The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

[spoons]

Not listed on UKNIWM

This is one of three unlisted memorials inside Rhonehouse Village Hall at OS Map Ref NX 742 597. Good luck to anyone who tries to identify John Smith, I got it down to a short list of 120 names on CWGC! I can tell you a bit about F/Sgt Livesey though (and I found Jack Nicholson in passing).

Names:
PTE ALLAN BURNS KOSB
PTE CHARLES JOHNSTON KOSB
FL/SGT JOSEPH LIVESEY RAF
CPL NATHAN McLEAN D of WR
A/B JOHN SMITH RN
1947 – PTE JACK NICHOLSON KOSB

Name: LIVESEY, JOSEPH
Initials: J
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Flight Sergeant
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: 192 Sqdn.
Age: 33
Date of Death: 24/06/1943
Service No: 1352400
Additional information: Son of John and Georgina Livesey, of Castle Douglas, Kirkcudbrightshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 137.
Memorial: RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

Type Wellington (Mk X)
Serial Number HZ412
Squadron 192
X1D DT-U
Operation Special Duties
Airborne 2320 23Jun43 from Feltwell for Special Signals Duties off the Dutch coast. Shot down by a night-fighter at 0225, some 30 km W of Katwijk. Five are buried in various Dutch cemeteries, but the tail gunner, F/S livesey, has no known grave. P/O E.V.Eastham KIA Sgt W.J.Herrington KIA F/O G.Sansom KIA Sgt L.W.Smith KIA Sgt K.Moore KIA F/S J.Livesey KIA


Name: NICHOLSON, JACK (Not listed on SNWM)
Initials: J
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: King's Own Scottish Borderers
Unit Text: 1st Bn.
Date of Death: 14/11/1947
Service No: 19036404
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 11. A. 21.
Cemetery: RAMLEH WAR CEMETERY

[Kenneth Morrison]

PTE. ALLAN BURNS, KOSB
Allan Burns, Private (14214414) 6th Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers. Age 21.
Born 1923 in Kelton Parish. Son of Francis Solley Burns and Marion (McLaughlan) Burns of Rhonehouse.
Killed in action 26 November 1944 and buried in Mierlo War Cemetery, Holland.


PTE. CHARLES JOHNSTON, KOSB
Thought to be:
Charles Johnston, Private (3189859) 2nd Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers. Age 32.
Born c.1913. Son of Charles and Mary Johnston of Knocknashammer, Co. Cavan, Ireland.
Killed in action 12 March 1945 and buried in Taukkyan War Cemetery, Myanmar (Burma).
The Army Roll of Honour 1939-1945 gives his residence as Kirkcudbrightshire.


FL/SGT. JOSEPH LIVESEY, RAF
Joseph Livesey, Flight Sergeant (1352400) 192 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Age 33.
Born 1910 in Kelton Parish. Son of John and Georgina (Millar) Livesey of Dildawn Estate, Kelton.
Missing in action 24 June 1943 and listed on the Runnymede Memorial.
192 Squadron used specially equipped aircraft to measure enemy radar patterns and wavelengths. His Wellington was shot down by a night fighter. (see Spoons' post above)


CPL. NATHAN McLEAN, DofWR
Nathan McLean, Corporal (3192334) 6th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) Age 25.
Born 1919 at Tongland, Kirkcudbrightshire. Son of Margaret McLean and step-son of James McKie of Rhonehouse.
Killed in action 17 June 1944 and buried in Hottot-les-Bagues War Cemetery, Calvados, France.
The 6th and 7th Battalions of the Regiment fought the German defenders over possession of Tilly-sur-Seulles. Between 14 & 19 June the town changed hands more than twenty times.


A/B. JOHN SMITH, RN
I'm fairly sure that this is:
John Whan Smith, Able Seaman (P/SSX 25139) HMML 268, Royal Navy. Age 22.
Born at Tongland, Kirkcudbrighshire. Son of John and Kathleen Smith. Husband of Else (or Irene) May (Trevett) Smith of Parkstone, Dorset who he married in 1942 in Dorchester.
Missing in action 28 March 1942 and listed on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial and on the Memorial at Place du Commando, St. Nazaire, France.
HM Motor Launch 268 was one of 18 coastal craft carrying commandos to support the St. Nazaire Raid. Only four returned.

[Kenneth Morrison]

1947
PTE. JACK NICHOLSON, KOSB

Jack Nicholson, Private (19036404) 1st Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers. Age 20.
Born 1927 at Balmaghie, Kirkcudbrightshire. Son of Mr. & Mrs. Underwood Nicholson of Rhonehouse.
Died of wounds 14 November 1947 after being accidentally shot in the abdomen. Buried in Ramleh War Cemetery, Israel.

Jack was the nephew of Alexander Nicholson, 11th Royal Scots and of Thomas Underwood Nicholson, 6th KOSB both of whom are listed on the Rhonehouse WW1 Memorial.
_________________
Ken

[spoons]

This plaque is believed to be the work of local artist and craftsman James Gunyeon Jeffs - known as Tim Jeffs. A scrap book of his work is in Dumfries Museum and contains a photo of this plaque.

Thanks to Pauline Williams for this information

\Paul