CORPORAL JAMES DALGLEISH POLLOCK FORMERLY PRIVATE JAMES POLLOCK OF THE 5TH BATTALION THE CAMERONIANS (SCOTTISH RIFLES).

James Pollock and James Dawson (see below) were cousins. Both were born in Tillicoultry, Clackmananshire. They both joined the 5th Scottish Rifles and were both awarded the Victoria Cross for action at or near the Hohenzollern Redoubt in France in the autumn of 1915, though both were, by then, serving with different units.

James Pollock was born on 3 June 1890. His award was gazetted on 18 December 191 5. At the time of his award he was serving in the Battalion The Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders.

On 27 September 1915 near Hohenzollern Redoubt, France, at about noon the enemy bombers in superior numbers were successfully working up ‘Little Willie’ trench towards the Redoubt. Corporal Pollock ... got out of the trench above and walked along the top edge with complete disregard for danger, and compelled the enemy bombers to retire by bombing [throwing grenades] from above. He was under heavy machine gun fire the whole time, but contrived to hold up the progress of the Germans for an hour before he was wounded.

Captain James Pollock took part (along with more than 300 other VC’s) in the Centenary Review of Holders of the Victoria Cross by Her Majesty The Queen in Hyde Park, London, on 25 June 1956 (along with his cousin James Dawson). He died at Ballochyle, Ayrshire, on 10 May 1958.

James Pollock’s medal is in the Museum of the Queen’s Own Highlanders, Fort George, Invernesshire.