Andrew McCreath was a pupil of the Berwick Grammar School from 1898 – 1905. Throughout his school course he showed himself to be a pupil of marked ability, and in the corporate life of the School he took a very prominent part. On leaving school he joined the staff of Barclay’s Bank, and was a clerk in the Newcastle branch when War broke out.

Lieutenant Andrew Berghaus McCreath  died age 29 on 11 December 1917 while serving in Egypt. He was on attachment to KSOB from the 2nd/ 7th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers.

His death from wounds in Cairo cut off another young life full of promise and usefulness.

An extract from the London Gazette of 1st January 1918 reads outlines an earlier act of bravery

“On 26th July, 1917, during an inspection of grenades, one of the grenades fell on the ground and detonated, and Lieutenant McCreath, hearing warning shouts, ran up and picked up the bomb. In order to get rid of it without endangering others, he had to run until he found an empty dug-out into which to throw it. As he was about to throw it away the detonator exploded; fortunately, the ammonal (*) was wet (although Lieutenant McCreath did not know this), and no further explosion took place or he would almost certainly have been killed or severely injured.”

He was unmarried.

(*) an explosive made up of ammonium nitrate and aluminium powder