The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

paul Nixon · Joined: 08 Jan 2007 Posts: 22 Location: India

I've asked this question before on other forums but never had a definitive answer.

One of my Chailey men - Robert Mearns Hobbs - was born at Maryhill around 1895 and was probably still living there when he enlisted with the Scottish Rifles. He was a pre-war territorial as he was in France during the earlys stages of the war in 1914. He was killed in action in July 1917 and I would dearly love to find out where he is commemorated by name in Scotland.

The link to his page on my website is here: http://www.chailey1914-1918.net/robert_mearns_hobbs.html

Many thanks

Paul
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Remembering the men and women of Chailey, Sussex, England

www.chailey1914-1918.net

DerekR · Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2007 9:33 am Post subject:

Paul,
It's great to see you on this forum.

David has the WW1 Roll of Honour for Glasgow so I hope that he can help you out.
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Time but th' impression stronger makes, As streams their channels deeper wear.

paul Nixon · Joined: 08 Jan 2007 Posts: 22 Location: India

Thanks very much for your warm welcome Derek.

I don't know that the roll of honour gives the information that I am looking for. I believe that he is mentioned but I don't think it gives a location for a local memorial on which he is named. I've never got to the bottom of whether there is a memorial at Maryhill. One would assume that there must be - or at least plaques of some kind in churches - but I've never heard from anybody that they exist. Quite baffling really.

Hobbs is one of my favourites and I'd dearly love to find out more about him - or at least have a poppy placed where he is mentioned.

Paul
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Remembering the men and women of Chailey, Sussex, England

www.chailey1914-1918.net

David McNay · Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2007 10:21 am Post subject:

A man from MAryhill would probably be commemorated on the City of Glasgow Roll of Honour. I'll have a look tonight although in the past I've not had a great success rate on lookups from this Roll.

paul Nixon · Joined: 08 Jan 2007 Posts: 22 Location: India

David McNay · Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2007 10:35 am Post subject:

I think it might be the Cenotaph in George Square, which lists no names due to the number concerned. The Roll of Honour I have is a copy of the book which is in the City Chambers just next to the Cenotaph.

Barrie Duncan · Joined: 16 Dec 2006 Posts: 29 Location: Hamilton

It's possible there may have been some kind of memorial at Maryhill barracks, which I think is long since gone.

What battalion of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) was he in?

Barrie

paul Nixon · Joined: 08 Jan 2007 Posts: 22 Location: India

Barrie

He was with the 5th Bn originally, was wounded on the Somme in 1916, patched up and posted to the 1st Bn where he was killed in 1917.

Paul
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Remembering the men and women of Chailey, Sussex, England

www.chailey1914-1918.net

David McNay · Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 8:25 am Post subject:

There is a plaque on what was the boundary wall of Maryhill Barracks, but I think it's just noting that it used to be the barracks. It's at a busy junction so I haven't been able to stop and look.

paul Nixon · Joined: 08 Jan 2007 Posts: 22 Location: India

Thanks David; you're probably right.
_________________
Remembering the men and women of Chailey, Sussex, England

www.chailey1914-1918.net

Barrie Duncan · Joined: 16 Dec 2006 Posts: 29 Location: Hamilton

When I get back to work next week I'll have a look through the regimental journal for the early 20s - there was a special edition published which dealt with the Regiments war memorials, it may make some mention of any memorials that have since been 'lost'.

Perhaps it may be worth a shot enquiring with Glasgow City Councils museums services in the off chance that they have any old memorials in their stores - I know both North and South Lanarkshire Councils have a couple of war memorials from buildings/churches/works etc that no longer exist, I would be very surprised if Glasgow City Council didn't have a few tucked away somewhere.

Barrie

David McNay · Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 8:22 am Post subject:

I enquired a while back if there was anything that could be viewed at hte Glasgow Museums Resource Centre (I think that's the name). You can apparently do a tour tailored to your specific interest. They told me that they had almost nothing of interest for the First World War.

There may, of course, be memorials stored elsewhere but I would have thought they would be there as that's the main storage area for Glasgow Museums.

David McNay · Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 11:31 pm Post subject:

No Robert Mearns Hobbs in the Glasgow City Roll of Honour I'm afraid.

Barrie Duncan · Joined: 16 Dec 2006 Posts: 29 Location: Hamilton

Paul,

No info on the plaque as yet I'm afraid. There is a nominal roll of all the men who landed with the 5th Bn on 5/11/1914 at the back of the battalion history, in which Hobbs is listed as being part of Number 3 company (they appear to have still been using the 8 company system in 1914). There is a cross next to his name to indicate he had died during the war, although he is absent from the Roll of Honour in the same book - presumably because he was transferred to the 1st Bn (the book used SDGW as the source for their Roll of Honour).

Barrie