Page 123 - Three Score Years & Ten
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“THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN” MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
Amy Moore
sent a telegram to George Andrew in Lanzhou, Gansu, saying, “Regret to inform you Private Andrew,
15th Royal Scots, killed in action June 4th 1916.” A letter from Chaplain James Black dated 5 June,
gave more details. “Pte. Andrew of the 15th Royal Scots was very seriously wounded in a heavy
bombardment which our 1st Edinburgh Battalion boys suffered during Saturday night and Sunday
morning. He was buried along with two others in the debris of the ruined trenches. At first he was
reported missing, but a digging party found the remains of the three brave lads who died at their duty.
I fear there is no doubt whether Pte. Andrew was one of these as some of the papers and relics have
been identified as his.”
On 28 July Jessie Andrew wrote to her daughter Esther about Alf’s death: “The prayer meeting was
here on the Saturday as Miss Mellor was taking the women that day. During the morning it came over
me that my dear laddie was either dead or in great danger, and I had such a cry. Oh this cruel, cruel
war! How many more young lives are going to be sacrificed? I sit and think and think and I cannot
realise the dear laddie has gone. Poor Dad, he feels it intensely. Last week he could hardly speak to
anybody.”
In the same letter she said, “We sent a wire to Jim and have had one back. He said he was writing.”
In the ‘Millions’ of June 1916 a report stated (following the report of Alf’s death): “More than 110 old
boys of the Chefoo Schools have joined the colours (88 are children of missionaries). Of these, 16
have given their lives for King and Country while 4 more are among the missing.”
Alf’s grave is near Albert on the Somme. He was just 19. The ‘Memorial Gates’ at the Boy’s School
in Chefoo were given by the Moore-Andrew family in memory of Alf.
123
Amy Moore
sent a telegram to George Andrew in Lanzhou, Gansu, saying, “Regret to inform you Private Andrew,
15th Royal Scots, killed in action June 4th 1916.” A letter from Chaplain James Black dated 5 June,
gave more details. “Pte. Andrew of the 15th Royal Scots was very seriously wounded in a heavy
bombardment which our 1st Edinburgh Battalion boys suffered during Saturday night and Sunday
morning. He was buried along with two others in the debris of the ruined trenches. At first he was
reported missing, but a digging party found the remains of the three brave lads who died at their duty.
I fear there is no doubt whether Pte. Andrew was one of these as some of the papers and relics have
been identified as his.”
On 28 July Jessie Andrew wrote to her daughter Esther about Alf’s death: “The prayer meeting was
here on the Saturday as Miss Mellor was taking the women that day. During the morning it came over
me that my dear laddie was either dead or in great danger, and I had such a cry. Oh this cruel, cruel
war! How many more young lives are going to be sacrificed? I sit and think and think and I cannot
realise the dear laddie has gone. Poor Dad, he feels it intensely. Last week he could hardly speak to
anybody.”
In the same letter she said, “We sent a wire to Jim and have had one back. He said he was writing.”
In the ‘Millions’ of June 1916 a report stated (following the report of Alf’s death): “More than 110 old
boys of the Chefoo Schools have joined the colours (88 are children of missionaries). Of these, 16
have given their lives for King and Country while 4 more are among the missing.”
Alf’s grave is near Albert on the Somme. He was just 19. The ‘Memorial Gates’ at the Boy’s School
in Chefoo were given by the Moore-Andrew family in memory of Alf.
123
