The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

DerekR · Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 7:03 pm Post subject: Tribute to Scots Crimean War hero

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/glasgow_and_west/6544259.stm

One of the first soldiers to be awarded the Victoria Cross was remembered at a ceremony in Glasgow.

James McKechnie received the military honour after he fought with the Scots Guards at the Battle of Alma in the Crimean War in 1855.

After his retirement, he fell on hard times and was buried in an unmarked grave in Glasgow's Necropolis.

A local branch of the Scots Guards organised a memorial service where a headstone was unveiled.

More than 50 members of his regiment, the Royal British Legion and the Army Cadets gathered to pay tribute to him.

Born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, in 1826, Mr McKechnie was a 28-year-old sergeant in the Crimea - in modern-day Ukraine - when he made history.

The dedication service was the right thing to do because it was high time he was given a burial with the military honours he deserves
William Brockie
Glasgow branch secretary of the Scots Guards Association

On 20 September, 1854, at the Battle of the Alma, his battalion was under heavy enemy fire when a pole carrying the Queen's Colour was smashed and its silk riddled with bullets.

But Sgt McKechnie turned the tide when he held up his revolver and dashed forward, rallying the men around the flag.

The Scot, who was wounded in the action, became one of the first to be awarded the VC during its inauguration in 1857.

The medals were cast out of the bronze of two cannons captured from the Russians at the siege of Sebastopol in the Crimea.

His VC citation read: "When the formation of the Regiment was disordered at Alma, for having behaved gallantly and rallied the men round the Colours."

Little is known of Mr McKechnie's life after he retired from the army. He is thought to have married late in life and died soon after his wife on 5 July, 1886 at the age of 56.

Old veterans

William Brockie, Glasgow branch secretary of the Scots Guards Association, said: "I was doing some research last year into military history and I saw James McKechnie had been buried in an unmarked grave.

"He was one of the first people awarded the VC and it's very sad he was laid to rest in a pauper's grave.

"The dedication service was the right thing to do because it was high time he was given a burial with the military honours he deserves."

Serving Scots Guards have travelled from their barracks in Chelsea, west London, to join a number of old veterans and Royal British Legion standard bearers at the ceremony in the Eastern Necropolis.

Mr Brockie, a former Scots Guards lance-sergeant who served during the Suez crisis, said the sad story of Sgt McKechnie could not happen now.

For Valour

"It wouldn't be allowed now to a VC winner like Johnson Beharry because the media wouldn't let it, and also there are lots of veterans' associations and the War Graves Commission."

Edinburgh-based Abercorn Memorials donated the 27in-high grey granite headstone, worth £500.

The inscription reads: "In memory of Sgt James McKechnie VC, Scots (Fusilier) Guards, died 5 July 1886 aged 59, awarded VC for valour in Crimea."

Sgt McKechnie's VC is displayed at the Scots Guards regimental headquarters in London.

The Crimean War (1854 to 1856) was fought between Imperial Russia and an alliance of France, the United Kingdom, the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Ottoman Empire.

The majority of the conflict took place on the Crimean peninsula and some historians have regarded it as one of the first modern conflicts.

_________________

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

Adam Brown · Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 11:42 pm Post subject:

These two links to news stories from this week are connected to the last post.

The first was from the BBC Scotland news site from Wednesday.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/6591311.stm

Private William Reynolds was awarded his VC for the same incident. He was from Edinburgh and buried in an unmarked grave in Brookwood Cemetery. His new headstone leaves Edinburgh castle tomorrow after a dedication service and will then be sent South.

There is a proposal to mark his birthplace in Jamaica Street, Edinburgh.

The second is from today's Evening News website and concerns Pte Reynold VC's stuffed dog at the Castle.

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=637582007

Adam[/url]

Adam Brown · Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 2:09 pm Post subject:

From this website

http://www.victoriacross.org.uk/aainves1.htm

Is a list of all the first recipients of the Victoria Cross and the order in which they were presented by Quen Victoria on 26th June 1857.

McKechnie and Reynolds are numbered 36 and 37

1. Commander Henry RABY Royal Navy
2. Commander John BYTHESEA Royal Navy
3. Commander Hugh BURGOYNE Royal Navy
4. Lieutenant Charles LUCAS Royal Navy
5. Lieutenant William HEWETT Royal Navy
6. Gunner John ROBARTS Royal Navy
7. Boatswain Joseph KELLAWAY Royal Navy
8. Boatswain Henry COOPER Royal Navy
9. Seaman Joseph TREWAVAS Royal Navy
10. Seaman Thomas REEVES Royal Navy
11. Bosun's Mate Henry CURTIS Royal Navy
12. Capt of the Mast George INGOUVILLE Royal Navy
13. Lieutenant George DOWELL Royal Marine Artillery
14. Bombadier Thomas WILKINSON Royal Marine Artillery
15. Sergeant-Major John GRIEVE 2nd Dragoons
16. Private Samuel PARKES 4th Dragoons
17. Lieutenant Alexander DUNN 11th Hussars
18. Troop-Sgt-Major John BERRYMAN 17th Lancers
19. Colonel Collingwood DICKSON Royal Artillery
20. Captain Andrew HENRY Royal Artillery
21. Captain Gronow DAVIS Royal Artillery
22. Master-Gunner Daniel CAMBRIDGE Royal Artillery
23. Gunner Thomas ARTHUR Royal Artillery
24. Lieutenant Gerald GRAHAM Royal Engineers
25. Corporal John ROSS Royal Engineers
26. Corporal William LENDRIM Royal Engineers
27. Sapper John PERIE Royal Engineers
28. Colonel Henry PERCY Grenadier Guards
29. Brevet-Major Charles RUSSELL Grenadier Guards
30. Sergeant Alfred ABLETT Grenadier Guards
31. Private Anthony PALMER Grenadier Guards
32. Brevet-Major Gerald GOODLAKE Coldstream Guards
33. Brevet-Major John CONOLLY Coldstream Guards
34. Private George STRONG Coldstream Guards
35. Brevet-Major Robert LINDSAY Scots Fusilier Guards
36. Sergeant James MCKECHNIE Scots Fusilier Guards
37. Private William REYNOLDS Scots Fusilier Guards
38. Private Thomas GRADY 4th Reg ( King's Own Regiment )
39. Lieutenant William HOPE 7th Reg ( Royal Fusiliers )
40. Asst Surgeon Thomas HALE 7th Reg ( Royal Fusiliers )
41. Private Matthew HUGHES 7th Reg ( Royal Fusiliers )
42. Private William NORMAN 7th Reg ( Royal Fusiliers )
43. Ensign Andrew MOYNIHAN 8th Reg ( King's Liverpool Regiment )
44. Private Samuel EVANS 19th Reg ( Yorkshire Regiment )
45. Private John LYONS 19th Reg ( Yorkshire Regiment )
46. Lieutenant Luke O'CONNOR 23rd Reg ( Royal Welch Fusiliers )
47. Corporal Robert SHIELDS 23rd Reg ( Royal Welch Fusiliers )
48. Private William COFFEY 34th Reg ( Border Regiment )
49. Private John SIMS 34th Reg ( Border Regiment )
50. Sergeant William MCWHEENEY 44th Reg ( Essex Regiment )
51. Sergeant George WALTERS 49th Reg ( Royal Berkshire Regiment )
52. Corporal James OWENS 49th Reg ( Royal Berkshire Regiment )
53. Brevet-Major Charles LUMLEY 97th Reg ( Queen's O R West Kent )
54. Sergeant John COLEMAN 97th Reg ( Queen's O R West Kent )
55. Brevet-Major Henry CLIFFORD 1st Bn. The Rifle Brigade
56. Private Joseph BRADSHAW 2nd Bn. The Rifle Brigade
57. Private Francis WHEATLEY 2nd Bn. The Rifle Brigade
58. Captain William CUNINGHAME 2nd Bn. The Rifle Brigade
59. Lieutenant John KNOX 2nd Bn. The Rifle Brigade
60. Private Roderick MCGREGOR 2nd Bn. The Rifle Brigade
61. Private John HUMPSTON 2nd Bn. The Rifle Brigade
62. Brevet-Major Claud BOURCHIER 3rd Bn. The Rifle Brigade

Adam

Adam Brown · Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 2:30 pm Post subject:

Another man listed above had a new headstone placed on his grave three years ago.

Sergeant-Major John GRIEVE, 2nd Dragoons was buried in an unmarked grave in St Michael's Churchyard, Inversesk.

On 21st August 2003 three Edinburgh VC recipients received new headstones similar to the ones above.

The others were Private George Wilson VC, 21st Regt. in Piershill Cemetery and Private James Davis VC, 42nd Regiment in North Merchiston Cemetery.

Adam