appear to have married and the date of her death is not known.

John Traill (1874-1949), James’s oldest stepbrother, was born on 14 August 1874 in Findo Gask. He was a prominent public figure in Perth – a Bailie.[24] Ex-Bailie John Traill joined the Perth Town Council in 1919. For a time he was convener of the Public Health Committee and was also a member of the Library Committee. He was raised to the Bench in 1928. John Traill went to Cardiff, Perthshire in 1930 and worked there until he retired in 1939. He was one of the leading lights behind the organization of the old Highland Games, which were once held on the “Wee Inch” at Perth.

John Trail married Grace Hynd (1875-1949) at Whitehorse Hall on North William Street in Perth on 4 June 1897. He died at his home at 9 Main Street in Bridgend, Perth on 26 August 1949. He was 75 years old.[25]

Frances Traill (1877-?) was born in Methven, Perthsire about 1877. There is no indication that she ever married and her date of death is not known.

Mary Traill (1879-?) was born in Methven, Perthshire about 1879. There is no indication that she ever married and her date of death is not known.

Elizabeth McDougall Trail (1881-1948) was born in Methven, Perthshire on 13 June 1881. At some point in her life she emigrated to the United States and she died in Comstock Township, Kalamazoo County, Michigan on 15 February 1948 at the age of 66.

William Douglas Traill (1884-?) was born in Methven, Perthshire about 1884. No information was found regarding his marriage or his date of death.

George Dow Slater Trail (1887-?) was born in Perth, Perthshire about 1887. No information was found regarding his marriage or his date of death.

No post service life information during the interval from 16 November 1902 to 29 May 1915, or after 7 March 1919, was available regarding James Alexander Traill. He claimed to be a plumber before joining the Army in 1890, but as previously noted, he was said to have been a “Bad” plumber. Perhaps his trade skills improved during his time in the Army, but this has not been verified. At any rate he may have tried his hand at plumbing again after his discharge from the Army. During the Great War of 1914-1918 it appears that he worked in a civil occupation that was of value to the war effort, but there is no evidence to indicate what this occupation might have been.

1. AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION. The Complete Atlas of Britain. The Automobile Association, Basingstoke, 1979.

2. CONOLLY, T.W.J. Roll of Officers of the Corps of Royal Engineers From 1660 to 1898. The Royal Engineers Institute, Chatham, Kent, 1898.

4. GRIERSON, J.M. Scarlet Into Khaki: The British Army on the Eve of the Boer War. Greenhill Books, London, 1988.

6. INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS. The Medal Roll of the Corps of Royal Engineers. Volume V. Queen's and King's South Africa Medals, 1899-1902. The Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, 2003.

7. LETTS, C. Roadbook of Britain. Charles Letts and Company Limited, London, 1977.

8. SKELLEY, A.R. The Victorian Army at Home: The Recruitment and Terms and Conditions of the British Regular, 1859-1899. McGill-Queen’s University Press, Montreal, 1977.

9. WATSON, C.M. The History of the Corps of Royal Engineers. Volume III. The Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, 1954.

1. Queen's South Africa Medal Roll, 38^th Field Company, Royal Engineers, Kroonstad, 19 July 1901, WO158/13.

2. King's South Africa Medal Roll, 38^th Field Company, Royal Engineers, Bloemfontein, 24 March 1903, WO314/98.

GASE, S. Movements of Royal Engineers Companies. West Drayton, Middlesex, 2001.

[1] This medal is in the author's collection. The naming on the spells the man's name as TRAILL, although census records indicate that his adopted name was TRAIL.

[8] Almondbank is a small town on the River Almond, located about 2.5 miles due east of Methven and 4 miles northwest of Perth.

[9] The town of Methven is located approximately 6 miles west northwest of the city of Perth on the current day highway 85. The area of Methven, in common with the rest of Perthshire, was the centre of flax growing and home-based line weaving by the end of the 18^th century, with almost half of the town's population employed in the industry. Robert Stirling was born in Methven in 1790. Despite no formal engineering education, Stirling invented a highly efficient external combustion engine in 1816 known as The Stirling Engine.

[13] 1891 Census of England, Source Information RG12/666, Registration District: Medway, Sub-Registration District: Gillingham, Institution: Brompton Barracks, Folio 84, Page 18.

[14] For his service during the South African War of 1899-1902 Major Roper received a promotion to Brevet Lieutenant Colonel.

[16] Later Brigadier General, CB, DSO. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his service during the South African War of 1899-1902. Deceased, 21 June 1938.

[17] GASE, S. SS Tintagel Castle, as ship of 5,531 tons displacement, was built in 1896. In 1900 the ship was transferred to the Union-Castle Mail Steamship Company and in 1912 it was sold to the French Cie. De Nav. Sud-Atlantique headquartered in Paris. The French renamed the ship Liger.

[21] Traill’s Queen South Africa Medal is in the author’s collection.

[25] Death Index of The Scotsman, 27 August 1949, courtesy of Fiona Ellis.

Dwelling: Almondbank[8]
Census Place: Methven, Perth, Scotland[9]
Source: FHL Film 0203509 GRO Ref. Volume 380 Enumeration District 3 Page 5
Name and Occupation	Relation	Mar	Age	Sex	Birthplace
John Trail, Joiner	Head	M	29	M	Kinfauns, Perth, Scotland
Mary Trail, Joiner's Wife	Wife	M	39	F	Dowlie, Perth, Scotland
Isabella Alexander (Trail), Assisting Mother	Step Daughter	U	13	F	Gask, Perth, Scotland
James Alexander (Trail), Scholar	Step Son	U	10	M	Gask, Perth, Scotland
John Trail (1874-1949)[10]	Son	U	6	M	Gask, Perth, Scotland
Frances Slater Trail (1877-?)⁽⁹⁾	Daughter	U	4	F	Methven, Perth, Scotland
Mary Stewart Trail (1879-?)⁽⁹⁾	Daughter	U	2	F	Methven, Perth, Scotland
Alexander Paterson, Groom	Lodger	U	40	M	Stonehaven, Kincardine, Scotland

Age:	20 years and 7 months
Height:	5 feet 6½ inches
Weight:	144 pounds
Chest (normal):	34 inches
Chest (expanded):	35 inches
Physical development:	good
Small Pox marks:	none
Vaccination marks:	left arm, two
When vaccinated:	infancy
Complexion:	fresh
Eyes:	grey
Hair:	brown
Distinctive marks:	“D” on his left forearm
Religious denomination:	Presbyterian

Offense and Disposition	Date	Lost Days
Absent	25 March 1892 – 27 March 1892	7
Awaiting trial	28 March 1892 -3 April 1892	7
Tried by Regimental Court Martial. Sentenced to 4 days punishment for absence and breaking out of barracks & neglect of his kit.	4 April 1892	4
Returned to duty.	8 April 1892	4
Absent	9 November 1892	5
Awaiting trial	10 November -14 November 1892	5
Tried by Regimental Court Martial and sentenced to 7 day punishment and stoppages for absence and by neglect of his clothing regimental necessaries.	15 November 1892	7
Returned to duty.	22 November 1892	7

Location of Hospital	Date of Posting	Date of Admission	Date of Discharge	Disease	Number of Days in Hospital	Doctor’s Remarks on Disease
Chatham	22-11-90	10-3-91	20-3-91	Pneumonia	11	Cold
Chatham		5-10-91	22-10-91	Rheumatism	18	Illegible
Aldershot	19-2-92	3-1-92	3-7-92	Contusion	7	Slight accident
Court of enquiry, 31 March 1892. Opinion-accident on duty no fault of the man, not likely to incapacitate him from future service.
Aldershot		15-10-92	29-10-92	Syphilis	15	Contagious
Chatham	9-6-93	No admission.
Shorncliffe	11-12-99	Fit for service in South Africa.
Tintagel Castle	17-12-99	No admission.
Aboard ship	4-8-02	No admission.

Location	Period of Service
Home Service	17 November 1890 to 16 December 1899
South Africa	17 December 1899 to 27 August 1902
Home Service	28 August 1902 to 16 November 1902

2. EARLY LIFE AND FAMILY INFORMATION

Location

Location

Total Service