Alexander McClintock was fatally wounded during the Battle of the Somme, the "Big Push," in which British and Imperial forces were to obliterate the German trenches with artillery and send the infantry strolling through the gap. They did not know that their enemy had been preparing for just such an offensive, and had dug deep, concrete-lined bunkers. There, the German troops sat, anxious but relatively safe, knowing that when the shellfire stopped it was time to dig out the bunker exits, set up their machine guns, and wait.
DEATH FROM WOUNDS.
Sergeant Alexander Lister McClintock (died from wounds) who was a son of Mr Thomas McClintock, of Middlemarch, was employed in farming before he enlisted. He left New Zealand as a trooper, and received promotion in the field. He was wounded in Gallipoli, and subsequently spent five months in Egypt. He went to France with the first lot of New Zealand troops. He was wounded on September 17, and died in hospital in England on September 27. Sergeant McClintock, whose brother is in Trentham at present, was about 24 years of age. -Otago Daily Times, 7/10/1916.
Thanks to Alexander's Army records, accesible through the NZ Archives website, he can be identified as being in 1st Battalion, 10 Company of the Otago Infantry Regiment. The Official History of the Regiment has this to say about the activities of the Company on the day that Alexander received his eventually fatal wounds:
At two o'clock on the morning of the 18th a message was received from Brigade that the Battalion of the PAGE 125London Rifles on our left was making an attack on that part of Flers Trench and Flers Support adjoining the left of the line held by the 1st Battalion of Auckland and extending to Goose Alley, and that Otago Battalion was to take over the position when it had been consolidated. Previous to this, the 10th (North Otago) Company, commanded by Captain J. Hargest, had been in touch with the 8th London Regiment in Fat Trench, and because of the latter's numerical weakness had taken over about 200 yards of its line. When the 8th London troops attacked at 5.30 a.m. the Lewis guns of 10th Company, together with two Vickers guns under Lieut. R. B. Caws, were thrust forward in readiness to support their right flank, and for the material assistance thus given an appreciative letter of thanks was received from the G.O.C. 47th Division. The 8th (Southland) Company, commanded by Major S. Rice, now proceeded to take over the new line, but the enemy in Goose Alley harassed our men with bombs from the high ground at the junction of Flers Trench and Goose Alley, the locality of many grim struggles, and endeavoured to work their way down from it. It was therefore necessary to bomb the enemy back in the direction of Goose Alley and establish protective blocks. The work accomplished on this morning by our bombers, under Lance-corp. W. Murray, against almost overwhelming odds, was of a very gallant order. The enemy resorted to volley firing, and in addition to being more liberally supplied with bombs, had the advantage of position on the high ground. However, our party succeeded in accomplishing its task of establishing and maintaining a block, notwithstanding the fact that every bomber of the Battalion who had been engaged had become a casualty.
Alexander was wounded by multiple bullets in his legs. His right leg was amputated in the Military Hospital at Etaples, so it is possible that his wounds had become infected by the mud of the Somme.
GOING TO THE FRONT.
On Friday evening, at a social at Middlemarch, Private Frank Pickard, of the Nineteenth Reinforcements, who was on final leave, was presented with a safety razor and other useful articles. Mr B. Irwin presided, and addresses were given by the pastors of the Anglican and Presbyterian Churches. The proceedings were limited owing to news of the death of Sergeant Alexander McClintock from wounds received in France. A vote of condolence with his parents and family were passed. -Otago Daily Times, 12/10/1916.
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