More about John Tyrie

John was the brother of Gunner William Tyrie, 95104, Tank Corps, who was killed in action, 01.10.1917.

John Tyrie was employed as a Baker with Mr Robbie of Princes Street, Dundee and lived at 3 Balmore Street, Dundee with his father, Mr James Tyrie. Later his next of kin was changed to Mrs Tyrie, 4 West High Street, Forfar. He was one of the first local men to volunteer to join the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve onboard HMS Unicorn for service in the Royal Naval Division. After initial Naval Training at the Crystal Palace in South London he was drafted to the Drake Battalion serving in A Company. The Battalion moved to Blandford Camp in Dorset for advanced military training in late 1914 and remained there until the end of February 1915 when it received orders to sail for the Eastern Mediterranean. The plan was for the Royal Naval Division to support the Allied Naval forces as they forced a passage through the Turkish defences at the Dardanelles and captured Constantinople, now called Istanbul. The plan failed and a landing on Gallipoli was planned. The Drake Battalion landed on Gallipoli in late April and took part in offensives against the Turkish village of Krithia in May and June. Both attacks ended in failure and heavy losses. John Tyrie was killed in action on 14 July and his body was recovered and buried in the rear of Trench E. 12b. After the end of the war his grave was not found and he is named on the Helles Memorial on Gallipoli and on the Scottish National War Memorial in Edinburgh Castle.