The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2010 10:07 am Post subject:

Tony
Going thro' the document last night I picked up those you have listed and two more, both of the SS Tanjong Penang on 17/2/1942

FORGIE, MARY JOHNSTONE - Nursing Sister (Civilian) Lumsden, Aberdeenshire
KEIR, ANNIE CARMICHAEL - SRN CMB (Civilian) Milnathort, Kinrossshire
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Ken

Tonym · Joined: 18 Jan 2007 Posts: 224 Location: East Sussex

Thanks Ken

Must have missed those unless they have been added later - as you will see my Jean Morrison has been added today -
Name: MORRISON, JEAN CROSS
Initials: J C
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Nursing Sister
Regiment/Service: Civilian War Dead
Date of Death: 17/02/1942
Casualty Type: Civilian War Dead
Reporting Authority: S.S. "TANJONG PENANG"
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Pte. W. BROWN, Middlesex Regiment, K.I.A Battle of The Somme.
Sgt. J. V. MURPHY, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, D.O.W Monte Cassino, Italy.

Adam Brown · Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2010 10:41 am Post subject:

Well done Tony on getting Sister Morrison added to the database, very good news.

Thanks Adam

Tonym · Joined: 18 Jan 2007 Posts: 224 Location: East Sussex

Adam

Thanks. One does ones best but it disgusts me that it took 2 1/2 years for the MOD to even respond despite receiving copies of official documents proving beyond doubt Jean Morrison was on board the vessel when it was sunk.

The CWGC response to my recent email complaining about the long delay appears to suggest that they, the CWGC, made the decision to commemorate her not the MOD.

Tony
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Pte. W. BROWN, Middlesex Regiment, K.I.A Battle of The Somme.
Sgt. J. V. MURPHY, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, D.O.W Monte Cassino, Italy.

DelBoy · Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2010 2:15 pm Post subject:

Tony, another Scottish connection from the Nurses aboard the S.S. Kuala who perished is Mary Nicol from Arbroath.

From her neice "My auntie was Mary Nicol, she was born in Arbroath and worked at Arbroath Infirmary before going to Singapore as a nursing sister in the General Hospital at Straits Settlement. A good book to read is "Sisters in Arms" - British Army Nurses Tell Their Story - by Nicola Tyrer

The link for the list for those interested, it's near the bottom.
http://www.cofepow.org.uk/lists/

Mary Nicol's entry in the document.
NICOL – Sister M. Nicol was either a Civilian or Colonial Nursing Service nurse (QH); Miss Mary Nicol, civilian, daughter of Mrs. Nicol of Abroath, Angus – died around sinking of “Kuala” (CWGC); also Miss Mary Nichol, G. H., seen on “Kuala” (CAS)

Tonym · Joined: 18 Jan 2007 Posts: 224 Location: East Sussex

DelBoy

Thanks for that. I would guess, as she came from UK, that she was Colonial Nursing Service.

I have all the 'Kuala' names listed but haven't found the time yet to go through the list individually. I compiled a 'TO DO' fie with all the info on both Kuala and Tanjong Penang when I was researching Jean Morrison but haven't got around to the 'TO DO' yet, keep getting interrupted by other odds and ends.

Tony
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Pte. W. BROWN, Middlesex Regiment, K.I.A Battle of The Somme.
Sgt. J. V. MURPHY, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, D.O.W Monte Cassino, Italy.

Jim · Joined: 30 May 2008 Posts: 195

I hadn't expected such a brief post to bring about so many responses. I guess it just shows how much remains to be done and how many cross-references remain to be made.

kinnethmont · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1649 Location: Aberdeenshire

Tonym · Joined: 18 Jan 2007 Posts: 224 Location: East Sussex

Jim

During the waiting period of this request for commemoration I sent two requests regarding the progress of this claim and on both occasions the CWGC response advised that they would send my query to the MOD.

My last request, a week ago, was sent on the advice of a colleague, involved in the IFTC Project, who advised that CWGC were now making the decision for 'Civilian' casualties. The CWGC response on this occasion quoted "....we have approved her commemoration...". The comments that I forwarded with this case were from the official file compiled by the enquiry team of the time and confirmed, without any doubt, that my unfortunate lady had boarded the vessel that was sunk.

Two other 'Service' cases that I have had approved received the response "...the MOD have approved her commemoration...".

I can understand the logic of the MOD being involved in service cases but if a civilian death complies with the CWGC criteria for commemoration why should the MOD be involved?

Tony
_________________
Pte. W. BROWN, Middlesex Regiment, K.I.A Battle of The Somme.
Sgt. J. V. MURPHY, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, D.O.W Monte Cassino, Italy.

kinnethmont · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1649 Location: Aberdeenshire

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2010 5:02 pm Post subject:

Tonym · Joined: 18 Jan 2007 Posts: 224 Location: East Sussex

As I have picked up some nurses names that I had previously been unaware of someone else may be looking for details of a man or woman, not commemorated, who was a casualty of the Singapore evacuation of 1942.

If you have let ne know their name and I will do my best to search the documents and see what I can find, but be patient as I have a lot of other ladies demanding my attention.

Tony

PS. I should have added my documents cover primarily UK and some Malay people and mostly female.
_________________
Pte. W. BROWN, Middlesex Regiment, K.I.A Battle of The Somme.
Sgt. J. V. MURPHY, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, D.O.W Monte Cassino, Italy.

Jim · Joined: 30 May 2008 Posts: 195

I managed a wee visit to the Chapel this afternoon en route to see HMS Duncan being launched.

The Chapel is very dimly lit and my efforts at photography were useless.

I was able to note part of the inscriptions on three plaques before a family who needed to use the Chapel arrived.

The first has a window as well as a plaque.

To the Glory of God
and in affectionate remembrance of
LIEUTENANT DONALD MACKINTOSH VC,
Seaforth Highlanders
Killed near Arras, France on April 11th 1917.
This window is dedicated by Miss Alice Davis
.............................................................

The second plaque is to

Lieutenant Charles Maclure Sclanders
1/13th London Regiment

.......................

The third plaque is to

Lieutenant Jack A A Orr
2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders.

spoons · Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2011 8:54 pm Post subject:

This thread actually applies to a number of memorials in this hospital chapel. I have now posted each memorial on its own thread so I leave it to someone else to decide what to do with this thread.

\Paul

kinnethmont · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1649 Location: Aberdeenshire

I have never been there, but if it is a Memorial Chapel it must be a memorial. Maybe, this is the thread that should remain in place.
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Jim

If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

www.kinnethmont.co.uk