The Scottish War Memorials Project

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

Some photographs of the war memorial at Tarbert on the Island of Harris.
The number of men from the Hebrides serving in the Navy and the Reserves; and in the Merchant Navy, led to exceptionally high losses among the islands in both world wars.

The WWI panels:

And the WWII panels:

dhubthaigh · Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2007 6:35 pm Post subject:

Nowhere escaped. A nice touch putting their places of residence/birth ? on.

Mark

Adam Brown · Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 7:16 pm Post subject:

This memorial gets a mention in Neil Oliver's 'Not Forgotten'.

Oliver got a local to translate the Gaelic inscription:

FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH

THIS IS A MARK AND A MEMORIAL
OF OUR BELOVED SOLDIERS
IN PROTECTING OUR KINGDOM FOR US
UNDER THE HAND OF THE HIGHEST
WHO STOOD STRONGLY AND STAUNCHLY
AND FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH
AS ALL OF OUR FOREFATHERS DID
FROM AGE TO AGE AND EVERYPLACE

I can't speak Gaelic and the photograph isn't that clear but given the number of sailors on the memorial perhaps warriors, rather than soldiers would be a better translation.

Adam

adb41 · Joined: 03 Jan 2008 Posts: 54 Location: Stornoway

I was saddened to note that several casualties from Molinginish were listed. This village is no longer inhabited, the last residents left in the 1960s.

MKMacdonald · Joined: 24 Oct 2008 Posts: 36 Location: Stornoway

This memorial is known as the Harris War Memorial and not the Tarbert War Memorial. There are no other memorials for Harris war losses other than the Isle of Berneray which historically was known as Berneray, Harris. The Isle of Berneray is now linked by a causeway to North Uist. None of the Berneray war dead are listed on the Harris War Memorial.

Malcolm Macdonald

MKMacdonald · Joined: 24 Oct 2008 Posts: 36 Location: Stornoway

Adam

With regard to the translation of the Gaelic to English it is clearly 'soldiers' in Gaelic and not warriors.

Regards
Malcolm Macdonald

Adam Brown · Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2008 9:59 pm Post subject:

Malcolm

Thanks for the clarification. I was suprised that the local sailors don't get a mention in this inscription. Given the large number of Second World War names for Royal and Merchant Navies I'd guess that a large number served in both Navies in the Great War as well, perhaps even more than served in the Army?

Is the Gaelic text specific to this memorial or was it taken from somewhere else do you know?

Regards

Adam

MKMacdonald · Joined: 24 Oct 2008 Posts: 36 Location: Stornoway

The inscription is unique to the Outer Hebrides but I cannot comment with regard to Gaelic inscriptions on memorials in the Inner Hebrides and the Highlands.

Yes there were more sailors than soldiers in the Outer Hebrides, but only just, serving in the First World War. The casualty figures for soldiers were, however, greater. In the Second World War service at sea (Royal and Merchant Navies) and losses far exceeded that of the Army and RAF.

Regards
Malcolm