The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

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

A photo of the memorial before the addition of the plaque. I take it this was necessary and the carved names had become badly worn, which might explain why I don't have a close up picture of the names.

dhubthaigh · Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 12:43 pm Post subject:

I was speaking with the minister for The Stewartry of Strathearn recently and part of the conversation was about the W.M. at Aberuthven. He mentioned that a new Great War plaque had been affixed as the names had weathered and were unreadable. He went on to say that rumour held some sort of a mistake had been made but couldn't expand on this.

Well, I've just dug out the unveiling report from the Strathearn Herald dated 25th October 1919 - and it contains a list of names.

There has indeed been a mistake for the list contains the name of;

Pte. Donald Archibald 11th A & S Highlanders (brother of James).

As you will see his name has been ommitted from the new plaque!!

Name: ARCHIBALD, DONALD
Initials: D
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
Unit Text: 11th Bn.
Age: 19
Date of Death: 20/04/1917
Service No: S/5078
Additional information: Son of David Archibald, of 23, Ardgowan Place, Cowie, Bannockburn, Stirlingshire. Born Forgandenny, Perthshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: I. B. 24.
Cemetery: FEUCHY CHAPEL BRITISH CEMETERY, WANCOURT

P.S.

Worthy of note is that Aberuthven was the first community in the county of Perth to erect an outdoor memorial.

dhubthaigh · Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 10:17 am Post subject:

THE STRATHEARN HERALD: 25.10.1919

UNVEILING WAR MEMORIAL AT ABERUTHVEN

THE DUKE OF ATHOLL AT CEREMONY

To the village of Aberuthven, some two miles from Auchterarder, falls the honour of being the first community in the county of Perth to erect an outdoor memorial to the men of the district who fell in the war.
The work of raising funds for the memorial was undertaken by a committee, with Mr Thos. L. Anderson of Damside as Convenor; the Rev. Jas. MacMillan, Aberuthven, as Vice-Convenor; and Mr Thos. Campbell, Schoolhouse, as Secretary; and so gratifying was the response to the appeal that in the village and district a sum of £451 was soon collected. It was decided that the memorial should take the form of a Celtic cross, and it was arranged that the surplus money, after meeting the expense of the execution and erection of the memorial, should be allocated among the seven men of the village and district who had been disabled in the fighting. The Celtic Cross, which is of red granite, and designed by Mr A. D. Hislop, architect, Glasgow, occupies a site in the centre of the village facing the main roadway, and on the cross is the following inscription:-
“In honoured memory of the officer, n.c.o.’s, and men of Aberuthven, who fell in the Great War, 1914-1918 - Lieut.-Col. Graeme, C.M.G., 1st Cameron Highlanders; Corp. James Scott, 1st Seaforth Highlanders; Pte. Donald Archibald, 11th A. & S. Highlanders; Pte. James Archibald, 6th Royal Highlanders; Pte. John Barnett, 2nd Scots Guards; Pte. John Brown, 2nd Gordon Highlanders; Pte. James Brown, 1st Royal Highlanders; Pte. William Cairns, 6th Royal Highlanders; Pte. Charles M’Kenzie, 6th Royal Highlanders; Pte. Andrew Wylie; 12th Royal Scots; Pte. James Wylie, 3rd Australian Imperial Infantry. Their names liveth forevermore”.

THE UNVEILING CEREMONY

Mr T. L. Anderson, of Damside presided at the unveiling ceremony, and the large company included the Duke of Atholl, K.T.; Lady Wilson of Kippen; Sir William Haldane of Fosswell, Lady Haldane and Miss Haldane; Col. Graeme of Garvock; Captain Graeme, Seaforth Highlanders, Fort George; the Misses Graeme, Aberuthven Lodge; Mrs Drummond Forbes of Millearne; Mr George Buchanan of Gask; Mrs Anderson and Misses Anderson, Damside; Mrs Young and party, Belvidere; Rev. James MacMillan, Aberuthven; Rev. Robt. Gardiner and Mrs Gardiner, Auchterarder; Mr John Cairns, Belhie; Mr Robert Carmichael, Mr and Mrs peter Carmichael, Kirklands; Mr R. Whitehead, Drumtogle; Mr and Mrs T. Campbell, Schoolhouse; Mr and Mrs Fletcher, North Strathy; Mr and Mrs David Allardice; Mr William Drummond, Broadleys; Mrs Barclay, Aberuthven; Mrs Morris, Laigh of Rossie; Miss Straiton; Mr and Mrs James Stewart, Ochilview; Mr and Mrs John M’Ewan, &c.
The Chairman (Mr Anderson) said it must be a unique day in the history of their village. They were met to do honour to those very brave men from among them who were killed in the war, and on the Cross which would shortly be unveiled they would find the names of these heroes engraved. He was sure that all who lived there and all who passed them by would regard it as a sacred trust to preserve that Cross and its surroundings from harm for all time. They were met for one other purpose, closely allied to the first. There were some amongst them who, though very fortunately able to be there that day, had suffered grievously from wounds and other causes, and to these equally brave men they decided to make presentations, which, however inadequate he was sure they would accept as a token of sincere gratitude for what they had done and suffered for their country. (Applause)
The Duke of Atholl said they saw these monuments being erected all over the country. The idea of erecting them sprang from a spontaneous feeling everywhere. Perhaps he took a different view from some people with regard to these monuments, when he felt they were not altogether monuments to the memory of those who fell, but rather remembrances to future generations of what the present generation thought of the men who had fallen in the fighting. That, to his mind, was a far nobler thing than merely commemorating the names of the men. The present generation did not require to put up a monument to remember the men of their own generation, and for what they did for them, and for all that the sacrifice of their lives meant. They were not putting up a monument for that, but surely, he thought, they were really putting up these monuments as a token of gratitude and appreciation of what the men had done for the country. (Applause)
The ceremony of then unveiling the cross was then performed by Miss Louisa Graeme, and a peculiarly impressive touch was imparted to the proceedings by the playing of the ‘Flowers of the Forest’ on the bagpipes by Pipe-Major Alexander Stewart and Corporal Robert Imrie, both from Blair castle. From the village schoolchildren came a tribute in the form of a laurel wreath, which was laid at the base of the cross by Maisie M’Lean, the youngest pupil in the school, while another wreath was placed in position by Miss Emily Graeme “In glorious memory of the brave men who died for their country”.
A short and impressive dedication service followed, and was conducted by the rev. Jas. MacMillan and the Rev. Robert Gardiner. Thereafter the presentation to the disabled soldiers took place. The Duke of Atholl spoke a few kindly words to the heroes and Mrs Anderson, Damside, handed over the gift of money to each of the men. The recipients were Samuel Hutton, Wm. M’Kinnon, Nicol Stewart, Peter Johnston, Peter Hutton, John Cameron and John Fletcher.
Votes of thanks were proposed by the Duke of Atholl, Captain Graeme and the Rev. Mr MacMillan, the last-named acknowledging the great kindness shown in the memorial movement by Mr Anderson, Damside; and the proceedings terminated with the playing of the pipers of ‘The Highland Laddie” and ‘The Atholl March”.

dhubthaigh · Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 10:22 am Post subject:

Surname McKENZIE
Firstname Charles
Service Number 1518
Date Death 31/08/1916
Decoration
Place of birth Blairgowrie Perthshire
Other 6th Bn.
SNWM roll THE BLACK WATCH (ROYAL HIGHLANDERS)
Rank Pte
Theatre of death F.& F.

Name: McKENZIE, CHARLES HENRY
Initials: C H
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)
Unit Text: 1st/6th Bn.
Age: 18
Date of Death: 31/08/1916
Service No: 1518
Additional information: Son of Henry and Margaret McKenzie, of Scones, Lethendy, Perth. Born at Rattray, Blairgowrie, Perthshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: I. F. 12.
Cemetery: CITE BONJEAN MILITARY CEMETERY, ARMENTIERES

BLAIRGOWRIE ADVERTISER: 09.09.1916
BLAIRGOWRIE MAN'S GRANDSON KILLED

Mr M'Kenzie, Gask, son-in-law of Mr David Paterson, 18 Harriet Row, Blairgowrie, has received notice that his son, Pvt. Charles H. M'Kenzie, Black Watch, was killed in action on 31st August.
In a letter from the chaplain it is stated that a raid having to be made on a German position, volunteers were called for, and amongst those who responded was Pvt. M'Kenzie. Two shells or trench mortars fell among the party and accounted for a good many men. Pvt. M'Kenzie was seriously wounded. He was dressed by the doctor, and sent in a car to the field ambulance, but just as he entered the field hospital he breathed his last. In the afternoon he was buried in a military cemetery some distance behind the line, the location of which would be made known to the parents when the military situation permits. The chaplain adds that he conducted the service, and "In our prayers we gave thanks for the bravery of your lad, for the sacrifice for his country, and for the peace he has attained to through Christ, in Whose sacrifice he had part. While you sorrow, you will be proud of how he died".
Pvt. M'Kenzie, who worked with his father at Gask, and who was only 18 years of age, was a Territorial, and went to the front about a year and a half ago. He was home on furlough in the end of May.

* ALSO COMMEMORATED ON THE AUCHTERARDER & TRINITY GASK WAR MEMORIALS

dhubthaigh · Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2011 1:27 pm Post subject:

dalblair · Joined: 26 Aug 2010 Posts: 564 Location: coupar angus

The man who seems to have been added is
Pte John Brown
2 Gordons

I can find no trace of this man on CWGC although there is a Pte Jones Brown,S/11151, who was 2 Gordons and was kia on 6/9/1916

Difficult to know why he was added-unless the Strathearn article wrongly omitted him?

Can the sleuths find out more?

dhubthaigh · THE PEOPLE'S JOURNAL: 27.01.1917

dalblair · Joined: 26 Aug 2010 Posts: 564 Location: coupar angus

Executed by Scott&Rae,sculptors and masons,Glasgow.

stuartn · Joined: 13 Dec 2016 Posts: 2551

WMR 82366