The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

Adam Brown · Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2007 12:04 am Post subject:

Here are the Naval and air Force memorials

The Naval memorial lists battles but also lists ship versus ship enagements. The first one listed in HMS Carmania vs. SMS Cap Trafalgar. This was an engement in 1914 between two ex-liner Auxilliary Cruisers in the South Atlantic.
In a strange twist of fate the Cap Trafalgar had earlier disguised herself as the Carmania, the ship which would eventually sink her. Also although the Cap Trafalgar was a German ship she had a Nelson theme to try to attract the British - Argentinian liner trade.

Note how early this photo the next photgraph was taken as the memorial to the Scots in the service of other countries throughout the Empire has not been completed.

And the Mercantile Marine / Merchant Navy. The contribution these men and women made is too often overlooked. They were our lifeline in both World Wars.
They not only had to fight the enemy but also the sea, and unlike the Royal Navy their pay stopped as soon as a ship was sunk. In my humble opinion it's a disgrace there isn't a memorial next to the Clyde to the Scots who served in the Merchant Navy 1914-1918 & 1939-1945

Adam

Adam Brown · Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2007 12:12 am Post subject:

Now some unit memorials.

The Yeomanry one is amazing when you see up close. All the weapons are life size and are painted to look like the real thing.

There are a few Corps commemorated on this photo. For the Royal Engineers see the photo of the Yeomanry memorial above

Here's as good a place as as any for Haig's memorial

Adam Brown · Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2007 12:15 am Post subject:

And last but not least the Scottish Infantry Regiments

Adam

spoons · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 7:22 pm Post subject:

This photo is from the book "We will remember - historical record of the British Legion Scotland" published in 1959.

Photograph by courtesy of "Scottish Pictorial Press, Edinburgh". "For the Fallen. The 1936 Parade at the National Shrine in Edinburgh Castle, with the Royal Navy Standard-Bearer in full dress. The Legion Standard-Bearer (left) is Captain J Robb, MM"

Adam Brown · Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 9:40 am Post subject:

I missed this BBC article when it was first published over three months ago.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7991737.stm

Spring clean for city archangel

Conservators have spent a week brushing and vacuum cleaning the Archangel Michael, which hangs at Edinburgh Castle

The figure of the Archangel Michael, which hangs in the shrine of the Scottish National War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle, has been cleaned.

Conservators have spent a week cleaning the ornate figure of St Michael ahead of Easter weekend.

The timber carving, which symbolises hope for mankind's eventual triumph over the evil of war, is suspended from a vaulted ceiling.

It is 30ft above the casket holding the Scottish War Dead Roll of Honour.

Members of the castle's monument conservation unit used hand-held vacuum cleaners, soft brushes and cloths to remove several years' build-up of dust and cobwebs from the archangel.

David Storrar, Historic Scotland regional architect, said the figure of St Michael was magnificent.

He said: "When visitors first go inside and see him soaring above the shrine casket, you can see it sometimes just about takes their breath away.

“From a care and maintenance point of view the figure is quite a challenge, as we need to put up special scaffolding to reach him.

"But it's quite a privilege to be able to get a close-up view of such a wonderful piece of craftsmanship."

The carving, in which the armoured archangel is seen brandishing a sword, is made of Scottish oak and was created by the Clow brothers from a design by Alice Meredith Williams.

The figure itself is 11ft tall and the entire carving, which also features a large medallion engraved with a cross, is 17ft tall.

The Scottish War National Memorial is cared for on behalf of the nation by a charity administered by a board of trustees.

Col Ian Shepherd, secretary of the trustees, said: "The figure of the Archangel Michael is a tremendously important feature of the memorial.

"He personifies the soldier fighting in a just cause, but he does not stand for temporal victories, he is an expression of hope that mankind will one day triumph over war itself."

Mike Morley · Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2017 2:22 pm Post subject:

There's an interesting article in "History Scotland" November/December 2017 issue on the work of Morris and Alice Meredith Williams, two of the artists who worked on the SNWM.