The Scottish War Memorials Project

IanA · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 816

My apologies re lack of detail/ information. I took these some years ago, for my own interest, before this site was a twinkle in its daddy's eye!

jamiemcginlay · Joined: 20 Dec 2006 Posts: 897 Location: Glasgow

The sculptor was Percy Portsmouth who was also responsible for the memorials at Elgin and Lossiemouth. The figure looks very similar to these other memorials and so I take it it represents the allegorical figure of 'Peace and Victory'.

Adam Brown · Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 8:25 am Post subject:

From the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) website

Thurso, Sir John's Square, War Memorial

Type of Site: War Memorial
NMRS Number: ND16NW 51
Map reference: ND 1162 6828
Parish: Thurso
Council: Highland
Former District: Caithness
Former Region: Highland

David McNay · Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 7:49 am Post subject:

Can anyone local to this memorial possibly provide closeups of the name panels?

ADP · Joined: 13 Jun 2008 Posts: 180 Location: Edinburgh

ADP · Joined: 13 Jun 2008 Posts: 180 Location: Edinburgh

Memorial: Thurso Parish, Caithness
Location: Sir John's Square, Thurso
Grid Ref: ND116682
UKNIWM Ref: 5947
Sculptor: Percy Herbert Portsmouth (1874-1953). (Mod edit: Adam). See also here
Count: WWI=152, WWII=36

Here is my transcription of the Thurso War memorial.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
1914-1918

George Alexander, Sea.Hrs.
William Alexander Angus, Sea.Hrs.
James Anderson, R.N.
Magnus Alexander Baikie, Sea.Hrs.
George William Bain, R.G.A.
Allan Hugh Redpath Bremner, M.M., C.E.F.
Peter Brims, R.F.A.
Alexander Budge, Sea.Hrs.
David D. Cairnie, M.C., Sea.Hrs.
William G. Calder, R.N.R.
Donald Campbell, C.E.F.
Donald William Campbell, Sea.Hrs.
George Campbell, C.E.F.
Robert W. Campbell, R.F.A.
William Campbell, Sea.Hrs.
Sinclair Williamson Cowan, M.M., M.G.C.
Frank Donovan, R.A.S.C.
Alexander Doull, Sea.Hrs.
Donald Doull, Sea.Hrs.
Donald Dunnet, Sea.Hrs.
William Dunnet, A&S.Hrs.
James Elder, Sea.Hrs.
William Farquhar, C.E.F.
George Alexander Forbes, A&S.Hrs.
Alexander Kennedy Fraser, R.N.A.S.
Thomas MacKay Fyfe, R.N.R.
James Murray Geddes, C.E.F.
Alexander P. George, R.N.V.R.
George Georgeson, R.Hrs.
Louis Gray, Cam.Hrs.
John Gunn, R.Hrs.
Donald Gunn, Sea.Hrs.
Alexander Gunn, Sea.Hrs.
Alexander John Henderson, Sea.Hrs.
James Henderson, A&S.Hrs.
Benjamin Henderson, R.F.A.
John Hendry, M.G.C.
Robert Hepburn, West Yorks.
James Walter Hunt, Mer.Marine
James Hunter, C.E.F.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
David Inkster, Duke of Corn.L.Inf.
Sister Christina Jack, R.R.C., Nursing Service
Donald Gordon Jack, Sea.Hrs.
Neil Johnstone, Sea.Hrs.
George H. M. Johnstone, Cam.Hrs.
Gordon Leed, Sea.Hrs.
Andrew Lindsay, R.E.
William Manson, Gor.Hrs.
Benjamin Manson, Cam.Hrs.
David Sinclair Manson, Sea.Hrs.
Malcolm Martin, Sea.Hrs.
James A. Martin, Sea.Hrs.
| James Alexander Masson, R.G.A.
| Duncan Matheson, Gor.Hrs.
John Matheson, R.G.A.
James R. Meiklejohn, R.Scots
Ben R. Meiklejohn, M.G.C.
George Melville, Sea.Hrs.
George Wm. Grant Miller, R.N.R.
Alexander Morrison, A&S.Hrs.
Donald Morrison, Sea.Hrs.
Frederick Charles Morrison, Ches.Reg.
John Morrison, C.E.F.
Alexander Mowat, R.Scots
John Mowat, D.S.M., C.E.F.
Donald L. Mowat, Sea.Hrs.
Peter Munro, R.F.A.
Sinclair Smith Munro, Sea.Hrs.
William Munro, Sea.Hrs.
| Sinclair Murray, Sea.Hrs.
| John Budge Murray, A.I.F.
John Murray, Sea.Hrs.
David Alastair A. MacAdie, M.C., Sea.Hrs.
| Alexander MacAdie, Sea.Hrs.
| William MacAdie, Sea.Hrs.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
John MacAdie, Sea.Hrs.
| Donald Waters MacBeath, Sea.Hrs.
| Charles Angus MacBeath, Sea.Hrs.
| William MacBeath, Sea.Hrs.
William MacDonald, R.F.A.
Alexander MacDonald, U.S.A.
Alexander M. MacDonald, Scot.Rif.
Robert MacDonald, Sea.Hrs.
William MacDonald, Sea.Hrs.
Donald MacDonald, Sea.Hrs.
Donald MacDonald, Scot.Rif.
David MacDonald, A.I.F.
William MacGregor, Cam.Hrs.
Hugh MacIntosh, R.N.R.
Joseph M. MacIvor, C.E.F.
Alexander MacKay, Mer.Marine
Charles MacKay, Mer.Marine
George William MacKay, R.N.R.
John MacKay, R.E.
John W. MacKay, Sea.Hrs.
Sinclair MacKay, L.N.Lancs.Reg.
George MacKay, Sea.Hrs.
James MacKay, Sea.Hrs.
Robert Charles MacKay, Sea.Hrs.
William MacKay, Sea.Hrs.
James MacKay, Scot.Rif.
John MacKenzie, Nth.Fus.
Alexander Mackenzie, Sea.Hrs.
Ian Douglas MacLennan, Sea.Hrs.
James MacLennan, R.A.M.C.
William Thomson MacLeod, R.N.R.
Allan Sutherland Macleod, Scot.Rif.
Donald Macleod, Sea.Hrs.
George Oag, Sea.Hrs.
| James Oag, K.O.S.B.
| David Ross Cormack Oag. K.O.S.B.
Alexander Paterson, Sea.Hrs.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Donald Hugh Rankine, C.E.F.
Donald MacBeath Reid, Mer. Marine
Alexander Robertson, R.N.R.
James Robertson, Scot.Rif.
Benjamin Robertson, R.Scots
William David Robertson, Sea.Hrs.
Alexander Rosie, Sea.Hrs.
Peter Ross, R.Scots
Benjamin B. Ross, Sea.Hrs.
Peter Cormack Ross, Scot. Rif.
Lauchlan Waters Shearer, C.E.F.
Joseph Sinclair, Sth.Afr.
| William Baikie Sinclair, R.N.
| Andrew Bremner Sinclair, Sea.Hrs.
Alexander Sinclair, Sea.Hrs.
| Alastair Henderson Soutar, M.C., R.E.
| Frank Henderson Soutar, R.Hrs.
James Sutherland, Sea.Hrs.
William Elder Sutherland, R.Scots
Samuel Sutherland, Sea.Hrs.
William Swanson, Sea.Hrs.
Alexander Swanson, Sea.Hrs.
Angus Swanson, R.N.R.
Donald Swanson, Sea.Hrs.
| Benjamin Swanson, Sea.Hrs.
| John Swanson, Sea.Hrs.
David Swanson, R.N.R.
James Swanson, C.E.F.
James Miller Swanson, Sea.Hrs.
George William Swanson, R.G.A.
John Swanson, Sea.Hrs.
John Taylor Swanson, R.S.Greys
Donald Taylor, Sea.Hrs.
David Taylor, R.W.Surrey.Reg.
Hugh Thomson, R.N.R.
James S. Waters, C.E.F.
John Robert Waters, Gor.Hrs.
William Williamson, Gor.Hrs.
Daniel S. Williamson, C.E.F.
John Wylie, Sea.Hrs.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

1939-1945

Alexander Banks Allan, Sea.Hrs.
Charles Angus, R.N.R.
George Alexander Booth, Sea.Hrs.
John Martin Brown, Sea.Hrs.
Alexander Bruce, Sea.Hrs.
Alexander M. Cameron, R.N.R.
Alastair William campbell, R.A.F.
Huntly Gordon Cumming, R.A.M.C.
William Alexander Dundas, Scot.Horse
Alastair John Black Elder, R.A.F.
John Brown Ferguson, Sea.Hrs.
Donald Gordon, Sea.Hrs.
Robert Taylor Grant, Sea.Hrs.
William Gunn, Sea.Hrs.
John D. R. S. Heddle, R.A.F.V.R.
Walter Swanson Latimer, R.N.
Andrew Robertson Lindsay, R.N.
William Swanson MacDonald, Sea.Hrs.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Alexander MacKay, R.A.F.
Hugh MacKay, M.N.
Neil Mackay, R.A.F.V.R.
Robert MacKay, R.N.R.
Alexander MacLeod, R.A.
William J. S. MacPherson, Sea.Hrs.
Ian Malcolm, R.A.
George Mowat, M.N.
Donald M. Munro, R.E.
Robert Ranson, M.N.
Alexander Sutherland Sinclair, M.N.
James Smith, R.N.
Hamish Sutherland, Fleet Air Arm
Robert Alexander Sutherland, Sea.Hrs.
Murdoch MacKay Swanson, Sea.Hrs.
William Wallace, A.C.C.
David Alexander Watt, R.N.
Henry Swanson, M.N.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

ADP

Adam Brown · Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2009 8:08 am Post subject:

According to the Dictionary of Scotts Architects website, Thurso based Architect Sinclair Macdonald worked with the designer Portsmouth on this memorial.

Adam
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Scottish Monuments & Memorials

Adam Brown · Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2009 1:36 pm Post subject:

From 'The Scotsman' - Saturday, 2nd September 1922, page 10

THURSO WAR MEMORIAL

In presence of a large gathering, Sir Archibald H. MrSinclair, Bart, of Ulbster, Lord-Lieutenant of Caithness, unveiled the war memorial at Thurso yesterday. Ex-Provost Mackay, chairman of tho Committee, presided, and accompanying him to the platform were Sir Archibald and Lady Sinclair, Colonel Keith Murray, Convener of Caithness; Major William M. Brims, Provost of Thurso; and Mr David Coghill, chairman of the Parish Council.
Sir Archibald Sinclair paid a high tribute to the gallantry of the North in the Great war, and urged that tho victory won by the sacrifices of the manhood of the country should not be allowed to pass, but that on that victory should be built a better world for all men to live in.
The memorial in design and execution was the work of Mr Percy Portsmouth, A-R-S.A., Edinburgh.
It takes the form of a bronze group placed on a stone pedestal of exquisite colour and texture. Bronze tablets on three sides bear the names of the fallen, whilst the front contains the inscription. The crowning feature of the memorial consists of a group in bronze representing Peace and Victory.
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Scottish Monuments & Memorials