The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

spoons · Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 9:49 pm Post subject: Isle of Whithorn

UKNIWM Ref: 44432

Location is in Isle of Whithorn beside the bowling green at OS Map Ref NX 475 366.

As a piece of trivia…………. this is the southernmost civic memorial in Scotland although there are 2 memorials inside Isle of Whithorn church which is actually a couple of hundred yards further south.

spoons · Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 9:50 pm Post subject:

WW1 Names:
SEC LIEUT ANDREW STEWART MA MC NORD FUS
DAVID ROBB CHIEF ENGNR SS KALIBIA MFA
NATHAN BIE CHIEF OFFICER SS BRENTWOOD
2ND HAND JOHN McCUBBIN HMS JAMES & WALTER
CORP ROBERT JOHNSTON KOSB
L CORP JOHN PATERSON R SCOTS
PTE FREDERICK NIBLOCK RSF
PTE JAMES A McLURE A&SH
SAPPER ALEXANDER CAIN RE
PTE DANIEL CAIN RAMC
AB JAMES HANNAH DRAKE BATT RND
OS WILLIAM McROBERT RND HMS VIVID

WW2 Names:
RANDOLPH CRAWLEY
MARTIN MAGUIRE
JOHN McGUIRE
ANTHONY PRINGLE
JOHN WEAVER

The first name listed (Andrew Stewart) was the Minister of Isle of Whithorn church but was commissioned as an infantry officer. There is a memorial giving his story in Isle of Whithorn church and I will be posting this in the next day or so.

David Robb died on the Steamship Kalibia. The ship was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine 29 miles SW of the Lizard on 30th November 1917. Twenty five men were killed and the captain was among the survivors.

Adam Brown · Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 10:51 pm Post subject:

One entry caught my eye

2ND HAND JOHN McCUBBIN HMS JAMES & WALTER

There's only one RN John McCubbin on the CWGC database and the same man is the only McCubbin on the SNWM database who served in the Navy.

Name: McCUBBIN, JOHN
Initials: J
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Able Seaman
Regiment/Service: Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: Hawke Bn. R.N. Div.
Age: 19
Date of Death: 20/12/1916
Service No: Clyde Z/5247
Additional information: Son of John and Elizabeth McCubbin, of 16, Palace St., Parkhead, Glasgow.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: N. 2244.
Cemetery: GLASGOW (SANDYMOUNT) CEMETERY

Is it the same man on the memorial? What is HMS James & Walter. Is it perhaps an RNR Tralwer?

spoons · Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 7:17 am Post subject:

DerekR · Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 8:32 am Post subject:

Sec.Lt. Andrew Stewart M.C of the 10th Bn. Northumberland Fusiliers was killed near Ypres 20/09/1917.
He is buried in LARCH WOOD (RAILWAY CUTTING) CEMETERY.

Andrew graduated with an MA in Divinity and he is mentioned in a local Hawick newspaper as the Reverend A Stewart.
The only connection with Hawick that I can find is that his brother, T.B. Stewart lived in the town. He is not listed on the Hawick Roll of Honour.

Name: STEWART
Initials: A
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Second Lieutenant
Regiment/Service: Northumberland Fusiliers
Unit Text: 10th Bn.
Date of Death: 20/09/1917
Awards: M C
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: III. E. 6.
Cemetery: LARCH WOOD (RAILWAY CUTTING) CEMETERY
_________________

Time but th' impression stronger makes, As streams their channels deeper wear.

Regulus1 · Joined: 03 Apr 2007 Posts: 89

Is there any additional information on this officer that someone knows of ?

spoons · Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 9:29 pm Post subject:

Regulus1 · Joined: 03 Apr 2007 Posts: 89

Thank you very much for that ! It is wonderfull information on this man, as I would like to have him remembered in the WW I military cemeteries of West-Flanders book we're preparing for 2008.

spoons · Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 9:43 pm Post subject:

ADP · Joined: 13 Jun 2008 Posts: 467 Location: Edinburgh

From The Scotsman 19 April 1920

WAR MEMORIALS

ISLE OF WHITHORN.— One of the first of the war memorials to be erected in Wigtownshire to the fallen soldiers and sailors has been unveiled at the Isle of Whithorn. The ceremony was performed by the Right Hon. Sir H. E. Maxwell of Monreith, Lord Lieutenant of the county. The memorial takes the form of a Celtic Cross of Dalbeattie Granite.

ADP

DelBoy · Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 3:59 am Post subject:

From the Letters page of the Galloway Gazette

THE article about the life of George Dickie reminded me, as the last of the Whithorn-born wartime servicemen, about the deaths of nine Whithorn boys in the Second World War.

Six of them were at school with me. Sandy Cain worked in our shop before he was called up for army service. Sandy was wounded early in the war and, when he recovered, was sent to fight against Rommel in the North Africa campaign.

Sandy was killed in action.

Robert Flannighan served on a destroyer on patrol in the North Sea. When on leave he called on a friend who said they would see him again on his next leave.

Robert said: “I have a fear I might not be back – things are very bad out there.” Robert’s words came true: he never returned from his last patrol and was lost at sea. That was the fate of two boys I knew well. Similar stories could apply to the other seven boys who gave their lives.

I would like to see a plaque to their memory in a prominent place in Whithorn.

The war memorial is filled to the top with names. I don’t think all of our boys’ names are on it, as there would not be enough space.

These heroes should never be forgotten. They were young men who gave their lives for their country and a Christian way of life.

David Doughty,
31 George Street, Whithorn.

Derek.

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 4:44 pm Post subject:

Adam Brown · Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2014 1:08 pm Post subject:

Ken

It's good to see John McCubbin and his ship being discussed again. Thanks for getting to the bottom of the "James and Walter".

As you say, he is remembered in his home town which is the main thing.

Kind regards

Adam

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2014 1:08 pm Post subject: WW1 ALPHA

NATHAN BIE, CHIEF OFFICER, S.S. BRENTWOOD.
Nathan Bie, Second Mate: S.S. Brentwood (London) Mercantile Marine. Age 40.
The “Brentwood” was a collier en route from London to the Tyne when she hit a mine laid by the German mine laying submarine SM UC-63. She sank off Saltwick Nab near Whitby with the loss of her second mate, Nathan Bie and a stoker.
Born 1874 in Isle of Whithorn. Son of John and Jessie (Cumming) Bie of Isle of Whithorn.
Killed by enemy action/Lost at Sea on 12 January 1917 and named on the Tower Hill Memorial, London.
[The Bie and Cumming families were well-known sea-farers of the Solway Firth. A local newspaper reported that Nathan "had been a Captain of big schooners when quite a lad". ]

SAPPER ALEXANDER CAIN, R.E.
Alexander Cain, Sapper (414669) 82nd Field Company, Royal Engineers. Age 38.
Alexander was a Master Builder and well known local footballer when he enlisted in December 1915. He was mobilised in March 1916 and posted to the 3/2nd Lowland Field Company, later the 415th F.Co. of the Royal Engineers. In September 1917 he was transferred as Private (35403) to 7th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment, a Divisional Pioneer Battalion, and sent to France. In January 1918 he was transferred back to the Royal Engineers.
Born 1880 in Whithorn Parish. Son of John and Grace (Davidson) Cain of Isle of Whithorn. Husband of Sarah Smith Bell (Dodds) Cain of Isle of Whithorn who he married in 1900.
Missing in Action on 11 April 1918 and named on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium.

and his brother,

PTE. DANIEL CAIN, R.A.M.C.
Daniel Cain, Private (318322) 1/1st West Riding Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps. Age 29.
Daniel and his wife Martha were living at 9 Gateside Street in Glasgow when he enlisted in the 3/2nd Lowland Field Ambulance in June 1915. In February 1917 he was trained as an instructor in cookery at the Glasgow College of Domestic Science and in August he joined the West Riding F.A. in France. Daniel was reported to have accidentally drowned but the circumstances are not reported.
Born 1889 in Whithorn Parish. Son of John and Grace (Davidson) Cain of Isle of Whithorn. Husband of Martha (Maxwell) Cain of Isle of Whithorn who he married in 1910.
Died on active service on 8 August 1918 and buried in Hagle Dump Cemetery, Belgium.

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2014 1:21 pm Post subject: ALPHA WW1

A.B. JAMES HANNAH, DRAKE BATT. R.N.D.
James Hannah, Able Seaman (Clyde Z/4723) Drake Battalion, Royal Naval Division. Age 21.
James was a farm servant at Cairnhead Farm, Isle of Whithorn when he enlisted in May 1915. He joined his battalion at Gallipoli in October 1915 and moved with them to France in May 1916.
Born 1896 in Whithorn Parish. Son of John and Helen (Moore) Hannah of Shaddock Farm, Whithorn and later of Airyhassen, Whauphill, Mochrum, Wigtownshire.
Missing in action on 31 December 1917 and named on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.

CORP. ROBERT JOHNSTON, K.O.S.B.
Robert Johnston, Corporal (16207) 7th/8th Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers. Age 25.
Robert joined the 1st KOSB at Gallipoli in August 1915 and was probably still serving with that battalion when he was wounded in September 1916.
Born 1892 in Whithorn Parish. Son of the late William Johnston of Isle of Whithorn and of Helen Ann (McDowall) Johnston of Vancouver, B.C. Canada.
Killed in action on 23 July 1918 and buried in Buzancy Military Cemetery, Aisne, France.

2nd HAND JOHN McCUBBIN, H.M.S. JAMES & WALTER.
[See earlier post above]