Born in Bridge of Weir, eldest son of Alexander Brodie, carter from Kilbarchan and Janet McKendrick, from Greenock.
From www.bridgeofweirmemorial.co.uk
His Life
Malcolm Brodie was born on 5th February 1883 in Woodrow's Land, Bridge of Weir, the eldest son of Alexander Brodie, a carter from Kilbarchan and Janet McKendrick, from Greenock, who had married in Houston, Renfrewshire on 29th September 1882.
In 1891 Alexander (32), Janet (34), and three of their children Malcolm, John and Elizabeth were living in Bank Head, Houston.
In 1901 Malcolm was working as a farm servant at Aitkenhead Farm in Bothwell, Lanarkshire. Later that year he enlisted in the Gordon Highlanders, served for a year, then bought himself out on 15 December 1902 for the sum of £18.
On 6th October 1905 Malcolm Brodie married Agnes Brown, a farm servant from Avonhead, near Slamannan, Stirlingshire, daughter of Thomas Brown, coal miner, and Janet White, Fordale Terrace, Carriden in Carriden Manse, Bo'ness.
In 1911, Malcolm (28), Agnes (27), and their children Janet (5) Alexander (3) and Thomas (10 months) were living in a 3-roomed flat in Blackhall, Main Street, Bridge of Weir. Malcolm was a nurseryman. Janet and Thomas had been born in Bridge of Weir, but Alexander in Bo'ness, West Lothian.
Malcolm volunteered for active service in September 1914 and was enlisted at Glasgow in the 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders which formed part of 8th Brigade, 3rd Division. In October 1915 the 1st Gordons transferred to 76th Brigade in the same Division.
Private Brodie first joined the theatre of war in France on 31st March 1915. In October 1915 he was injured by a trench falling in. After hospital treatment Malcolm was home for a few days furlough on 27th November. On 21st February1916 Malcolm was killed in action by a bursting shell.
The battalion war diaries provide the tragic background to the newspaper reports. Malcolm was killed by British shell fire in the Ravine at Verbrandenmolen in the Ypres salient. His death occurred during four days of shelling when the risk to the British front line troops was equally great from British and German artillery.
