The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

dhubthaigh · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 5:08 pm Post subject: CAMERONIANS, DUNKELD

UKNIWM - NOT LISTED
Located within Dunkeld Cathedral. As mentioned in another thread I do not have any background detail or why it was located within the Cathedral;

Adam Brown · Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 6:48 am Post subject:

I notice from the scratches that at some point the children of the congregation realised the thistles rotated.

The Battle of Dunkeld in 1689 was the Cameronians first battle. After the Government forces had been defeated at Killiecrankie the newly raised Cameronians held Dunkled. To keep up a supply of musket balls they melted the lead of the Cathedral roof. Perhaps that is why this memorial is in the Cathedral? Or perhaps they trained around Dunkeld before going overseas?

Adam

dhubthaigh · Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 7:53 am Post subject:

Yes, two good theories.
I'm only ten miles up the road from Dunkeld and thought - I should have known that really Embarassed

However, through this forum, I'm actually learning and appreciating more of the area.

DerekR · Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 8:20 am Post subject:

There is a Stormonth-Darling listed in St.Andrews Church, Kelso for the Second World War. I'm sure that the name is listed elsewhere but I can't remember.
Being such an unusual name there will be a family connection:
http://warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/viewtopic.php?t=1242&highlight=stormonth

Name: STORMONTH-DARLING, JOHN COLLIER
Initials: J C
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
Regiment/Service: Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
Unit Text: 1st Bn.
Secondary Regiment: Highland Light Infantry
Secondary Unit Text: attd. 9th (Glasgow Hds) Bn.
Age: 38
Date of Death: 01/11/1916
Awards: D S O
Additional information: Son of the late Patrick Stormonth-Darling and of Katherine Scott Stormonth-Darling. Native of Kelso, Roxburghshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: I. C. 1.
Cemetery: GUILLEMONT ROAD CEMETERY, GUILLEMONT

Name: STORMONTH DARLING, JOHN SAYER
Initials: J S
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Major
Regiment/Service: Royal Artillery
Unit Text: 79 (The Scottish Horse) Medium Regt.
Secondary Regiment: Royal Air Force
Secondary Unit Text: attd. 655 A.O.P. Sqdn.
Age: 30
Date of Death: 01/08/1945
Service No: 77297
Awards: D F C
Additional information: Son of Robert and Beryl Madeline Stormonth Darling, of Kelso, Roxburghshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: III. B. 11.
Cemetery: UDINE WAR CEMETERY
_________________

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

Barrie Duncan · Joined: 16 Dec 2006 Posts: 29 Location: Hamilton

There were two Stormonth-Darlings in the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) as far as I can tell.

John Collier Stormonth-Darling (as commemorated on the plaque above) was killed by a sniper while commanding the 9th HLI (Glasgow Highlanders). He had joined the 1st Bn Cameronians in April 1900 and was awarded the DSO in 1915.

Moir Patrick Stormonth-Darling joined the Regiment in 1935/36 and left in in 1956 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Unfortunately I can't say which battalion he served with at present.

I'll have a dig through the regimental journal to see if we can establish the family connection between the three men - not exactly a common name so don't imagine it should be too difficult.

Barrie

P.S. Nice pic of the plaque, thanks for posting it up. Any idea of when it was installed in the church?

dhubthaigh · Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 12:41 pm Post subject:

Barrie,

Thanks for posting the info.
I'm afraid I can't help regarding when the plaque was put in the Cathedral.
Logically, I would have thought not long after the war. However it was not listed by the UKNIWM and it's hard to miss! (I dont know when they were cataloguing in the area)
Then again it does look like its been there for a wee while!!
The guides who are on during the summer, or perhaps the archives, which are located upatairs in the Cathedral, may provide an answer.
I'll keep it in mind.

Barrie Duncan · Joined: 16 Dec 2006 Posts: 29 Location: Hamilton

Nothing in Covenanter as yet, but only common connection between all the officers on the plaque (that I can see) is that they all belonged to the 1st Battalion The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). Some of them may been attached to other battalions/regiments, and there are a few men from the 3rd (Reserve) Bn attached to the 1st - but the 1st Bn seems to be the only connection.

There must be something else connecting them I reckon - as I would have thought their would have been more officers from the 1st Bn killed between 1914 and 1916? Having a look on SDGW at the moment, but it seems to be notoriously poor for not recording the battalion details of officer casualties (for the Cams at least).

spoons · Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 7:42 pm Post subject:

I have 'Officers Who Died in the Great War' in hardcopy and I looked up the first 2 officers on the memorial out of curiousity (in case it was different from the CD). I can confirm there is no Battalion shown against either name. If anyone would like any other lookups, just let me know.

Barrie Duncan · Joined: 16 Dec 2006 Posts: 29 Location: Hamilton

The names do seem to be listed in the order that they died - although they have missed out their very first officer casualty; Captain D. S. Gilkison, who was killed on 20th of September 1914. I think he may have been over looked as he was appointed as a staff officer to the 5th Bde.

It also kind of puzzling as to why the plaque stops at 1916.

dhubthaigh · Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 1:34 pm Post subject:

Barrie,

I have been reading your posts, very interesting. As I said earlier I cannot give any answers to the plaque etc but I hope I can do at some point.

Barrie Duncan · Joined: 16 Dec 2006 Posts: 29 Location: Hamilton

Have been checking our records and we seem to have old studio portraits of most of the officers on this plaque. J. C. Stormonth-Darling appears to have been a keen horseman - we have a few pics of him with the Polo team (2nd Bn) out in Malta just prior to the outbreak of the Great War.

As for Captain Ronald Hugh Walrond Rose - his personal diary from 1914 is in the 2005 issue of the Covenanter, published with permission from his family.

The diary is too long to type out, but would be happy to forward scans/photocopies to anyone interested in them.

Barrie

P.S. Can anyone tell me what the small square emblems next to some of the names represent?

Barrie Duncan · Joined: 16 Dec 2006 Posts: 29 Location: Hamilton

Have to include this letter that Capt. Rose wrote to his wife:

"My Dearest Wife,

Should I not return from this war I should like you and the infants to know as far as possible how I got on so I leave this with someone I can trust to forward it to you at the end of the war.
If I should not return dearest let this be my farewell and know that I died loving you with all my heart. Give some remembrance of me to my immediate family and to kinsmen.
There have been and will be times when life seems difficult to bear during this war but the thought of you and the infants will always make me try my utmost to win through.
Should you wish to marry again of course I wish nothing better than that you should have a near friend to turn to, you do not seem to have been lucky so far as you have lost so many but all comes in time and you may have great comfort yet. You will always I trust have the infants and that they will grow up good, kind and faithful to their family.

Till death your affectionate Husband

Ronald"

spoons · Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 3:28 pm Post subject:

Adam Brown · Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 9:16 am Post subject:

The first man listed is also commemorated by a Stained Glass window in Creich Parish Church, Bonar Bridge, Sutherland. I'm afraid I don't have any photographs.

Capt Rose's brother, also an officer died in France just a month later. Here are their details.

ROSE, Launcelot St. Vincent
Rank: Major
Unit: 55th Field Coy,.Royal Engineers
Died: 27.11.1914
Age: 39
Parents: Frederick William Rose and Katherine (Witherby) Rose
Spouse: Wendela Rose (nee Van Citters), of Hartford Bridge, Basingstoke.
Occupation: Regular Soldier
Buried: Rue-Petillon Military Cemetery, Fleurbaix, France
Memorials: Commemorated by the Rose Family Memorial Window and Tablet, Creich Parish Church
Listed on the The St Mary's Congregation War Memorial, The Churchyard, Elvetham, Hants.

ROSE, Ronald Walrond Hugh
Rank: Captain
Unit: 1st Bn Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
Died: 22.10.1914
Age: 34
Parents: Frederick William Rose and Katherine (Witherby) Rose
Spouse: Hetty Rose, of The Paddock, Yateley, Hants.
Occupation: Regular Soldier
Commemorated: Ploegseert Memorial, Belgium
Memorials: Commemorated by the Rose Family Memorial Window and Tablet, Creich Parish Church
Listed on the Cameronians Memorial, Dunkeld Cathedral

Adam

dhubthaigh · Posted: Sat May 19, 2007 10:28 am Post subject:

Stormonth-Darling also commemorated on the Loretto digital Memorial Roll
http://www.lorettoniansociety.org.uk/memorial/ww1/index.htm