The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

Adam Brown

St Andrew's & Queen Street Churches, Second World War Memorial
Location: St Andrew's & St George's Church, George Street, Edinburgh
OS Ref: NT 254 741

St Andrew's Church and Queen Street Church had their own memorials for the Great War but had a combined one for the Second World War

Adam

Adam Brown · Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 6:47 am Post subject:

It's not clear on the photograph but the last man on the list was highly decorated. He died whilst commanding the 74th Highlanders in the invasion of Sicily

THORBURN, DOUGLAS GLENDINNING
Rank: Colonel
Regiment/Service: Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment)
Unit Text: Cdg. 2nd Bn.
Age: 46
Date of Death: 10/07/1943
Service No: 11477
Awards: D S O, O B E, M C and Bar
Additional information: Son of Robert and Alice Edgar Thorburn; husband of Barbara Thorburn, of Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: III. H. 1.
Cemetery: SYRACUSE WAR CEMETERY, SICILY

From The RHF Journal

http://rhf.org.uk/JOURNAL/RHF2007.pdf

...2nd Battalion The Highland Light Infantry on the beaches of Sicily...the Battalion, which had been formed into a Beach Landing Group for the invasions, its commanding officer raised to full Colonel’s rank.

Shortly after the first waves of landing craft had touched down
the Commanding Officer, Colonel Douglas Thorburn DSO OBE
MC, landed with his battle HQ, went forward to reconnoitre and
was killed – almost certainly by a sniper

and

Early in 1943 the 74th was changed into a large unit called a
Beach Group, its task to land and secure the assaulted beach.
This the 74th did, near Avola, south of Syracuse in Sicily. It was
then that Colonel Douglas Thorburn was killed by a sniper’s
bullet

Adam Brown · Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 6:50 am Post subject:

Also lost in 1943. He is listed on the Brookwood Memorial which may mean he was lost at sea.

DALGLEISH, The Rev. JOHN DIXON
Rank: Chaplain 4th Class
Regiment/Service: Royal Army Chaplains' Department
Age: 33
Date of Death: 18/09/1943
Service No: 69274
Additional information: Son of James Dalgleish, and of Charlotte Thomson Dalgleish (nee Sutherland); husband of Kathleen Mary Dalgleish (nee Ball), of Wolverhampton. M.A.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 15. Column 2.
Memorial: BROOKWOOD MEMORIAL

Adam Brown · Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 3:06 pm Post subject:

Reverend Dalgliesh was not a minister of either church.

St Andrew's Church and Queen Street Church joined together on 13th October 1947 so that explains the one memorial for two churches.

Adam

Adam Brown · Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 11:18 am Post subject:

This memoral is currently in St Andrew's & St George's Church

Adam