The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

[spoons]

Not listed on UKNIWM

Location in New Abbey Church at OS Map Ref: NX 965 659

Visitors may wish to note that this church is normally open during daylight hours.

Name: FRASER, EDWARD
Initials: E
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Lance Corporal
Regiment/Service: Royal Armoured Corps
Unit Text: 13th/18th Royal Hussars
Age: 22
Date of Death: 06/03/1945
Service No: 14246969
Additional information: Son of Sarah Fraser, of New Abbey, Kirkcudbrightshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 46. D. 12.
Cemetery: REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY

Name: MURDOCH, ALAN
Initials: A
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
Regiment/Service: Royal Artillery
Unit Text: 155 (The Lanarkshire Yeomanry) Field Regt.
Date of Death: 07/01/1942
Service No: 25586
Awards: T D
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Column 37.
Memorial: SINGAPORE MEMORIAL

I cannot explain why this last one is given as Royal Engineers on the memorial but I am sure that it is he. SNWM gives his birth place as Kirkcudbright.
Name: RAE, GEORGE KITCHENER
Initials: G K
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment)
Unit Text: 10th Bn.
Age: 29
Date of Death: 14/04/1945
Service No: 3194159
Additional information: Son of William Kidd Rae and Robina Rae; husband of Edith Rae (nee Hussey), of Largs, Ayrshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 7. E. 13.
Cemetery: HANOVER WAR CEMETERY

[Kenneth Morrison]

EDWARD FRASER, ROYAL ARMOURED CORPS
Edward Fraser, Lance Corporal (14246969) 13th/18th Royal Hussars (8th Armoured Brigade, 11th Armoured Division) Royal Armoured Corps. Age 22.
Born 1923 at New Abbey. Son of Sarah Fraser. Grandson of Charles Edward Fraser and Janet (Biggar) Fraser Of Roadside and Rose Cottage, New Abbey.
Killed in action 6 March 1945 during Operation Veritable (the Battle of Reichswald) and buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany.
Edward was buried in Materborn but was re-interred in Reichswald in April 1947.


ALAN MURDOCH, LANARKSHIRE YEOMANRY
Alan Murdoch, Lieutenant Colonel (25586) Commanding the 155th (Lanarkshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery. Age 48.
Born 1894 at Kelvinside, Glasgow. Son of Alexander and Catherine (Hutcheson) Murdoch. Husband of Constance Elizabeth Mary (Manders) Murdoch of Malahide, Ireland who he married in 1930. They lived at Culter, Lanarkshire before moving to New Abbey.
Alan served with the Lanarkshire Yeomanry throughout the First World War, in the post war TA and during their conversion to an Artillery role at the outbreak of WW2. Moved to India in 1941 the Regiment, re-equipped with 4.5" Howitzers, fought in the Battles of Malaya and Singapore.
Killed in action 7 January 1942 by machine gun fire from a Japanese tank during the Regiment's successful defence of a bridge over the Slim River.
Listed on the Singapore Memorial.
(Much of the above from the Lanarkshire Yeomanry Memorial Group)


GEORGE KITCHENER RAE, ROYAL ENGINEERS
George Kitchener Rae, Private (3194159) 10th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry. Age 29.
Born 1916 at Dalry, Kirkcudbrightshire. Son of William Kidd Rae and Robina (McCowan) Rae. Husband of Edith (Hussey) Rae of Largs, Ayrshire who he married in 1914 at Kirkgunzeon.
Killed in action 14 April 1945 and buried in the Hanover War Cemetery, Germany. Also listed on the War Memorial at Haugh of Urr. (as HLI)

The 10th HLI (15th Division) landed in Normandy a few days after D-Day and fought across France, Belgium, Holland, during the Rhine crossing and the advance into Germany.

As Spoons has already posted, I don't know why he is listed here as RE and, apart from marrying in Kirkgunzeon which is about half-way between, I don't know why he is listed at Haugh of Urr or New Abbey.

Updated family details from D&G Standard explains:
Son of William Kidd Rae and Robina (McCowan) Rae of Milton of Urr.
Husband of Edith (Hussey) Rae of Arbour Cottage, New Abbey.

However, just to add to the confusion, he is referred to as Gunner G. K. RAE in one newspaper report!
_________________
Ken