The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

apanderson

Memorial sits in Zetland Park, Grangemouth just in front of the War Memorial.

Adam Brown · Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 9:16 pm Post subject:

There is another memorial at Cromwell Lock. Deatils of that memorial and what happened on that day all these men were lost are here:

http://www.palacebarracksmemorialgarden.org/Cromwell%20Lock.htm

And here are the names of those who lost their lives from that website.

Sapper Raymond Buchanan. Aged 20

Sapper Norman Bennet. Aged 29

Sapper James Black. Aged 18

Sapper Stuart Evenden. Aged 22

Sapper Peter Evenden. Aged 19

Sapper Ian Mercer. Aged 17

Sapper Alexander O’Brien. Aged 18

Sapper Terry Smith. Aged 20

Sapper Ronald Temprell. Aged 26

Sapper Joseph Walker. Aged 21

Note that there are two Evendens listed.

Adam

Adam Brown · Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 9:24 pm Post subject:

From Wikepdia:

The regiment was reduced to a single Independent Squadron in 1967 as 131 Independent Parachute Sqn, Royal Engineers (V) - Sqn HQ was in Kingsbury, London with Troops in Birmingham, Hull and Grangemouth, it was part of 44th Parachute Brigade (V) until 1978 when it re-roled into a Commando unit.

and from The Falkirk Herald of October 5, 2000

A lone piper played a lament at his comrades' memorial service on Sunday. He led the service near the banks of the River Trent in Nottinghamshire to ten young soldiers who drowned during an Army exercise on the river 25 years ago. The dead men were brothers Stuart and Peter Evenden, Terry Smith, and Raymond Buchanan from Falkirk, Ian Mercer and James Black from Grangemouth; Norman Bennet (29)
from Bo'ness; and Clackmannanshire men Joseph Walker, Alexander O'Brien, and Ronald Temprell. Only one man, Lance Corporal Patrick Harkin from Denny, survived.

apanderson · Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 7:08 pm Post subject:

This seat is in Grandsable Cemetery, Grangemouth and commemorates James Black, Sapper, Royal Engineers (V) 224349393, one of the men killed in the above Exercise.

The War Memorial doesn't list any names - they are all on the main Memorial in Zetland Park.

Adam Brown · Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2007 12:27 pm Post subject:

Here are the details from the Armed Forces Memorial database.

BUCHANAN, Raymond Wilson
Rank Sapper
Service Number 24317398
Regiment/Corps RE
Place of Birth/Home Town Falkirk, Scotland
Date of Birth 19 February 1955
Age 20
Date of Death 28 September 1975
Cemetery Name Falkirk Cemetery
Grave 18:280
Headstone/Markerstone At the going down of the sun and in the morning we shall remember them.

BENNETT, Antoni Norman (known as Norman)
Rank Sapper
Service Number 24243227
Regiment/Corps RE
Place of Birth/Home Town Dunblane, Scotland
Date of Birth 22 August 1946
Age 29
Date of Death 28 September 1975

BLACK, James
Rank Sapper
Service Number 24349393
Regiment/Corps RE
Place of Birth/Home Town Grangemouth, Scotland
Date of Birth 11 September 1957
Age 18
Date of Death 28 September 1975
Cemetery Name Grandsable Cemetery, Grangemouth
Grave 1:9
Headstone/Markerstone Always with a lovely smile God gave us you for a little while. Love Mum and Dad.

EVENDEN, Stuart
Rank Sapper
Service Number 24382129
Regiment/Corps RE
Place of Birth/Home Town Falkirk
Date of Birth 9 February 1953
Age 22
Date of Death 28 September 1975
Cemetery Name Falkirk Cemetery

EVENDEN, Peter Jackson
Rank Sapper
Service Number 24349433
Regiment/Corps RE
Place of Birth/Home Town Falkirk
Date of Birth 30 June 1956
Age 19
Date of Death 28 September 1975
Cemetery Name Falkirk Cemetery

Joint Grave 18:283
Headstone/Markerstone Treasured memories of our dear sons and brothers, who died owing to the results of an accident, gone but not forgotten, God bless you both

MERCER,John 'Ian'
Rank Sapper
Service Number 24362105
Regiment/Corps RE
Place of Birth/Home Town Falkirk
Date of Birth 23 October 1957
Age 17
Date of Death 28 September 1975
Cemetery Name Falkirk Crematorium

O'BRIEN, Alexander Flannagan
Rank Sapper
Service Number 24362246
Regiment/Corps RE
Place of Birth/Home Town Alloa
Date of Birth 23 May 1958
Age 17
Date of Death 28 September 1975
Cemetery Name Sunnyside Cemetery, Alloa
Grave Section 2:256

SMITH, Terence 'Terry'
Rank Sapper
Service Number 24317712
Regiment/Corps RE
Place of Birth/Home Town Falkirk
Date of Birth 21 April 1955
Age 20
Date of Death 28 September 1975
Cemetery Name Falkirk Cemetery
Grave 18:276
Headstone/Markerstone Beloved husband of Jane, always remembered.

TEMPRELL, Ronald
Rank Sapper
Service Number 24362163
Regiment/Corps RE
Place of Birth/Home Town Alloa
Date of Birth 30 June 1949
Age 26
Date of Death 28 September 1975
Cemetery Name Sunnyside Cemetery, Alloa
Grave Section 2:227
Grave Number Lair 227

WALKER, Joseph
Rank Sapper
Service Number 24382108
Regiment/Corps RE
Place of Birth/Home Town Dunfermline
Date of Birth 23 June 1954
Age 21
Date of Death 28 September 1975
Cemetery Name Falkirk Crematorium
Headstone/Markerstone We both love and miss you very much, from your wife Christine and Steven your son.

Adam

stuartn · Joined: 13 Dec 2016 Posts: 2551

WMR 83088.
The Seat is 83089

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2019 8:29 am Post subject:

The link quoted in Adam's post is now:
https://www.palacebarracksmemorialgarden.co.uk/cromwell-lock-river-trent-28th-september-1975/

"Ten men from 300 Troop 131 Independent Parachute Squadron of the Royal Engineers Territorial Army were on an 80-mile night navigation exercise on the River Trent, on the 28th September 1975. During the force six gale and the river in full flood, the assault boat that they were part of was swept over the weir, (Known locally as the Devils Cauldrin), of the eleven soldiers on board ten were drowned, one soldier was saved after clinging onto the assault boat for an hour, It was the largest peace time tragedy in the squadrons history. The scene of this tragedy is marked by a piece of granite bearing the names of those young men who lost their lives that terrible night "

https://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/news/sombre-anniversary-of-river-trent-disaster-which-killed-seven-falkirk-troops-1-3863910

"It was the largest peace time tragedy in the squadron’s history and left the families of Sappers Stuart Evenden (22), his brother Peter (19), Terry Smith and Raymond Buchanan, both 20 and all from Falkirk, Grangemouth pals Ian Mercer (17) and James Black (18) and Norman Bennet (29) from Bo’ness devastated.
Three colleagues from Clackmannanshire, Alexander O’Brien (18), Joseph Walker (21) and Ronald Temprell (26) also lost their lives.
Only Lance Corporal Patrick Harkin (31), from Denny, who was in charge of the boat that fateful night, survived. He clung onto the swamped craft for over an hour before being rescued."
_________________
Ken