15 JANUARY 1915
K.O.S.B’s FROM INDIA AT BERWICK BARRACKS.
On Tuesday morning a party numbering fifty men and two sergeants, under the command of Bandmaster Wilson from the 1st Battalion arrived at Berwick Barracks from India. The party left Lucknow on the 5th December and they had in their care the wives and children of the men, numbering twenty-three women and forty children. From Lucknow they proceeded to Bombay, where they embarked on the “Cosican” on the 8th of December and sailed on the 9th. On board there was a battalion of the Border Regiment and a battalion of the Royal Munster Fusiliers, together with details from the Royal Scots, the Middlesex Regiment, and a number of recruits for Kitchener’s Army.
On Christmas Eve the sergeants on the ship assembled and formed a sergeants’ mess and after an enjoyable dinner a smoking concert was held. New Year’s Day was spent in a cheerful manner, but as one of the party remarked “there were few Scotsmen on board and the day passed off quietly.” Excellent weather was experienced during the voyage and to while away the time games, boxing and other sports were indulged in. The ship arrived at Bristol on Sunday, where the men were served with warmer kit as they had come from India in their light khaki clothes. The party at Berwick are to receive permission to go on furlough to visit their relatives. Along with Bandmaster Wilson, the other sergeants were Sergt. Robison and Sergt.Turner. Sergt Turner was drill instructor at Berwick Barracks from October 1909 to October 1910 and Sergt. Robison has also served at the Depot. Two Berwick men were with the party. One is Lance Corp. Jamieson, who is a piper and who went to India only a year or two ago, and the other is Band boy Amers who belongs to Walkergate Berwick.
Postscript
In the 1911 census Daniel Amers is listed as living at 28 Walkergate, Berwick. At that time, he was aged 22 and was employed as a labourer. He was living with his sister, Annie who was married to David Rutherford. Six of their children were also in the household. They all lived in two rooms.