The Scottish War Memorials Project

jamiemcginlay · Joined: 20 Dec 2006 Posts: 897 Location: Glasgow

Taynuilt - Argyll & Bute, Lorn District

The Taynuilt war memorial is a tall rustic grey granite pedestal supporting a granite sculpture of a highland infantryman with head bowed and arms reversed. The commemoration and names of the dead are listed in lead lettering on a smooth granite tablet set into the face of the pedestal.
The monument stands at the corner of a road junction in the middle of the village.

WWI ROLL OF HONOUR:
Black John Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders 8th Brochroy
Campbell Archibald Scottish Horse Shore Cottage
Campbell Duncan Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders 9th Airds
Campbell Peter Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders 9th Clachadow
Fisher Malcolm Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders 14th Ach-n-annait
Fraser John McNiven Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders 8th Lorn Furnace
George James Canadians Royal Engineers Pass of Awe
Johnston John Black Watch Taynuilt
Livingston Archibald Seaforth Highlanders Glen Etive
Livingston James Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders 8th Glen Etive
Livingston John Glen Etive
MacBean James Scottish Hrs. Inverawe
MacBean John Royal Field Artillery Inverawe
MacBean William Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders 8th Second Lieutenant Inverawe Killed 12/5/1916 Additional memorial on bench near monument erected by officers of 11th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
MacCall Alexander Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders 8th Dalfern
MacCall Donald Scottish Hrs. Blackmill
MacCall John Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders 13th Blackmill
MacDonald Donald Royal Field Artillery Lakefield
MacDonald Duncan Royal Field Artillery Lakefield
MacDougall Archibald Royal Scots Fusiliers Lorn Furnace
MacDougall John Cameron Highlanders 7th Lochandhu
MacGreavy Alexander Royal Field Artillery Taynuilt
MacGregor John C. Cameron Highlanders 4th Reverend Edinburgh
MacGregor Peter 2nd Rhodesians Brochroy
MacInnes Angus Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders 8th Creagmhor
MacIntyre Alexander G. Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders 8th Island Ferry
MacKechnie Angus Black Watch Kirkton
MacLachlan Finlay Royal Scots Fusiliers Laroch
MacLarty Alexander Royal Engineers Ichrachan
MacMaster Angus Royal Navy Glen Etive
MacNicol Neil Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders 8th Lochandhu
MacPhee Duncan Royal Scots Bridge of Awe
Nelson Thomas A. Lothian & Border Horse ? Achnacloich
Newton Alexander Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders 9th Taynuilt
Scott John Royal Field Artillery Glen Etive

WWII ROLL OF HONOUR:
BELL JAMES FLYING OFFICER DISTINGUISHED FLYING MEDAL
CAMPBELL A.S. SERGEANT
CAMPBELL D. GUNNER
DICKSON R. MAJOR
FINLAY C.A. PRIVATE
FLEMING D. SERGEANT
HUNTINGTON A.C. MAJOR M.V.O.
LEVENSON S.A. W.O.
MACGREGOR D. PRIVATE
MACLARTY E.F. SISTER
MACLEOD N. PILOT OFFICER
REFFIN J. SERGEANT
SINCLAIR A.J. AUXILIARY TERRITORIAL SERVICE PRIVATE

MBrockway · Joined: 25 Sep 2008 Posts: 2

Jamie,
You've trancsribed three of the fallen as follows:

WWI ROLL OF HONOUR:
Campbell Archibald Scottish Highland Regiment Shore Cottage
MacBean James Scottish Highland Regiment Inverawe
MacCall Donald Scottish Highland Regiment Blackmill

I think in fact the inscription reads "Scottish Hrs" meaning "Scottish Horse" rather than "Scottish Highland Regiment"

I can find no Medal Index Cards for these three men under "Scottish Highland Regiment" at the National Archive. In fact I could not find ANY MICs under "Scottish Highland Regiment"!

Conversely I was able to find plausible MIC Index entries using "Scottish Horse" (though I had to use the "Mc" spelling instead of the "Mac" used on the Memorial). I have not done any further cross checking however.

What do you think?
Cheers,
Mark

apanderson · Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 10:51 am Post subject:

Hello Mark,

Welcome to the Forum.

I've identified one of those you mentioned although as you'll see, there is a discrepancy in the surname spelling between how it's spelt on the memorial and what's on CWGC and SNWM.

Name: McBEAN
Initials: J
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Serjeant
Regiment/Service: Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)
Unit Text: 13th13th (Scottish Horse) Bn.
Age: 32
Date of Death: 17/10/1918
Service No: 315765
Additional information: Son of Hugh and Christina McBean, of Inverawe, Taynuilt, Argyll.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: III. B. 19.
Cemetery: HIGHLAND CEMETERY, LE CATEAU

Surname McBEAN
Firstname James
Service Number 315765
Date Death 17/10/1918
Place of birth Taynuilt Argyllshire
Other 13th Bn. formerly 1078 Scot. Horse.
SNWM roll THE BLACK WATCH (ROYAL HIGHLANDERS)
Rank Sgt
Theatre of death F.& F.

Surname McBEAN
Firstname James
Service Number 1078
Date Death 17/10/1918
Place of birth Taynuilt Argyllshire
Other latterly 315765 13th Bn. The Black Watch (Royal Highrs).
SNWM roll SCOTTISH HORSE YEOMANRY
Rank Sgt
Theatre of death F.& F.

Quite often on memorials, ranks and regiments are shortened to MANY weird and wonderful things and our aim is to transribe them as they appear, not what we either think they should be, or find out later to be correct. It's not only ranks and regiments either - sometimes names can be obscurely spelt, but on our transcriptions, they are always listed the way they appear.

In this case, as you've pointed out, the regiment is 'Horse' rather than 'Highland'.

Anne

MBrockway · Joined: 25 Sep 2008 Posts: 2

Thanks Anne - CWGC was my next stop as I don't have access to the SDGW!

Here are the Medal Index Card Index search results I found on the National Archive:

Six Archibald Campbell MIC Index entries for Scottish Horse

Two MIC entries for James McBean, 1078, Scottish Horse, later Black Watch

MIC entry for Donald McCall, 4789, Scottish Horse

You've definitely got the same James MacBean/McBean as I have!
Cheers,
Mark

jamiemcginlay · Joined: 20 Dec 2006 Posts: 897 Location: Glasgow

Hello Mark,
Thanks for the correction, much appreciated, and sorry for the delay in the response.
I have altered the entries above and have listed Archibald Campbell's regiment as Scottish Horse since this seems certain (also thanks Anne for the info).
Cheers.
Jim

Adam Brown · Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 9:57 pm Post subject:

This is strange, the statue is wearing a Tam o'Shanter with the cap badge of the Gordon Highlanders. Given this village is in Argyll and no Gordon Highlander is listed on the Great War panel it doesn't seem to make sense. I would have thought an Argylls badge or a steel helmet would be more appropriate.

I take it the statue came from Aberdeenshire. Was it originally destined for a North-East location but eventually ended up in Taynuilt?

Adam
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Scottish Monuments & Memorials