The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

[David McNay]

This is one of my favourite memorials. It was originally sited on the pavement of the main road. Subsequent demolition of buildings and a widening of the road at that part have meant it is now "marooned" in the roundabout.

IMG_0547 by Scottish Military Research Group, on Flickr

IMG_0546 by Scottish Military Research Group, on Flickr

IMG_0555 by Scottish Military Research Group, on Flickr

IMG_0556 by Scottish Military Research Group, on Flickr

IMG_0557 by Scottish Military Research Group, on Flickr

[David McNay]

The districts named here seem to indicate that, despite being in Newmains, this might actually be the Great War Memorial for Wishaw and surrounding villages.

IMG_0548 by Scottish Military Research Group, on Flickr

IMG_0550 by Scottish Military Research Group, on Flickr

IMG_0553 by Scottish Military Research Group, on Flickr

IMG_0554 by Scottish Military Research Group, on Flickr

[David McNay]

These appear to be the only Second World War names on the memorial. This would seem to indicate that by this time the town of Wishaw wanted to be separate from this Newmains memorial. Indeed, the "main" memorial in Wishaw hasthe dates 1918-1945 on it...

IMG_0551 by Scottish Military Research Group, on Flickr

Sorry that the names are so hard to make out.

[David McNay]

There is also the name of one man who died in Korea:

IMG_0552 by Scottish Military Research Group, on Flickr

Last photograph of the detail at the base of the memorial:

IMG_0549 by Scottish Military Research Group, on Flickr

[DerekR]

Lovely figure.
Does anyone know the sculptor?
_________________

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

[dhubthaigh]

Does the uniform represent any particular regiment?

[David McNay]

I don't know. The cap badge doesn't seem to be a Scottish Regiment, and the uniform indicates it's not a Highland Regiment.

Anyone got any clues?

[jamiemcginlay]

I've always meant to check out who the sculptor was. I remember that you can't see any name on the base of the statue but it is quite high up. It looks to me like the sculpture is identical to the Enniskillen war memorial in Northern Ireland which needed restoration after the attack in 1987, but I don't know the name of the sculptor for that memorial either.
Below - an old photo, you can date my photographs from the cars!

[jamiemcginlay]

Name: MILNE, WILLIAM JOHNSTONE
Initials: W J
Nationality: Canadian
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Canadian Infantry (Manitoba Regiment)
Unit Text: 16th Bn.
Age: 24
Date of Death: 09/04/1917
Service No: 427586
Awards: V C
Additional information: Native of Lanarkshire, Scotland.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Memorial: VIMY MEMORIAL
Citation: An extract from the Second Supplement to The London Gazette, dated 8th June, 1917, records the following:-"For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty in attack. On approaching the first objective, Pte. Milne observed an enemy machine gun firing on our advancing troops. Crawling on hands and knees, he succeeded in reaching the gun, killing the crew with bombs, and capturing the gun. On the line re-forming, he again located a machine gun in the support line, and stalking this second gun as he had done the first, he succeeded in putting the crew out of action and capturing the gun. His wonderful bravery and resource on these two occasions undoubtedly saved the lives of many of his comrades. Pte. Milne was killed shortly after capturing the second gun."

[dhubthaigh]

WILLIAM JOHNSTONE MILNE;

[dembones]

In 2006 I had the good fortune of visiting the Newmains war memorial. I research my husband's Armit family tree and there are 2 named on the memorial. However, when I visited the Motherwell Heritage Centre to further my research I found that yet another Armit had died in the First World War whose name does not appear on the memorial. I wondered who I might contact to correct this omission. Any help appreciated.

[Adam Brown]

Here are the bother's details, the one listed on the memorial

ARMIT, DAVID
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Highland Light Infantry
Unit Text: 8th Bn.
Secondary Regiment: Royal Scots
Secondary Unit Text: attd. 1st/7th Bn.
Age: 26
Date of Death: 28/06/1915
Service No: 7503
Additional information: Son of the late Alexander and Margaret Armit.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 173 to 177.
Memorial: HELLES MEMORIAL

I see he was serving in 1/7th Bn Royal Scots. They had lost a lot of men just a month before in the Gretna Rail Crash. Had he volunteered to move to that battalion to make up their numbers?

Here is Thomas. No extra information

ARMIT, T
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
Unit Text: 2nd Bn.
Date of Death: 24/04/1917
Service No: S/16033
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: II. C. 19.
Cemetery: HENINEL-CROISILLES ROAD CEMETERY

I can only find one A. Armit in CWGC and SNWM and he's Andrew Armit.

Could Thomas Armit have been incorrectly listed as Adam Armit on the memorial?

Adam

[dembones]

Adam Armit was a second cousin to Thomas and David Armit. There is a C'wlth War Grave entry for Adam but it's under Armitt and the Wishaw Press article announcing his death and that of Corpl Alex Barr was dated 08 Oct 1915.

[dembones]

Further to my posting dated 14 Nov 2009 with respect to the Armit brothers and the omission of Thomas' name from the Newmains memorial, I have since learned that Thomas enlisted in Partick.

The Wishaw Press would have featured the notice of Thomas' death because Newmains was where his father, Alexander (next of kin) resided and the district in which he grew up.

I wondered if anyone would know if there's a memorial at Partick and if Thomas Armit's name appears on it? I take it there was a protocol involved whereby those who were killed in action were listed on the memorial of the town in which they enlisted. I'm guessing that this might be the reason that Thomas' name doesn't appear on the Newmains memorial alongside that of his brother.
Does anyone have any information in support of this theory?

Any help appreciated.

[David McNay]

The memorial for Partick and Whiteinch has no names.