Ewen McGregor Haldane didn’t receive a medal for his courage during the action in which he lost his life because, as was noted in the official history, although he showed great courage, so did all the men present and as such no one received an award for their singular acts. His circumstance of casualty card states “whilst in command of a company shortly after the Objective was reached, in an attack on Hill 70, Loos, the enemy counter attacked heavily, and when proceeding down a trench, he was hit in the head by shrapnel from a grenade thrown by the enemy.”
It was stated that “he was everywhere and anywhere the fighting was hot. Lt. E. M. Haldane, leading the defence, was standing on the parapet doing terrible execution with his bombs and, with his staunch supporters, successfully balked the Hun again and again. When there was another bombing attack Lts. Haldane and Chisholm again led a successful defence beating the Boche back. But the situation was precarious as they were short of bombs and expected another attack momentarily. Then, as twilight was gathering came the most determined and the fiercest of all the attempts to capture the hinge—No. 8 Post. The devoted defenders dealt with it desperately and gallantly, and just as it was seen that the attacking Hun was losing heart, courageous Lt. Haldane, up on the parapet and frantically heaving Mills, was killed by a Potatomasher, which fell at his feet. He died fighting, after a day in which his recklessness and disregard for danger had been a vast inspiration to his hard pressed men. They were doughty bomb throwers and dauntless warriors in that post. Though none should be singled out for his deeds all were heroic.”
Maj Haldane’s body was one of the few that could be recovered during the fighting at the Green Line during Hill 70.
