Private war memorials in churches

Just south of Dunnotar Castle in the old county of Kincardine is the small village of Catterline. There is no civic war memorial in the village but there are memorials in the Church of Scotland and Episcopal Church to the men of the village who lost their lives in the World Wars. The cross in the churchyard of St James’ Episcopal Church lists eight First World War names and one for the Second World War. Like many church memorials is lists only names and gives no other details such as rank, unit or date of death to help anyone researching the names. There are also two men with the same name - William Stephen - which is always a challenge when there are no other details. 

Church War Memorial, St James' Catterline

Luckily, inside the church is a private memorial to one of the William Stephens with more information to help identify who he was. 

Private Memorial in St James', Catterline

Unlike civic memorials or other public memorials, privately purchased memorials often have a lot of information on them. They can be simple memorials such as an inscription on a headstone of they could be a brass or marble plaque on a church wall; or sometimes they are stained glass windows or other church fittings. Private memorials often give details of the cause and place of death and family information. Sometimes they will give the citations for gallantry awards or their war service before their deaths. A private memorial such as the one to William Stephen should be a very useful source of information for researchers then.  

The one in Catterline Church certainly has plenty of information. It records William Stephen’s rank, ship, next of kin, date of death and age. It was erected by the officers and engineers of the Australian Transport ship A.49 – a ship used to ferry Australian service personnel and cargo. Engineer Stephen had been in the crew of the SS “Seang Choon” before it had been requisitioned in 1915 as the HMAT 49 and had remained on the ship – still in the Mercantile Marine – when it was under Australian orders.

Engineer Stephen died in early 1917 but a search on the fate of the ship shows it was not lost in early January but in mid-1917. The HMAT 49 was torpedoed by U-87 off Ireland in June 1917. There is also no record of the ship being in any action which would have caused the death of Engineer Stephen.

Stephen’s private memorial records that he died on “Active Service” on  2nd January 1917 but a search on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission database does not show an entry for him, neither does the Scottish National War Memorial database. The CWGC and SNWM have strict criteria for inclusion for men of the Mercantile Marine on their databases. Engineer Stephen may have faced many of the same risks as his Royal Navy colleagues on the high seas but if he did not die as a result of enemy action then he would not qualify for inclusion on the CWGC or SNWM databases. The inscription “Active Service” is a red herring. This is unfortunately quite common on private headstones where ranks, units and dates can all be inscribed incorrectly and send researchers down blind alleys.

As it turns out 2nd Engineer William Stephen did not die on active service. At the time of his death he was not even at sea, he was in Greenwich Hospital and died of Meningitis & Hypostatic Pneumonia. If he had been in the Royal Navy rather than a civilian organisation he would have qualified for commemoration. He is one of many Scottish mariners who did their bit in the war but are not remembered in official records as a war death. However he is still remembered in his home village, and by the Scottish Military Research Group Commemorations Project (SMRGCP)

All that's shiny on a war memorial isn't bronze...

A recent report in the Linlithgow Gazette has highlighted another shocking case of metal theft. Or has it?

The newspaper photograph shows that something is clearly missing at the top of the Blackness War Memorial. A closer inspection of the Blackness thread on the Scottish War Memorial Project shows that in 2008 what was there was a slab of dark grey granite and not a bronze plaque.

More information on the SWMP tells us that what was there before the slab. 'The Scotsman' of Wednesday 27th December 1922 reported on the memorial's unveiling:

BLACKNESS.—The memorial to the men of Blackness district takes the form of a clock tower, built of Rubislaw granite...The cost of the memorial was £200, which was raised by voluntary effort.

So no bronze plaque then. The fact that no-one knew that the hole at the top of the memorial used to be a clock suggest that it was replaced quite some time ago. What a shame that Blackness couldn't maintain an integral part of its memorial. The reasons for the clock's removal may now be lost in the mists of time but hopefully when the unsightly gap is filled on the Blackness memorial they can find something more suitable than a plain grey slab? Perhaps this is a perfect opportunity for something decorative to be added? Perhaps that is already happening and no-one told the local councillor?

Blackness has lost its clock but there is another Scottish village which still has a war memorial clock tower and is in very serious danger of losing it. The Parish of Clyne War Memorial in Brora, Sutherland has chimed for nearly ninety years but age has taken its toll. The clock mechanism and the tower it sits in, are both in urgent need of renovation. The local authority does not have the funds to repair it so locals are looking into setting up a Friends of Clyne War Memorial group to help find the funds to save their memorial. You can visit their Facebook page here to lend your support.

Perhaps this recent case at Blackness highlights the need for a proper database on Scottish war memorials which could easily have shown that no bronze was stolen. There is the Scottish War Memorials Project but it is an unfunded and voluntarily run database. Should that data be taken on by a national body? (And by national I mean Scotland not UK). The UK National Inventory of War Memorials listing of Blackness does not mention any metal and there are no photographs so it really wouldn't have been much use here. Do we need a SIWM based on SWMP data with locations and photographs there for the taking...

As always we'd welcome your comments on anything discussed above.

Councillor condemns vandals for Invergowrie war memorial damage

An article from the Courier which caught our attention, highlighting something which is happening too often these days.

Carse councillor Peter Mulheron has condemned young vandals in Invergowrie after a war memorial to the village's fallen heroes was desecrated.


Stone blocks bearing the names of the war dead have been damaged, with two blocks pulled out entirely and left lying on the ground at the gates of Invergowrie Memorial Park.

Vandals have also tried to remove another block higher up and it has been left hanging from the wall in a dangerous condition.

The memorial in the park has long been targeted by vandals and was replaced by a more secure memorial at Invergowrie Parish Church in 2000.

However, the wall with the names of the armed forces personnel is still a sacred monument to the families involved, Mr Mulheron said.

He added that the latest vandalism comes just a few months after a bench in the park — which was installed as a memorial to Alastair Soutar, a Customs and Excise officer who died while trying to foil a multi-million-pound drug-smuggling operation — was daubed with paint and a plaque dedicated to the 47-year-old was stolen.

Mr Soutar was killed after being crushed between two boats during an operation off the Caithness coast in 1996.

''I don't know if it's drugs or what that's causing this but it's just terrible,'' Mr Mulheron said. ''These kids have no idea what upset they cause. The memorial gates were built for the people of Invergowrie who died in the wars.

''I've got to look at the previous incident with Mr Soutar's bench. It's just becoming par for the course here. People say the kids have nothing to do but when I was young we played football with a tennis ball or something. We didn't go around vandalising things. Kids these days have everything, but it's never enough.

''The names of all these people who gave their lives for Invergowrie, Scotland and Britain, whatever, have been damaged.

''These kids just don't understand the significance of it all — if it wasn't for these people giving their lives, they might not be around today. I'm very angry about this and I'll be taking the matter up with the police to see what can be done.''

A spokesman for Perth and Kinross Council said: ''We were concerned to hear about this incident of vandalism. We will investigate what damage has been caused and decide on a course of action. We would urge anyone who saw anything suspicious in the park to contact Tayside Police.''

From today's BBC Scotland website

Hawick's Hornshole memorial struck by vandals

 

The statue is in the heart of the town and is central to its common riding celebrations each year

Police have appealed for public help after a famous monument in the heart of Hawick was damaged by vandals.

The Hornshole memorial, which features a horse and rider, had part of its flag snapped off some time between 17:00 on Friday and 09:00 on Monday.

Lothian and Borders Police said the incident would be "difficult to comprehend" for local people.

Anyone who was in the area and saw anything suspicious has been asked to contact police.

A spokesperson said: "This monument is a major landmark and asset to the people of Hawick.

"It plays a significant and pivotal part in a number of its customs and traditions and to have it vandalised by mindless people will be difficult to comprehend for many local people.

"There will be people within the town who will know who has caused this damage and we would urge them to come forward and assist police with their enquiries."

The Battle of Hornshole, which is commemorated by the statue on Hawick's High Street, holds great historic importance for the town.

Its events are a central part of the common riding celebrations which take place every year.

In 1514 - a year after the Scottish army suffered a heavy defeat at Flodden - a party of English soldiers was camped at Hornshole, two miles from Hawick.

Youths of the town set out to meet them and defeated them, capturing their flag.

Lost & Missing war memorials

Recent posts on the Scottish War Memorials Project have been heartening about the fate of missing war memorials and rolls of honour. Some have definitely been destroyed when a building has been demolished, and some have been thrown away in refurbishment, but as we add to the entries of memorials recorded by the project we are finding more memorials in storage and in private hands.

While some people place no value on them, it's obvious others do. People will happily hold memorials and rolls of honour for now defunct companies, churches and clubs in trust. Sometimes a new home can be found in a local museum but sometimes that is not possible and people just take them home rather than see them sit in a skip.

Even ones which we know have gone forever have sometimes been photographed. Both the St James's church and North Merchiston church in Edinburgh have been demolished but photographs of their war memorials are held by Greenside Church and St Michael's Church.

Killiecrankie School's Roll of Honour may have disappeared, and may never re-appear, but the names it listed were recorded in the local paper at the time and are still known to us today.

And hopefully in the absence of the original memorial a transcription will do.

In 1964 When St George's Church in Charlotte Square merged with St Andrew's on George Street in Edinburgh, St Andrew's was to be the home of the new congregation. The St George's war memorial was built into the fabric of the building so instead of moving it the names were inscribed onto a brass plaque and hung in the renamed St Andrew's and St George's. At St George's in Glasgow City Centre the names are listed on a contemporary glass plate. The original memorial has gone into storage but the most important thing on it, the names, are at least still on public display.

So while Killiecrankie may never get back its original Roll perhaps they can still create a new one with the names of those who never returned, and fulfil the hope of the people of Killiecrankie of 1922 that the names would not be forgotten.

p.s. Another Killiecrankie Roll survives from 1915 which lists those from Blair Atholl and Killiecrankie serving in the Forces.

In Memoriam 2014 and the SmartWater Foundation

Thanks to Paul Goodwin for passing on this news about the In Memoriam 2014 project and the SmartWater Foundation

A project has been launched to combat the theft of metal elements from war memorials and to support their preservation to ensure that the names of those who died are remembered by future generations.

War Memorials Trust and the SmartWater Foundation are asking war memorial custodians to register for the In Memoriam 2014 project which is also making SmartWater’s state of the art crime prevention liquid available free of charge to mark all war memorials in the UK.

SmartWater is a forensic solution which contains a unique chemical code and is only visible under ultraviolet (UV) light. Once applied to a war memorial the liquid is virtually impossible to remove and can withstand burning or melting making it harder for criminals to dispose of stolen war memorials.

Police forces across the UK are actively searching for traces of SmartWater as a means of positively identifying stolen property and linking criminals back to specific crime scenes. More and more scrap metal dealers are also checking for traces of SmartWater and refusing to handle any items marked with the liquid.

Sir Keith Povey, SmartWater Foundation Chairman, stated "As the centenary of World War I approaches, In Memoriam 2014 encourages communities to reconnect with their local war memorials and remember the sacrifice that so many people made for their country. It is an exciting prospect for the SmartWater Foundation to be a partner with the War Memorials Trust in this project. The Foundation’s main role will be to offer greater protection for war memorials in the United Kingdom by offering SmartWater which is a proven crime deterrent, free of charge. I hope that people embrace what this project offers and take an interest in locating and preserving these symbols of our commemoration."

Meg Hillier MP Hackney South and Shoreditch and War Memorials Trust Trustee said "This project is an opportunity to protect war memorials in communities across the UK. War Memorials Trust seeks to both protect and conserve this unique part of our national heritage and so I am delighted to be supporting this project. I encourage people to take an active interest in the project and ensure the custodians of your local war memorials are taking advantage of this wonderful opportunity to protect your local war memorial free of charge."

Notes to editors
1. War Memorials Trust is an independent registered charity. Established in 1997 due to concerns about neglect and vandalism, it works to protect and conserve war memorials. It provides advice, information and administers grants schemes that assist the repair and conservation of war memorials across the UK. As a charity the Trust relies on voluntary contributions to undertake its work. Supporters include annual and life members, donors, charitable trusts and corporate contributors. Further details of the Trust can be found at http://www.warmemorials.org/.

2. The SmartWater Foundation, the charitable arm of SmartWater Technology Ltd, are providing the resources for the In Memoriam 2014 project and for SmartWater liquid to be offered free of charge to war memorial custodians. SmartWater Technology Ltd is a commercial company which provides crime reduction strategies. The company works closely with the police and other crime reduction agencies. Their clients include British Airways, Comet, Group 4 Securicor, HSBC, National Grid, Network Rail, Royal Mail and Thames Water. Further details about SmartWater Technology Ltd can be found at http://www.smartwater.com/.

3. SmartWater is a forensic solution which contains a unique chemical code and is only visible under ultraviolet (UV) light. Once applied to a war memorial the liquid is virtually impossible to remove and can withstand burning or melting making it harder for criminals to dispose of stolen war memorials. Police forces across the UK are actively searching for traces of SmartWater as a means of positively identifying stolen property and linking criminals back to specific crime scenes. More and more scrap metal dealers are also checking for traces of SmartWater and refusing to handle any items marked with the liquid. Further information about SmartWater liquid can be found at http://www.smartwater.com/.

4. In Memoriam 2014 is a joint project between War Memorials Trust and the SmartWater Foundation. Further information about the project can be found at http://www.inmemoriam2014.org/.

5. War Memorials Trust has approximately 150 Regional Volunteers, members of the charity who act as local contacts. They raise awareness of the charity and also alert the charity to local war memorial issues.

6. War Memorials Trust provides grants that can assist repair and conservation of war memorials. Contact the Conservation Team to discuss eligibility on 020 7233 7356 / 0300 123 0764 or conservation@warmemorials.org or download an ‘Expression of interest form’ from www.warmemorials.org/grants/.

7. War Memorials Trust provides a free advisory service to anyone with a war memorial enquiry. Specialist Conservation Officers are available on 020 7233 7356 / 0300 123 0764 or conservation@warmemorials.org.

8. Details of grants made can be viewed on the Trust’s Grants Showcase www.warmemorials.org/search-grants/. You can search by area, scheme, value and type of work.

9. Photographs and images of war memorials, and grant cases, may be available from the Trust. If images are on the Showcase www.warmemorials.org/search-grants/ then we should be able to provide digital versions. However, we are not a photo library and, whilst endeavouring to provide images, cannot guarantee to be able to provide them as many of the images sent to the Trust are not accompanied by a copyright licence.

10. War Memorials Trust has had a membership since around 2,200. Annual members pay £20 per annum with lifetime members contributing £100. Joint memberships are available and the charity has a gift membership scheme for those who would like to give the gift of membership to a family member or friend.

Remembrance 2011

Over the last few days there have been many Remembrance services across Scotland. Some today, on Remembrance Sunday; others two days ago on the anniversary of Armistice day on 11th November.

Whatever the date the one thing all ceremonies had in common is that at 11:00 a.m. those assembled paused for two minutes in silence. People might remember those listed on the memorial they were standing next to. Perhaps they may have remembered others they have known personally, or through family stories, who were not on the memorial but who died on active service. They may have thought of the men of the 51st (Highland) Division who captured German-held Beaumont Hamel on this day ninety five years ago. In the middle of a public ceremony each will have had their own very private thoughts.

When you read this all Remembrance services will be over for 2011. Why don't you tell us what you did this year to remember?

Missing Dumfries War Memorial

Thanks to Paul Goodwin for another Blog article today. Paul found references to a memorial unveiling in Dumfries in 1922 but has not been able to trace the memorial, or even its original location. I'll copy Paul's words from the Scottish War Memorial Project.

Dumfries and Maxwelltown Painters

Location: Original location not confirmed but believed to be in the main bar of the Globe Inn, 56 High Street, Dumfries at OS Map Ref NX 972 759. Its current location is unknown.

The unveiling of this memorial was reported in the Dumfries and Galloway Standard and Advertiser of 26th April 1922 and in another local paper of the same date. In one paper it is reported that the memorial is in the Hall of the Globe Inn and in the other that it is in the Globe Hotel Hall. Over a hundred men from Dumfries and Maxwelltown Painters Trade had served in the war so we can suppose that the number of men at the unveiling would have been close to, or even exceeded 100. There are currently two Globe Inns in Dumfries, one is a small bar in Maxwelltown which has never had a hall and is large enough for only 20 – 30 people with no sign of any memorial so we can discount that. Local trades directories, enquiries at the Ewart Library and the local Family History Society show no other Globe Hotels or Inns at the period so that leaves only the one on the High Street.

The Globe Inn (High Street) has never had a separate hall, nor is there any sign of the memorial there currently. The Inn has been in the ownership of the same family since the 1930s and they have no knowledge of the memorial, nor have any major changes or alterations been made in their ownership, it is a very historical building. It is difficult to understand that the memorial might have been removed within just 10 or so years of its unveiling. All of the rooms are quite small and could not relate to the hall described except for one large (long) room which is now used as the main bar.

The newspaper reports the position as occupying a prominent position in the centre of the end wall of the room, facing the door. If this refers to the main bar then this is exactly where the doors are to the Ladies and Gentlemens Toilets. So that is the probable location, but what happened to it and when?

Transcription from Dumfries and Galloway Standard and Advertiser dated 26 April 1922.

Dumfries Painters Memorial

Roll of Honour Unveiled

An interesting gathering was held in the Globe Hotel Hall, Dumfries on Saturday evening, when a memorial to members of the painters’ craft belonging to Dumfries and Maxwelltown, who fell in the great war was unveiled with appropriate ceremony. The memorial, a symbolical figure of “painting” occupies a prominent position in the centre of the end wall of the room, facing the door. It is the work of Mr George Graham, one of the veteran members of the craft in the town, and of his son, Mr Claude Graham, who, unfortunately, was taken ill and died while the work was in progress. The painting has a representation of a female figure holding a palette in her right hand, while with the left she points to the inscription which occupies the centre of the upper part of the picture. The inscription is as follows: “In commemoration of those belonging to the painting trade in Dumfries and Maxwelltown who made the supreme sacrifice during the great war.” At the bottom left hand corner there is a shiedl with the painters’ arms and the motto, “Amor et Obedientia.” An ornamental border with the rose, thistle and shamrock intertwined encloses the symbols, and the list of
NAMES OF THE FALLEN
which are as follows: Second-Lieutenant J. M. Haining,, K.O.S.B.; Sergeant J. Hewitson, A. and S.H.; Corporal R. Constantine, H.L.I.; Lance-Corporal A. McGeorge, K.O.S.B.; Private A. McKenzie, K.O.S.B.; Private J. Bryden, K.O.S.B.; Private Albert Law, K.O.S.B.; Private J Coyle, K.O.S.B.; Private D. Bouskill, K.O.S.B.; Private R. Brown, K.O.S.B.; Sergeant William Brown, R.G.A.; Private William Neisham, R.E.; Private J. Nelson, S.R.; Private A. Jamieson, B.W.; Private J. McAdam, Con. R.; Private J. Graham, H.L.I.; Private Alexander McAdam, R.E.; Private R. Simm, R.S.; Gunner J. Bell, R.G.A.; Private Alexander Harrison, K.O.S.B.; Private Robert Jackson, K.O.S.B.

The memorial is enclosed in a massive oak frame, this part of the work having been executed by the late Mr D. Constantine.
(transcription ends)

In the article, there follows a description of the ceremony which mentions a welcome home ceremony for members of the craft which had been held in the same hall two years previously. Also mentioned that over 100 members of the trade had gone to fight and 21 had “made the supreme sacrifice”. The memorial was unveiled by the president, Mr Wilson who accepted it into their safe custody.

Preparing a Remembrance Day talk

Paul Goodwin has written today's Blog article where he shares his thoughts about giving a talk on Remembrance at this time of year.

In 2008 I was privileged to be given the opportunity to speak at a school assembly for Remembrance Day. This would be a new experience for me and had to be done correctly. I would have about fifteen minutes and would be watched by the pupils and teachers, the local minister and the head teacher (my boss).

I started with a short video clip of a reading of ‘In Flanders Fields’, it sounds better in a Scots accent and mine is English. I followed this with a few words on the origin of war memorials and a slide of our local claim to fame, the oldest civic memorial in Scotland, the Crimean memorial at Balmaclellan which is in the school catchment area. I then gave a few examples of different types of memorials with a slide of each, all from the local area of course so that they would be known to the audience.

With these words I continued “I tried to think how best to bring a sense of presence to these memorials so I decided to focus on one man , and to make it straightforward, I chose the first man listed on the nearest memorial (the one on Main Street, Dalry).” I will leave the story of Robert James Clark for a future blog but I showed slides of his name on the memorial, the man himself, his house and told the story of how he lived and died. I held up examples of the medals and his cap badge.

At about this time I realised that I could not hear anything so wondered if I was going deaf! I looked up and saw everyone watching in silence, I had never seen the pupils that quiet before. Ok, I had given them the intro, grabbed their attention by showing them something familiar and turned a name on a piece of granite into a face on the screen in front of them. Now for the sucker punch!

“If he had lived then his great grandchildren would probably be here now as pupils of this school, perhaps sitting on those two empty chairs behind you.” They all turned around and looked at two empty chairs I had placed at the back of the room and one or two gasped. I hoped that I had now turned a war so long ago into a real event for them and, at least for some, given them the understanding that the loss of those men continues to affect us all. (As an aside, that use of the empty chairs is still occasionally mentioned by pupils two and a half years later so it obviously left an impact).

“Behind every name on every memorial is a story like this one, of a real person, a real family and a real loss.” That’s it, job done; now time to wrap up with a few words to plug the Scottish War Memorials Project and the War Memorials Trust.

(If anyone would like a copy of the script I used that day, just send a PM to ‘spoons’ at the Scottish War Graves Project.) And now I will end as I did on that day…………

“The next time you pass a war memorial, please STOP………… and read a name…………. and pause for thought.”

Bargrennan War Memorial Rededication

Thanks to Paul Goodwin for this information about Bargrennan War Memorial

There is to be a service to re-dedicate the Bargrennan memorial in its new location in the grounds of Bargrennan church on Friday 11th November at 10:45. I understand that soup and sandwiches are to be provided nearby. If anyone is able to attend in this remote location (North of Newton Stewart) then I am sure they will be made very welcome.

Flight Engineer John Kinnear - Behind the name

In the Fife town of Newport-on-Tay the war memorial sits at the side of the Firth. The Second World War names are on two bronze panels flanking the mercat cross memorial erected after the First World War. The names are listed but there are no ranks or units to give any clues as to how they died.

One of the names is John Kinnear. A search on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission database comes up with this man:

KINNEAR, JOHN
Initials: J
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Sergeant (Flt. Engr.)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force
Unit Text: 617 Sqdn.
Age: 21
Date of Death: 17/05/1943
Service No: 635123
Additional information: Son of William and Helen Kinnear, of East Newport, Fife.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 21. D. 14.
Cemetery: REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY

Note his squadron and date of death. Flight Sergeant Kinnear was a Dambuster. He was lost when his Lancaster AJ-B 'Baker' flew into a pylon before reaching the target.

Nothing at the Fife memorial indicates that one of the men listed had been picked as the cream of the RAF to fly on one of the most difficult and daring air raids in history.

Sadly he was one of the fifty three men lost that night. Was his death worth it? The debate still continues to this day but nearly seventy years later he is still remembered in Newport.

Seaman James Anderson - Behind the Name

We have not posted a ‘Behind the name’ post for a while so in the week leading up to Remembrance Day we are going to pick a few names from Scottish war memorials to highlight. If you happen to be standing in front of one of these names next Friday (11th) or Sunday (13th) then you will know a little bit more about why that person is commemorated.

The small village of Thrumster in Caithness on the Pentland Firth has an obelisk for a war memorial. After the First World War it was erected as an estate memorial but by the time it had come to add the Second World War names it was for the community.

The first name on the list of Second World War names is the only sailor listed. He is Seaman J Anderson R.N.V.R.

He is this man.

ANDERSON, JAMES
Initials: J
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Seaman
Regiment/Service: Royal Naval Reserve
Unit Text: H.M.S. Jervis Bay
Age: 27
Date of Death: 05/11/1940
Service No: C/X 10533
Additional information: Son of Donald Anderson and Martha Foster Anderson (nee McKellar); husband of Ellen Anderson, of Thrumster, Caithness-shire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 40, 1.
Memorial: CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL

The ship he served and died on, on this day in November 1940 was the 'Jervis Bay'. We covered it as an 'On this Day' last year.

Seaman Anderson's ship was pulverised by the German battleship 'Admiral Scheer' to allow the convoy it was protecting to scatter and escape from the Germans. It was a costly act of self-sacrifice which earned the Captain of the 'Jervis Bay' a Victoria Cross but saved many valuable merchant ships and seamen.

Remembering Captain Samuel McKnight - Bank Messenger

Anti-capitalist protesters are currently targeting financial districts in cities around the world. In Edinburgh they are camped across from 36 St Andrew Square, the former head office of the Royal Bank of Scotland. Whilst bankers are easy targets for media and protesters it's worth considering that most people employed by the bank are ordinary folk like you and me; and that was the same almost 100 years ago.

In the run up to Remembrance Day as we start wearing our red poppies, it is maybe worth remembering that in August 1914 many bank staff were already keen volunteers in the Territorial Force in Scotland. Many more left their branches and head office departments to answer Kitchener's call to arms, and joined the ranks of the New Army when war was declared.

The Royal Bank of Scotland Archives have an item from 1918 from one of the bank's volunteers which at first glance seems nondescript; it is a simple postcard with just a few words. The significance is that it is a postcard sent from the front by a former bank messenger to his old colleagues just four weeks before he was killed in action.

One of his colleagues wanted to make sure he wasn't forgotten and saved his postcard. It was put in an envelope around the time of the official end of the war in 1919, when peace and victory parades were being organised, and filed away in a room at 36 St Andrew Square. Luckily it was found years later and passed to the bank archives.

Twenty five year old Captain Samuel McKnight of the 17th Battalion, Royal Scots was one of eighty four Royal Bank of Scotland staff killed in the Great War; and one of fifteen hundred bank workers who lost their lives between 1914 and 1918 from all the banks which now makes up the British part of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group. He is listed on the bronze and marble war memorial in the entrance hall of the Royal Bank of Scotland branch at 36 St Andrew Square. You can see the memorial, Captain McKnight's postcard, and the moving story behind it on the RBS Archives website:

http://www.rbs.com/about-rbs/g2/heritage/rbs-history-100/themes/people-at-work/46.ashx

Hawick War Memorial Highly Commended by RBL

From the Hawick News

Memorial awarded highly commended recognition

HAWICK’S Glorious Dead war memorial has been placed highly commended in the annual Royal British Legion War Memorial competition.
However, there were no points awarded to the Boer War memorial, despite the Hawick branch gifting a duplicate cairn earlier this year.
Chairman of the Hawick Branch of The Royal British Legion Scotland, Jim Coltman (pictured) said: “The award means a lot to us and a lot to the Legion in the town. We know there’s been cutbacks with the parks staff but they’ve really worked hard this year, while two or three of us were down giving them a hand to tidy up beforehand.
“With very little extra work from the parks department, I’m confident we could have been outright winners of the whole thing.”
Branch secretary Brian McLeod said they wished to thank the following for their help in preparing the war memorials for this year’s competition: The Hawick parks department staff, Frank Scott and Jason Hedley (parks manager) at Scottish Borders Council. He added: “We in the Hawick branch will endeavour to assist as is necessary so that we can improve both war memorials for 2012.”

Fans plan new Hearts war memorial

An article from the Edinburgh Evening News about a new memorial for McCrae's Battalion. Would it be wrong to point out that McCrae's Battalion already has a memorial in Edinburgh? It's in St Giles Cathedral - maybe they should go and have a look for it. And if it's to the team as they say, then there's a memorial to the men from Hearts at Haymarket...

A New memorial to the Hearts players who fought and died in the First World War could be created outside Tynecastle.
Hearts supporters' groups have come together to launch a bid to raise £60,000 for a new memorial to the famous "McCrae's Battalion" or "footballer's battalion", which took part in the Battle of the Somme.

The 600 men that were part of the battalion included all 13 players in the Hearts first team of the time, which had been at the top of the table when they agreed to fight.

Now it is hoped that a statue, likely to take the form of a soldier with a football, can be created outside the club's home ground to recognise the role the club's staff played on the battlefield.

A group of fans have come together to raise money under the name of the 1914 Memorial Trust.

Steven Kilgour, vice-chairman of the new trust, said: "This was a unique team not only to Hearts but to Scottish history and this will be a lasting tribute to them. We don't want a war memorial as such, but something to commemorate the actual team."

The Hearts players that took part formed the backbone of the 16th Royal Scots, later dubbed the "footballer's battalion". The majority never returned.

Many players and officials from other clubs took the lead of the Hearts squad and signed up to the 16th Royal Scots. On the first day of the Battle of the Somme, three of the Hearts players were killed along with 21,000 others.

Gorgie councillor and former Lord Provost Eric Milligan said: "Every supporter in the world thinks there is something special and unique about their football club but I do not think there is any football club anywhere that has a story that surpasses the story of Heart of Midlothian Football Club.

"It stands unique in the world with a rich history that is not just about the football field but a lot more than that and those players that took part in the First World War are a big part of that."

Stained Glass War Memorials

Although stained glass windows as war memorials are not something you come across every day, there are several tens, perhaps as many as a hundred or so such memorials in Scotland. It may come as a surprise that not all of these are in churches or former churches and some are not even in their original location.

Stained glass faces some particular problems when churches close or are modified, or the windows just deteriorate and need repair. Such windows are fragile, and only the exterior of the window is designed to be weatherproof, the interior of the window is likely to be painted so is not weatherproof like the outside. Most significantly the windows are designed to be seen from inside the building and rely on a supply of light from outside in order to be seen.

So what are the implications of this from a war memorial perspective? Well firstly the windows are very expensive to design and install and may therefore be quite valuable in their own right. Glasgow’s open museum acquired a three light memorial window at a cost of £132,000! Should a window need repair and renovation, costs are likely to be many thousands of pounds. Finally if a window needs to be relocated for any reason such as demolition of the building, relocation costs are likely to be similarly large.

A fine example of how such memorials can be saved for the future is the WW2 memorial at Lochend Church, Beeswing, Dumfries and Galloway.

When the church was sold, the building was listed with special mention being made of the window and that it should not be obscured by internal structures or by blocking up, furthermore there was a covenant placed on the deeds to the effect that anyone who wishes to see the memorial must be allowed access providing they make an appointment with the occupier. A great result all around.

Another closure of a church (and its demolition) led to the move of a Boer War memorial window from St Ninian’s school, Moffat to the nearby St John’s church. It took a number of years to raise the funds needed to renovate and install the window which entailed demolition and rebuilding
of the entire end wall of the church!

Burnside parish church in Pollockshields had an even more impressive relocation when the whole church was moved to a new site ‘brick by brick’ including the stained glass window.

It does not all go well however; many years ago it was necessary to install an internal first floor in a church in Annan, this results in only being able to view the top half of the windows from upstairs and the bottom half from the ground floor.

Sometimes there is no choice but to move the window and place it into a light box. If you have not seen one, this is a box which has internal lighting (preferably neon rather than bulbs) so that, when switched on, the window is illuminated – the whole must be indoors. Good examples are the windows which are now in Dunscore Church, Dumfries and Galloway and in Canongate Church, Edinburgh.

St Andrews church, Castle Douglas is now the Lochside Theatre and what is believed to be the war memorial window is now blocked up. Little detail can be seen and there is no photographic record but at least we believe it remains to be uncovered by perhaps some future generation who will hopefully recognise its value.



Finally a sad tale………. Tarff Church in Dumfries and Galloway had a pair of memorial windows when it closed. One of these is now believed lost and the other is stored under canvas as four panels by the present owner of the building, unfortunately a piece of the glass bearing two surnames is missing from this surviving window and its future is uncertain.

(Today's Blog was written by Paul Goodwin)

Craigneuk War Memorial restored and refurbished

The war memorial at Craigneuk, near Motherwell was officially unveiled on Saturday past. It has been given a makeover, and a new wall surrounding it now contains panels with the names of the fallen of the area.

The memorial as it looked prior to refurbishment

Overall the additions blend in well with the existing memorial - the stone of the surrounding wall is similar to the stone originally used, and in time it should look like a natural part of the memorial.

An interesting addition is a panel (which you can see in front of the memorial) commemorating the award of the Victoria Cross to William Clamp. Clamp's links to Craigneuk are vague to say the least - he attended school there - but if Craigneuk wish to claim him as their own I have no complaints about that. My home village of Carluke and the town of Armadale both claim William Angus VC as "theirs", so why shouldn't Craigneuk "claim" William Clamp as one of theirs?

The white circles you see are some kind of plastic items - perhaps a lighting system? It's unclear and unfortunately I didn't take the time to examine them. Whatever they are, I don't feel they fit in with the decor, which then brings me to my major gripe.

The original memorial had (and in fact still does) black letter laid into it. The new panels are as you can obviously see made of shiny black stone with gold lettering. I'm sure there was a reason behind this - cost perhaps, or this material will stand up to the elements better, but to my mind it looks wrong. Could they not perhaps have used the same style of lettering as on the original memorial? It seems a lot of effort was put into the stone of the wall blending with the original memorial, could the same effort not have been extended to the name panels as well?

Regardless of how they are displayed, it is good to see the fallen of Craigneuk being remembered. A couple of things do stick out a little, though.

The first is the First World War entry for Charles McKenna of the Scots Guards - his is the only entry not to display his rank - why? A search of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission shows only one Charles McKenna in the Scots Guards - a Private who died on the 30th March 1916. Why not include his rank?

The entry for Royal Artillery for the First World War is strange - technically these men would have been Royal Field Artillery, Royal Garrison Artillery or Royal Horse Artillery - I'm a little unsure why they are all grouped together in the singular Royal Artillery? Just because these units became one unit doesn't mean they should be grouped together - you wouldn't group the Highland Light Infantry and Royal Scots Fusiliers together just because they later became the Royal Highland Fusiliers - why not list the men under the name of the regiment they served with?

Some of these points seem like nit-picking, and I don't want them to detract from the fantastic effort that has gone into getting the names listed and properly commemorated, but there is one point I really do have to take issue with.

As you can see above, the final panel includes men who died serving in Egypt and Northern Ireland. Two of them were serving with the Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders. Wait, the who?

That's right. Despite being correctly spelled as Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders on both the WW1 and WW2 panels, for some reason the regiment is given as Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders for two men killed in Northern Ireland.

Did I miss something here? I don't know of any time in their history that the regiment spelled it Argyle. I really hope I'm wrong, and please do let me know if I am. I will be prepared to eat a huge slice of humble pie and will issue a grovelling apology if I am, but until I am corrected I can't help but feel there's been a massive cock-up here. If anyone knows different to me (and its not unusual for me to be wrong) please do let me know in the comments.

As I said above, I don't want these criticisms to detract from what has been a magnificent effort from the people involved in the restoration. On the whole a fantastic job has been done and everyone should feel proud of the effort that has gone into commemorating these men.

New Craigneuk war memorial to be unveiled

From today's Wishaw Press

New Craigneuk war memorial to be unveiled

Aug 3 2011 by Robert Mitchell, Wishaw Press

CRAIGNEUK’S war memorial has sat proudly in the village for decades but the names of the fallen have been missing from it for all that time – until now.

Almost 300 people from Craigneuk died during the two World Wars and the community’s efforts to erect a new monument that pays respect to all of them are about to be realised.

Campaigners spent over three years raising around £65,000 to pay for the specialist work to add the names of the fallen to the cenotaph and the new-look memorial will be unveiled later this month on Saturday, August 27.

Joe O’Raw of Craigneuk War Memorial Group said: “The new addition of walls with the names of the fallen of Craigneuk and Berryhill district who died in the two World Wars and other conflicts is nearing completion.

“The new memorial will be officially dedicated on Saturday, August 27, at 11am but anyone wishing to attend should be at the memorial for 10.30am as a large attendance is expected.”

The memorial group tracked down the records of every person from the area who died during the two World Wars and later conflicts so their names could be added. The 1914-18 war claimed 159 lives from the area, the 1939-45 conflict saw another 84 men make the ultimate sacrifice and two lives were lost in Northern Ireland.

A special panel will be reserved for Victoria Cross holder William Clamp who, although born in Motherwell, was educated at Craigneuk Public School. He was killed when he rushed a machine-gun post in October 1917 at Poelcapelle in Belgium, capturing 20 prisoners before being cut down by a sniper.

Members raised tens of thousands of pounds for the memorial, which sits outside Craigneuk Library, with help from the community. The Environmental Key Fund handed over £30,000, while Orange Lodge members from Wishaw raised around £5000.

Patsy Tait is one of the locals behind the ambitious plan and she told the Wishaw Press: “We want the memorial to become a new focal point for the community, as we feel there’s something missing. For such a small village there’s a lot of war dead and we’d like the fallen to be honoured.

“The memorial is a real focal point for the local community and allows people to pay their respects. We’ve had lots of great feedback on our plans. Lots of children have been saying to us that they will be able to find their great-granddad’s name inscribed on the cenotaph.”

Details of the dedication programme and parking arrangements will be published in the Wishaw Press nearer the day. In the meantime, relatives of the fallen are asked to send their names to the war memorial group, even if they have done so previously.

The group have decided that family of the fallen should carry out the dedication part of the ceremony. While everyone is welcome to attend the event, it was felt the most solemn part should be carried out by relatives.

As there will be so many people there, 18 names will be drawn by the children of Craigneuk Nursery to represent all the relatives of the fallen, which is why the group are asking people to get in touch with their names as soon as possible. There will be six new panels on the memorial. Anyone wishing to lay a wreath after the dedication service will be welcome to do so.

Those wishing to take part in the draw to represent the families are asked to phone either Jean Ewart at Craigneuk Library on (01698) 376689 or Joe O’Raw on (01698) 350945.

Special honour for Victoria Cross winner

ONE of the fallen whose name will appear on the memorial is Victoria Cross winner William Clamp, who was killed when he rushed a machine-gun post in October 1917 at Poelcapelle in Belgium, and captured 20 prisoners before being cut down by a sniper.

For that act of bravery, he was awarded the highest award that can be given to British forces.

Patsy Tait of Craigneuk War Memorial Group said: “He’s not been truly recognised for what he did. There is a road named after him in Craigneuk, but I’m not sure how many people realise that.”

The VC winner was born to Charles and Christina Clamp of Motherwell’s Bridge Street in October 1892, and was educated at Craigneuk School.

He had eight brothers and nine sisters. Clamp also attended the local Salvation Army’s Sabbath School and played the bugle in the Motherwell Corps of the Salvation Army. He later became a member of the Good Templar Lodge.

In January 1914 he joined the 6th Scottish Rifles (Cameronians), the local territorial army unit. On the outbreak of the Great War, he was immediately called up and saw fighting with the 6th Cameronians at Festubert in 1915. He was twice seriously wounded and when he came out of hospital the second time, he was transferred to the 6th Yorkshires in January 1917.

Corporal Clamp won the VC for his bravery at Poelcappelle on October 9, 1917. When an advance was checked by intense machine-gun fire from concrete blockhouses and by snipers, Corporal Clamp attempted to rush the enemy. His first attempt failed and the two men with him became casualties, but he collected some bombs and two more men and, dashing forward, was the first to reach the blockhouse where he hurled his bombs, killing many of the occupants. He then entered, capturing a machine-gun and about 20 prisoners whom he brought back under heavy fire.

He went forward again encouraging his men and displaying the greatest heroism until killed by a sniper.

The memorial will be for all of the village’s war dead however, and the people behind the project hope that it will help transform Craigneuk

Names to be added to Kirkcaldy War Memorial

From today's 'Fife Today'

Five more heroes honoured at war memorial

The names of five heroes who gave their lives in the service of their country since WW2 are to be added to a new extension of Kirkcaldy’s war memorial.

Work has been carried out over the past week building a wall to the side of the original memorial in the gardens in front of the town’s museum and art gallery on which new plaques bearing the names of service personnel who died in conflicts ranging from Palestine to Iraq will be attached.

And it is hoped that the work, which will also include cleaning of current plaques and stonework around the whole of the memorial at a total cost of around £15,000, will be completed in time for a dedication service by the Black Watch before they deploy on their next tour of duty in September.

Important work

Councillor Alice Soper, chairman of the Kirkcaldy area committee, who initiated the project after being approached by the soldiers’ families, explained that the extension to the war memorial is very important.

She said: “I’m delighted that work is now well underway on the extension to the war memorial and will be finished by the end of August.

‘‘It’s vitally important we commemorate local people who have been lost in more recent conflicts alongside those already highlighted on the memorial.

“We’ve been working closely with the Scottish National War Memorial Trust, of which I am a trustee, and the local branch of the Royal British Legion Scotland to check names to be engraved on the memorial.

“Those names will feature on new plaques and we wanted to make sure they would be in keeping with the current war memorial.

Dedication ceremony

“Once the work is completed we will be organising a dedication ceremony to unveil the extension to the war memorial.”

Reg Briars, Fife area chairman for the Royal British legion Scotland, said: “We are delighted to see this happening.

‘‘The work was started by our colleague Jim Honeyman who passed away recenntly, and we are delighted to see everything coming together after all the work.”

Jim Paterson, Fife area secretary, added: “The new right hand wall will bear the names of servicemen and women lost in conflicts from 1946 onwards.

‘‘This is vitally important that these people are recognised.”

Comparing Crossford and Mains memorials

The recent news of the renovation of Mains War Memorial in Dundee sounds like good news. It makes me cast my mind back to the renovation of Crossford War Memorial in South Lanarkshire last year.

Like Mains, Crossford was a water feature which had been neglected and fallen into disrepair. Like Mains the names were fading and it was turning into little short of a disgrace.

In the 21st Century a water trough may not have had the community benefit it did when Crossford was at the heart of the Clyde Valley farms, and draught horses were a common sight; but when it came to renovating Crossford War Memorial the locals wanted the spring water to flow again. It had last flowed in the 1990s.

The same local authority who had neglected it for 15 years was not going to do anything about renovating it, so in 2008 the Crossford War Memorial Restoration Group was set up amongst locals in Crossford and Hazelbank. After two years and a lot of hard work the war memorial was restored to its former glory.

The stonework was repaired, the water flow was reinstated and more importantly the names of the fallen were inscribed on granite slabs. Too often new memorials are built of sandstone and stainless steel which may be cheaper in the short term, but will degenerate in the long run. It's a sensible decision by Crossford which should benefit the community for many years to come.

The memorial was returned to the 'care' of South Lanarkshire Council and it should now be included in its annual maintenance programme. Hopefully it will not be allowed to fall into such a poor state of repairs again.

Back to Mains. There has been no community involvement in the renovation, in fact, the council has now started work on it without informing any of the local parties who had been petitioning for its renovation.

Whilst on the face of it this may seem like good news there are perhaps some worrying aspects which may rain on the parade.

1. The council have moved the memorial. Whilst this may make it easier to maintain and reduce the chance of vandalism it means that it is unlikely the water fountain will be reinstated. I hope I am wrong. Since this memorial has been moved into a sports facility I think a golden opportunity has been missed to make a practical war memorial fit for purpose again. If it had been completely refurbished then dehydrated Dundonians could once again refresh themselves at its taps, and at the same time stand back and pause for thought about why it was there. It is a symbol of the sacrifice of the men of Mains nearly 100 years ago; but a war memorial also allows us to think of those who have lost their lives in wars since the First World War.
  
2. The damage done to the memorial is quite substantial. Years of neglect has allowed the effects of wind and rain on the sandstone to be aggravated by bored youths so that much of the surface stonework has been removed. This was especially serious on the name panels. With a quick lift and shift of the memorial (with at least a deep clean to remove graffiti I hope), then it is unlikely that any stonework has been replaced.

Sandstone was never a good choice of stone for inscribing names, and many across Scotland have been replaced by a tougher granite slab. It looks like at Mains this is not going to happen. This was a chance for the names to be re-inscribed in a more durable material. It was also perhaps a chance to add the names from the Second World War and any names from post-1945 conflicts.

I'm sure many people in Mains will know of local boys in the Black Watch, and other units, who have served in Afghanistan . As far as I know no local has died in Iraq or Afghanistan in recent years and hopefully none ever will; but there are war memorials across Scotland which have had names inscribed for men lost on active service in the last ten years. War memorials are not just pieces of architectural sculpture in the middle of parks; they sill serve a purpose within our communities today, as a focus for remembrance for those who have lost loved ones, and as an anti-war message of lives cut tragically short.

It won't be long until we know what the council has done at Mains and what it still intends to do. It looks to me like a quick fix has been applied, and an opportunity has been missed. 

Crossford was a successful renovation but it was privately funded and run. Should Mains have gone the same route? I don't know if was there the ambition within the community to do as much as Crossford without council support. The locals liaising with Dundee City Council seem to have been bypassed at this late stage, and the council has decided to press ahead with some work unannounced. This is a worrying sign and suggest what has been done will just be a sticking plaster over a gaping wound . More should have been done to investigate a long term solution before work started.