James McDougall was born on 5th October 1896 in Skerray, the son of Mrs Anne McDougall .He was also the step-grandson of Mr and Mrs George Munro. James was employed as a teacher in Skerray School. The family had a shop which was located opposite Skerray Free Church.

He enlisted into the Army in Tongue with Alexander Mackay from Achtoty in May 1916, they were then both sent to complete their military training at Golspie. In early July 1916 James and Alexander were sent as casualty replacements to the 5th (Caithness and Sutherland) Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders on the battlefield in France. The 5th Seaforth Highlanders were serving with the 152 Brigade, 51 (Highland) Division and was preparing to take part in the Battle of the Somme.
The 5th Seaforths contained men from all parts of the Highlands of Scotland and was a Territorial Army battalion before the outbreak of war. The four-battalion companies recruited exclusively from Caithness and Sutherland and men, who joined up together usually served together at the front. ‘A’ was the Golspie and Bonar Bridge Company, ‘B’ the Dornoch, Rogart, Helmsdale and Brora Company, ‘C’ the Wick, Lybster and Thurso Company and ‘D’ the Halkirk, Castletown, Bower and Watten Company. Battalions that were raised in towns and villages in England so that men cold served in this way were called ‘Pals’ Battalions and in the same way the 5 Seaforths were also a battalion of ‘Pals’.
Private James McDougall was severely wounded between the 12 and 14 of November 1916, during the 51(Highland) Divisions attack on Beaumont Hamel. His story up until that point is exactly the same as his comrade Private Alexander Mackay 3771 from Achtoty, who was killed, in the same attack. (Alexander Mackay story appears on this site).
Battalion stretcher-bearers evacuated Private McDougall to the battalion first aid point and he received treatment for his wounds; he was then taken by ambulance to the Casualty Clearing Station in Varennes village. He died from his wounds in the Casualty Clearing Station two days later, at the age of 20 years he had only been in France for five months.
SCOTTISH NATIONAL WAR MEMORIAL EDINBURGH CASTLE McDougall James Private. Died of wounds. F&F. 16-11-16. 5 Battalion Seaforth Highlanders.
COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES COMMISSION McDougall Private James 3770, 5 Battalion Seaforth Highlanders. Died of wounds 16 November 1916. Age 20. Son of Mrs Annie McDougall of Thurso. Plot. Row G. Grave 1.
Private James McDougall 3770 5 Battalion Seaforth Highlanders is buried in a war grave at VARENNES MILITARY CEMETERY, SOMME, FRANCE.
- Introduction
- A Tongue Soldier
- Peter Burr
- Charles Burr
- Angus Clarke
- Angus Mackay
- Charles Mackay
- Daniel Mackay
- Donald Mackay
- Henry Mackay
- Hugh Mackay
- Magnus Mackay
- Sinclair Mackay
- William Mackay
- Hamish Mackenzie
- William Mclntosh
- Mangus Macleod
- Donald Munro
- William Munro
- Hugh John Murray
- Okain C Shaw
- Angus Sutheriand
- Peter Sutherland
- Roll of Honour World War 1-1
- Not on Tongue War Memorial
- Alexander Mackay
- Roll of Honour Tongue WW 2
- Melness War Memorial
- John Barnestson
- David Campbell
- Donald Mackay Melness
- James Pope
- Donald Rankine
- Murdo McPherson
- James Mackenzie
- Joseph Mackenzie
- Sinclair Mackenzie
- Isabella Mackenzie
- Mackay Mackay
- Robert Mackay
- Joseph Munro
- John A Mackenzie
- John C Mackenzie
- George W Mackay
- Allan Mackay
- John Mackay
- Kenneth Mackay
- Roll of Honour World War 1
- Angus G Mackay
- Robert A Gunn
- Martin Morrison
- John Robert Munro
- Roll of Honour Melness WW 2
- Not on Melness War Memorial
- Steamship SS Ashbury
- Skerray War Memorial
- David Newlands
- John Donald Mackay
- John Angus Grant Mackay
- George Gunn
- Hugh Mackay Lotts
- Williams Duncan Mackay
- Thomas N Mackay
- George G Mackay
- Eric W Mackay
- John George Mackay
- Angus G Mackay1
- Alex Mackay High Bonnybridge
- Alexander Mackay Achnabat
- Robert Mackay1
- Donald H Mackay
- Neil Munro
- Murdoch Mackay D C M
- George Mackay
- William Milne
- Eric Mackay Canadians
- Daniel Gunn Mackay
- John M Mackay
- John Mackay AIF
- Robert Hugh Mackay
- James McDougall
- Roll of Honour Worlds War 1
- Duncan C Menzies
- James M Gunn
- William W Sim
- George Gordon
- Donald Mackay Torrisdale
- James Mackay
- Archibald McNichol
- Not on Skerray War Memorial
- Roll of Honour World War 2
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- A Tongue Soldier
- Peter Burr
- Charles Burr
- Angus Clarke
- Angus Mackay
- Charles Mackay
- Daniel Mackay
- Donald Mackay
- Henry Mackay
- Hugh Mackay
- Magnus Mackay
- Sinclair Mackay
- William Mackay
- Hamish Mackenzie
- William Mclntosh
- Mangus Macleod
- Donald Munro
- William Munro
- Hugh John Murray
- Okain C Shaw
- Angus Sutheriand
- Peter Sutherland
- Roll of Honour World War 1-1
- Not on Tongue War Memorial
- Alexander Mackay
- Roll of Honour Tongue WW 2
- Melness War Memorial
- John Barnestson
- David Campbell
- Donald Mackay Melness
- James Pope
- Donald Rankine
- Murdo McPherson
- James Mackenzie
- Joseph Mackenzie
- Sinclair Mackenzie
- Isabella Mackenzie
- Mackay Mackay
- Robert Mackay
- Joseph Munro
- John A Mackenzie
- John C Mackenzie
- George W Mackay
- Allan Mackay
- John Mackay
- Kenneth Mackay
- Roll of Honour World War 1
- Angus G Mackay
- Robert A Gunn
- Martin Morrison
- John Robert Munro
- Roll of Honour Melness WW 2
- Not on Melness War Memorial
- Steamship SS Ashbury
- Skerray War Memorial
- David Newlands
- John Donald Mackay
- John Angus Grant Mackay
- George Gunn
- Hugh Mackay Lotts
- Williams Duncan Mackay
- Thomas N Mackay
- George G Mackay
- Eric W Mackay
- John George Mackay
- Angus G Mackay1
- Alex Mackay High Bonnybridge
- Alexander Mackay Achnabat
- Robert Mackay1
- Donald H Mackay
- Neil Munro
- Murdoch Mackay D C M
- George Mackay
- William Milne
- Eric Mackay Canadians
- Daniel Gunn Mackay
- John M Mackay
- John Mackay AIF
- Robert Hugh Mackay
- James McDougall
- Roll of Honour Worlds War 1
- Duncan C Menzies
- James M Gunn
- William W Sim
- George Gordon
- Donald Mackay Torrisdale
- James Mackay
- Archibald McNichol
- Not on Skerray War Memorial
- Roll of Honour World War 2
- Acknowledgements