Gordon Rennie was born in Durban, Natal, SA. After school he worked as a shipping agent between London and Durban. He married Marion Steele in 1913.

‘Rennie took two trenches by assault, but came under such heavy cross maxim fire that he could not move. We stuck it for three hours, when the order came to retire. Rennie was mortally wounded and unconscious, and Burke took over “A” Company. All our wounded and killed, as far as possible, had to be got back. Poor Rennie and others had to be carried over three miles. The gunners on our side were wonderfully good, but the enemy were so numerous we could not check them, and all the time we were under a murderous fire. We expected an attack which mercifully did not come. The officers placed poor Gordon Rennie in his grave, and the Durban Light Infantry fellows lay beside him. Our chaplain was wounded earlier in the day, and Col. Molyneux said the burial service just at dusk. We could fire no volley, but the boom of the guns was his requiem. He is a heavy loss. All through he had done excellently, and no one could have done more than he. There is hardly a dry eye in his Company.’

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