The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

ADP · Joined: 13 Jun 2008 Posts: 467 Location: Edinburgh

Memorial: Ackergill and Hempriggs Estate
Location: By the A99 (previously A9) on the northern outskirts of Wick
Grid Ref: ND360518
UKNIWM Ref: 5957
Count: WWI=19 , WWII= 5

ADP

ADP · Joined: 13 Jun 2008 Posts: 467 Location: Edinburgh

And the transcriptions:

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

1914-1918

Cpl. John Ross, Seaforth Highlanders
L.Cpl. Benjamin Donn, M.M., Seaforth Highlanders
Pte. Alexander Doull, Seaforth Highlanders
Pte. Thomas Hood, Seaforth Highlanders
Pte. George C. McLeod, Seaforth Highlanders
Pte. William Sinclair, Seaforth Highlanders
Pte. Daniel Sutherland, M.M., Seaforth Highlanders
Pte. James Sutherland, Seaforth Highlanders
Pte. John B. Sutherland, Seaforth Highlanders
Pte. Forbes H. McDonald, Scots Guards
Hugh G. Calder, Royal Sussex Regiment

Bomb. James A. Gowans, R.C.A.
Lieut.Commander Kenneth James Duff Dunbar, D.S.O., R.N., H.M.Submarine E.16
Capt. William Calder, Naval Auxiliary Transport
Col.Sgt. David Bremner, H.M.S. Powerful, R.M.
A.B. George Harper, R.N.R., H.M.S. Arondale Castle
A.B. David Miller, R.N., H.M.S. Goliath
Cpl. Thomas Mowat, Australian Imp. Force
L.Cpl. Donald Allan, Cameron Highlanders

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

1939-1945

Captain Kenneth James Duff-Dunbar, 5th Seaforth Highlanders
Flight-Sgt. Murray Swanson Munro, R.A.F.
Flight-Sgt. Alexander Gordon, R.A.F.

Bombardier David Spence, Royal Tank Corps.
Gunner C. Swanson, 15th L.A.A.Regt., R.A.

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ADP

ADP · Joined: 13 Jun 2008 Posts: 467 Location: Edinburgh

Name: DUFF-DUNBAR, KENNETH JAMES
Initials: K J
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Lieut-Commander
Regiment/Service: Royal Navy
Unit Text: H.M. S/M. "E16."
Age: 29
Date of Death: 22/08/1916
Awards: D S O
Additional information: Son of Garden Duff-Dunbar, of Hempriggs, Caithness; husband of Katharine Isabel B. Duff-Dunbar, of Ackergill Tower, Wick. His only son and heir fell in WWII.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 11.
Memorial: PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL

Name: DUFF-DUNBAR, KENNETH JAMES
Initials: K J
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Captain
Regiment/Service: Seaforth Highlanders
Unit Text: 7th Bn.
Age: 27
Date of Death: 06/08/1944
Service No: 129015
Additional information: Only son and heir of the late Lieut.-Comdr. Kenneth James Duff-Dunbar, D.S.O., R.N., who fell in WWI, and Katharine Isabel B. Duff-Dunbar, of Wick, Caithness-shire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 17, Column 2.
Memorial: BAYEUX MEMORIAL

ADP

Adam Brown · Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2009 7:30 am Post subject:

The Duff-Dunbars and submarine E.16 were mentioned on the forum before

http://warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/viewtopic.php?t=1441

From Me

HM Submarine E16 was lost off Heligoland in 1916 with 31 crew. Its commander was Kenneth Duff-Dunbar DSO of Ackergill Tower in Caithness and is listed on the Ackergill & Hempriggs War Memorial. Duff-Dunbar’s son, born 3 months after his death, was killed in action in 1944 whilst serving with the 7th Bn Seaforth Highlanders in Normandy. I don’t know if he is listed on the same memorial but I would be surprised if he isn’t.

Trawling through the web threw up that the remains of E16 was found again in 2004 by a German survey company.

From Ian A

The World War One submarine E16 has been located in Helgoland Bight, a part of the North Sea to the south of Jutland.
The German dive team used Draeger Dolphin rebreathers. It took measurements, stills and video footage of the wreck, which it has shared with the U-boat Museum in Germany and the Submarine Museum in Gosport.
The E-class submarines proved very successful at harassing Germen shipping. E16 was responsible for sinking the destroyer V188 in July 1915, and the U-6 in September 1915. She went missing on 22 August, 1916 after heading towards the Dutch island of Terschelling.
The submarine E38 reported seeing a number of German warships in the vicinity, and splashes suggesting that they were laying depth charges. The commander of the E16 at the time of her sinking was Lieutenant-Commander Kenneth Duff-Dunbar, heir to the Dunbar title and a 15th century castle, Ackergill Tower, in Wick

Adam Brown · Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2009 7:35 am Post subject:

I'm not sure if this Estate memorial could be moved to the civic section. I can see a few of the names on the Wick memorial but can't be sure they all are. We'll leave it here just now.

Regards

Adam

Adam Brown · Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2021 9:46 pm Post subject:

I am going to move this to the civic memorial section. Ally Budge lists it amongst the other civic war memorials on his book "Voices in the Wind" and it doesn't look the men are listed elsewhere on another civic memorial.

Thanks

Adam

Adam Brown · Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2021 9:55 pm Post subject:

Listed alphabetically

L.Cpl. Donald Allan, Cameron Highlanders
Col.Sgt. David Bremner, H.M.S. Powerful, R.M.
Hugh G. Calder, Royal Sussex Regiment
Capt. William Calder, Naval Auxiliary Transport
L.Cpl. Benjamin Donn, M.M., Seaforth Highlanders
Pte. Alexander Doull, Seaforth Highlanders
Lieut.Commander Kenneth James Duff Dunbar, D.S.O., R.N., H.M.Submarine E.16
Bomb. James A. Gowans, R.C.A.
A.B. George Harper, R.N.R., H.M.S. Arondale Castle
Pte. Thomas Hood, Seaforth Highlanders
Pte. Forbes H. McDonald, Scots Guards
Pte. George C. McLeod, Seaforth Highlanders
A.B. David Miller, R.N., H.M.S.
Cpl. Thomas Mowat, Australian Imp. Force
Cpl. John Ross, Seaforth Highlanders
Pte. William Sinclair, Seaforth Highlanders
Pte. Daniel Sutherland, M.M., Seaforth Highlanders
Pte. James Sutherland, Seaforth Highlanders
Pte. John B. Sutherland, Seaforth

Not listed on the memorial but Ally Budge lists this man under the Ackergill Estate memorial page in his book "Voices in The Wind"

Pte. John Sutherland, Seaforth Highlanders.

Adam

Adam Brown · Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2021 10:25 pm Post subject:

I was struck by how many men had no grave in the first few names I checked. I will post more tomorrow.

DONALD ALLAN
Rank: Lance Corporal
Service Number: S/40853
Regiment & Unit/Ship: Cameron Highlanders, 6th Bn.
Date of : Died 28 March 1918
Commemorated: ARRAS MEMORIAL. Bay 9.France
Secondary Regiment: Formerly (4493) Lovat Scouts

Col.Sgt. David Bremner, H.M.S. Powerful, R.M.
Died 1916

HUGH G. CALDER
Rank: Private
Service Number: TF/315032
Regiment & Unit: Royal Sussex Regiment. 16th (Sussex Yeomanry) Bn.
Date of Death: Died 06 November 1917
Age: 36 years old
Commemorated: JERUSALEM MEMORIAL. Panels 25 and 26. Israel
Additional Info: Son of the late Mr. and Mrs. William Calder, of Ackergill, Wick, Caithness; husband of Wilhelmina Agnes Calder.
Brother of William Calder below

WILLIAM CALDER
Rank: Captain / Master
Ship: Mercantile Marine SS "Trinidad"
Date of Death: Died 22 March 1918. Ship torpedoed of Heligoland
Age: 44 years old
Commemorated: TOWER HILL MEMORIAL
Additional Info: Son of the late William Calder, of Ackergill, Wick, Caithness; husband of Cecilia MacLeod Calder, of The Ferry House, Scarfskerry, Thurso, Caithness.
Brother of Hugh Calder above

BENJAMIN DONN
Rank: Lance Corporal
Service Number: 240537
Regiment & Unit: Seaforth Highlanders. 5th Bn.
Date of Death: Died 14 May 1917
Age: 21 years old
Commemorated: ARRAS MEMORIAL. Bay 8.
Awards: Military Medal
Additional Info: Son of John Donn, of Brough, Humprigs, Wick.
Also listed on the Wick War Memorial

ALEXANDER DOULL
Rank: Private
Service Number: S/12542
Regiment & Unit: Seaforth Highlanders. 8th Bn.
Date of : Died 06 September 1916
Age: 32 years old
Commemorated: THIEPVAL MEMORIAL. Pier and Face 15 C.
Additional Info: Son of the late George Doull and of Christina Doull, of Milton, Wick, Caithness.

Lieut.Commander Kenneth James Duff Dunbar, D.S.O., R.N., H.M.Submarine
See post above

JAMES ALEXANDER GOWANS
Rank: Bombardier
Service Number: 73188
Regiment & Unit: Royal Garrison Artillery. 131st Heavy Bty.
Date of Death: Died 25 August 1917
Age: 38 years old
Buried: TRACK X CEMETERY. Grave D. 44. Belgium
Additional Info: Son of James and Janet Hume Gowans, of Wick; husband of Helen Oag Flett or Gowans, of Ackergill Shore, Wick.

Adam Brown · Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2021 8:36 pm Post subject:

Not so many missing in this next list of names

GEORGE HARPER
Rank: Able Seaman
Service Number: 5211A
Ship: Royal Naval Reserve. H.M.S. "Hyacinth" (Memorial says H.M.S. "Arondale Castle")
Date of Death: Died 15 July 1916
Age: 25 years old
Buried: DAR ES SALAAM WAR CEMETERY. 7. K. 12. Tanzania.
Additional Info: Son of the late Mr. and Mrs. James Harper, of Newton Wick, Caithness, Scotland.

I think the ship A.B. Harper was attached to at his date of death was HMS Hyacinth. The ship on the memorial I think should be HMS "Armadale Castle" which met HMS "Hyacinth" off East Africa in June 1916.

Interestingly on one of the grave registration documents on the CWGC site lists him as serving with 10 H Battery. This was not taken further into the IWGC roll or the CWGC database. The Long Long Trail lists the 11th Heavy Battery Royal Garrison Artillery as serving in East Africa. Another man from the same ship in the Royal Marine Light Infantry also from HMS Hyacinth was buried in the same cemetery and on the paperwork but not in the database was serving in 10 H Battery. More investigation needed here.

AB Harper was originally buried in Kondoa Irangi Cemetery in what was then German East Africa, then Tanganyika after the war. In 1970 outlying graves in Tanzania were concentrated at the new Dar-es-Salaam War Cemetery.

THOMAS A HOOD
Rank: Private
Service Number: 267350
Regiment & Unit: Seaforth Highlanders. 6th Bn.
Date of Death: Died of wounds 24 April 1917
Age: 19 years old
Buried: DUISANS BRITISH CEMETERY, ETRUN. Grave III. D. 44.
Additional Info: Son of Margaret Hood, of Moray Cottage, West Banks, Wick.

FORBES HARVEY McDONALD
Rank: Private
Service Number: 9715
Regiment & Unit: Scots Guards. 1st Bn.
Date of Death: Died 25 January 1915
Commemorated: LE TOURET MEMORIAL. Panel 3 and 4.

GEORGE CALDER McLEOD
Rank: Private
Service Number: S/10688
Regiment & Unit: Seaforth Highlanders. 7th Bn.
Date of : Died 09 April 1917
Age: 26 years old
Buried: STE. CATHERINE BRITISH CEMETERY. L. 14.
Additional Info: Son of Isabella MacLeod, of Hill-of-Wester, Wick, Caithness.

DAVID MILLER
Rank: Able Seaman
Service Number: 2359A
Ship: Royal Naval Reserve H.M.S. "Goliath."
Date of Death: Died 13 May 1915
Age:24 years old
Commemorated: PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL. Panel 10.
Additional Info: Son of Mr. and Mrs. James Miller, of Lower Ackergill, Wick, Caithness.

I'm pretty sure this is the next man listed on the memorial although there is nothing definite in his CWGC entry to link him to Ackergill or to Wick. He is also on the SNWM database.
His AIF attestation form says he was born in Edinburgh and his CWGC entry says he was a native of Aberdeen. He enlisted in Brisbane.

THOMAS WILLIAM WALL MOWAT
Rank: Corporal
Service Number: 925
Regiment & Unit: Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 41st Bn.
Date of Death: Died 27 March 1917
Age: 30 years old
Buried: TROIS ARBRES CEMETERY. I. G. 16.
Additional Info: Son of George Isbister Mowat and Isabella Mowatt, of "Westham," Stanthorpe, Queensland. Native of Aberdeen, Scotland.

Adam Brown · Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2021 10:37 pm Post subject: