Other Information:David was an Art Master by trade, having gained the national scholarship and the local one for Burnley, as well as the Townley Gold Medal. He had also taken the A.R.C.A., at South Kensington, and a full diploma. He was second art master at the Northampton School of Arts when he enlisted into the R.A.M.C. on 16th October 1915. He was 28 years and 3 months old, and was living at 102 Lea Road, Northampton at the time. He was posted to “T” Coy on the 19th, then on 28th was transferred to serve with the 134th Field Ambulance. On 28th February 1916 he gained promoted to Serjeant. He embarked with the unit at Southampton on 6th March, then disembarking at Harve the next day, entered the war in France on 7th March 1916. On 11th August, he was admitted into his unit suffering from Influenza. He was evacuated back to No 12 Stationary Hospital, then returned to his unit on the 24th. However 4 days later he was re-admitted suffering from Trench Fever. This time he was evacuated back to the UK, and stayed in Eastbourne Military Hospital from the 7th September to 3rd October, then convalesced at Eastbourne until 7th November 1916. On 25th December 1916, David embarked, as a reinforcement, on the H.T. “Pakeha” at Devonport, and went to Busrah, disembarking on 21st March 1917. He was admitted into the 33rd British General Hospital on the 9th April, suffering with Sandfly fever, then was discharged on the 16th. He joined the 39th Field Ambulance for duty, in the field, on 27th April, but was admitted into hospital again on the 12th May. Everything appears to have taken its toll on David’s wellbeing and on the 16th June he was invalided to India due to having mental health issues. On his journey back to England (Avonmouth) from Cape Town on the hospital ship “Araguaya”, David jumped overboard and was drowned. He was the son of David Buchan and Jessie Allen Young of 8 Woodlands Crescent, Muswell Hill Road, London; and the husband of Isabel Margaret Sucliffe - they had two sons.
|