Balbirnie J V E 2nd Lt 23rd Royal Fusiliers
BALBIRNIE, JOHN VICTOR ELPHINSTONE, 2nd Lieut., 23rd (Service) Battn. The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regt.), only surv. s. of the late Hugh De Vaux Balbirnie, Doctor of Medicine, by his wife, Rosa Katherine, dau, of the late Squire Heaton, of Sheffield: b. Upper-thorpe, Sheffield, co. York, 30 May, 1887; edue. Central Secondary School, Sheffield; was in the Sheffield Banking Company, Ltd..; volunteered for active service, and joined the 31st Royal Fusiliers in Feb. 1916; served in 6th and 32nd Royal Fusiliers from Oct. 1916; trained in the 15th (Artists’ Rifles) Officers’ Cadet Battn. at Romford in Sept. 1917; received a commission 51st (Grad.) Battn. (Newmarket) and was gazetted 2nd Lieut. Royal Fusiliers in Jan. 1918; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from Sept. 1916, till July, 1917, also from Aug. 1918, and was killed in action between Daignes and the Canal du Nord 7 Sept. 1918. Buried where he fell, near the village of Dernicourt.
His Commanding Officer wrote: ” He fell when most gallantly leading forward his men. He was such a promising officer, a great favourite with us all, and we miss him so much,” and a brother officer “…..This caused a check, and your husband, upon getting to know what had happened, immediately took entire charge, and urged the men to proceed. He, too, exposed himself, and was shot through the head, and killed instantly ……your husband’s death was caused by his devotion to duty, and by his prompt action he kept up the morale of the remaining men.”
He m. at Sheffield, 26 Dec. 1917, Isabella Elizabeth (2, Ashgate Road, Sheffield), dau. of the late Thomas (and Elizabeth) MacDonald, of Liverpool, and had a son, John Patrick Elphinstone, b. 3 Feb. 1919.
Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour Vol 5