The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

jamiemcginlay · Joined: 20 Dec 2006 Posts: 930 Location: Glasgow

The Kershader Memorial on the Isle of Lewis. The masonary work looks similar to Bernera so it may again be the work of Messrs. Hood of Wick.
Its maybe wrong to call this the Kershader War Memorial as it lists a few small communities in the area, Kershader, Habost, Garyvard and Caverstay.

john hendry · Joined: 01 Jul 2007 Posts: 77

I am sure the numbers after the names are the numbers of the croft in that district the serviceman lived in. The postal address was, and probably still is, for example, Croft 6, Kershada, Western Isles.

adb41 · Joined: 03 Jan 2008 Posts: 178 Location: Stornoway

Strictly speaking, this memorial should be referred to as the Park Memorial, as it commemorates those from the Park District (Sgire na Pairce). This stretches from Habost in the west to Marvig in the east and Lemreway in the south.

The memorial has panels on its eastern face as well for the villages of Cromore and Marvig. I would imagine that there are panels on its western face as well, as I did not see anything for Lemreway, Orinsay or Gravir. When I get a chance, I'll go down to South Lochs and investigate.

Adam Brown · Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 4:01 pm Post subject:

Jim had his doubts about the name for this memorial and Guido has now confirmed it. I have now amened it to Park.

Adam

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

Recently recorded this young girl. If anybody has information on how she died would be most welcome.

Tony

Name: MACDONALD, CATHERINE
Initials: C
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Auxiliary Territorial Service
Age: 19
Date of Death: 09/02/1945
Service No: W/313440
Additional information: Daughter of Donald and Kate Macdonald, of Cromore.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Cemetery: GARYVARD CEMETERY
_________________
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.

adb41 · Joined: 03 Jan 2008 Posts: 178 Location: Stornoway

She should be mentioned in the Roll of Honour for World War II for Lochs. I'll check this out in Stornoway Library.

jamiemcginlay · Joined: 20 Dec 2006 Posts: 930 Location: Glasgow

Thank you Guido and Adam for the correction and amendment. There is no replacement for local knowledge! Unfortunately I cannot find any photographs of any other panels so it would be great if Guido could add the missing photographs.
A Good New Year to all.
Jim

adb41 · Joined: 03 Jan 2008 Posts: 178 Location: Stornoway

I have checked out Catherine MacDonald (see a few posts back) in the Roll of Honour for the Park District. She died as a result of inoculations, having just joined up.

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

Thanks adb

Can't imagine what they must have given her, perhaps the poor girl died of fright.

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.

adb41 · Joined: 03 Jan 2008 Posts: 178 Location: Stornoway

I visited the Park Memorial in Kershader this afternoon and photographed the panels on the east and west side of the monument. Please note that the number after the person's name refers to the number of the croft they lived on.

It is worth pointing out that A. Macleod of 8 Calbost was the brother of the famous Angus "Ease" Macleod, whose archives are held at the Ravenspoint Centre in Kershader, next to the memorial.
Calbost today is inhabited by less than a dozen people, although in the 19th century, it housed up to 200.

The picture below shows the western panel. Please note that the designation "Glen" in Gravir refers to houses in Glen Gravir, which runs west out of the centre of the village.

Edit 27 October 2008: have added photograph of eastern panel

MKMacdonald · Joined: 24 Oct 2008 Posts: 34 Location: Stornoway

This memorial was originally the Kershader War Memorial then was renovated to include the additional villages and became known as the Pairc War Memorial.

The original memorial was not made by Hoods of Wick who had a yard in Stornoway until the late 'fifties. It was constructed in the 'twenties by Mr Macdonald of 2/4 Kershader. In the Second World War he and his wife lost three sons.

Apparently the Second World War names were not added until Mrs Macdonald died as she did not wish her sons to be listed on the memorial when she was alive. This information was on a leaflet issued at the opening of the reconstituted memorial and the local historical society has a pamphlet on the memorial still available for sale.

Malcolm Macdonald

adb41 · Joined: 03 Jan 2008 Posts: 178 Location: Stornoway

Much indebted to Malcolm Macdonald for adding further information on this and other memorials in the Isle of Lewis.

I have added a photograph of the eastern panel to my posting from last January, with now a full set of contemporary pictures of this memorial.

Although this is strictly speaking the War Memorials project, I would like to add a photograph of the gravestone for Catherine MacDonald, mentioned in postings above. She lies buried at the cemetery in Garyvard, see this post.

adb41 · Joined: 03 Jan 2008 Posts: 178 Location: Stornoway

Transcript

To the Glory of God,
and in Grateful Memory
of the Men of the District
Who Fell in the Great War
1914-1919

Habost
1 - F Montgomery
2 - D Macleod
2 - M Macleod
2 - DJ Macleod
6 - D Macrae
9 - M Macdonald

Garyvard
1 - A Macleod
2 - A Montgomery

Kershader
5 - D Anderson
7 - M Macleod
7 - JM Macdonald
8 - JD Mackay
9 - D Macdonald
10 - M Macaulay
11 - D Mackay

Caverstay
2 - M Macdonald
4 - A Mackinnon

1939-1945
Kershader
4 - DM Macdonald
4 - IO Macdonald
4 - KJ Macdonald
5 - J Anderson
8 - JD Macaulay

Caverstay
3 - M Mackinnon
5 - Cath. Macdonald

adb41 · Joined: 03 Jan 2008 Posts: 178 Location: Stornoway

Transcript (eastern panel)

1914-1918
Cromore
4 - A Kennedy
8 - J Macarthur
20 - D Macarthur
Schoolhouse - W Bruce

Marvig
2 - R Finlayson
7 - K Mackenzie
13 - J Mackenzie
20 - A Morrison

1939-1945
Cromore
7 - D Mackinnon
10 - D Macarthur

Marvig
1 - C Mackenzie
3 - K Macleod
21 - WA Macdonald
23 - C Macleod
24 - D Mackinnon
24 - N Mackinnon

1914-1918
Calbost
2 - D Kennedy
5 - M Smith
9 - N Morrison
9 - D Morrison
11 - M Nicolson
13 - D Macleod
14 - R Kennedy

1939-1945
Calbost
2 - D Kennedy
4 - RG Mackenzie
8 - A Macleod
10 - M Finlayson
10 - A Finlayson
14 - M Kennedy

adb41 · Joined: 03 Jan 2008 Posts: 178 Location: Stornoway

1914-1918
Gravir
6B - K Macaskill
9 - D Macaskill
9 - R Macdonald
9 - D Macdonald
13 - M Matheson
18A - J Campbell
18B - J Campbell
22 - D Nicolson
22 - D Nicolson
24 - J Kennedy
33C - M Maclean

Lemreway
2 - M Macinnes
2B - D Macinnes
3 - M Fergusson
8 - JA Chisholm
23 - D Macmillan
24 - K Nicolson

1939-1945
Gravir
14 - N Macmillan
15 - K Matheson
23 - E Macmillan
33 - N Macmillan
36 - M Macinnes
37 - L Macleod
38 - M Macritchie
2 Glen - A Macleod
3 Glen - M Macleod
8 Glen - D Macritchie

Lemreway
2 - M Macinnes
3 - M Ferguson
7 - MA Macdonald
12 - R Macinnes
30 - R Macleod

Orinsay
9 - K Nicolson
11 - M Macmillan