The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

Adam Brown · Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 10:53 pm Post subject: CRIEFF

Some pretty poor photos taken in winter light. If anyone else has better photos please feel free to post them.
Map Information Location:
Grid ref: NN861217 Web Address: www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=56.3741&lon=-3.8442&scale=10000&icon=x

Adam

dhubthaigh · Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 10:56 am Post subject:

Unveiled by Major-General Bannantine Allison, Commander 51st Division -November 20th 1921.

Architect - Peter MacGregor Chalmers, Builders - Peter Crerar, Crieff.

Listed category B by Historic Scotland - 20th February 2002.

dhubthaigh · Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 1:23 pm Post subject:

Name: EWING, JAMES
Initials: J
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Captain
Regiment/Service: Royal Army Medical Corps
Secondary Regiment: Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Secondary Unit Text: attd. 8th Bn.
Age: 24
Date of Death: 12/04/1917
Additional information: Son of Duncan Ewing, of The Laggan, Crieff, Perthshire. M.B.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 42.
Memorial: BASRA MEMORIAL

http://www.archives.gla.ac.uk/honour/biog.php?bid=2120

dhubthaigh · Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 12:48 pm Post subject:

Korean casualty;
Surname BLAIR
Firstname D D
Service number 22474679
Date of death 19/11/1952
Decoration
Place of birth Southampton
Other
SNWM roll THE BLACK WATCH (ROYAL HIGHLAND REGIMENT)
Rank L/Cpl
Theatre of death Korea

Grave;
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/bkvaroh/ROH/FilesP/0395.htm

dhubthaigh · Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 12:52 pm Post subject:

Malayan casualties;
Surname MacMILLAN
Firstname D
Service number 1439050
Date of death 25/01/1951
Decoration
Place of birth Crieff
Other
SNWM roll SCOTS GUARDS
Rank Sgt
Theatre of death Malaya

Buried or Commemorated: Buried in the Cheras Road Christian Cemetery Kuala Lumpur
Row No: 18
Grave No: 1008

Surname WRIGHT
Firstname T
Service number 7013336
Date of death 04/01/1951
Decoration
Place of birth Glasgow
Other Royal Ulster Rifles.
SNWM roll SCOTSMEN IN VARIOUS CORPS AND UNITS
Rank Rfn
Theatre of death Korea
Memorial has shows Wright in the Gordon Highlanders.

Buried or Commemorated: Remains Cremated or Repatriated

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

dhubthaigh · Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 6:12 pm Post subject:

Just for everyone's info. Whilst looking through the Perth & Council Archives I noticed an entry entitled Crieff WW1 Roll of Honour.
I have now seen this and it is an excellent piece of history. Basically, it takes the form of a ledger and inside there are all the original form returns from those relatives and friends who wanted someone connected with the area on the memorial. Its a fantastic reference guide, and one I have not seen before.
I have persuaded the archivist to photocopy all forms for me - don't ask!
I will say though that one person I could not identify on the memorial, even viewing the application form, remains a mystery - more on this later.

DerekR · Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 9:28 pm Post subject:

A pair of brothers listed on the memorial:

Pte Archibald McDonald, no.S/22560, 6th Seaforths kia 24/3/18.
Son of Norman and Margaret McDonald of Orwell Cottage, Academy Road, Crieff.
Commemorated on the Arras Memorial. SDGW has Archibald as having been born at Rannoch and enlisting in Perth.

http://www.cwgc.org/search/certificate.aspx?casualty=1621619

Pte.John McDonald, no.1700, 1st Bn Black Watch kia 6/11/1914, commemorated on the Menin Gate. There are no next of kin listed on the CWGC site for him. SDGW state that John was born in Inverness.

John's death is recorded in the Battalion diary:

And his name on the Memorial to the Missing at the Menin Gate:

http://www.cwgc.org/search/certificate.aspx?casualty=1621619
_________________

Time but th' impression stronger makes, As streams their channels deeper wear.

DerekR · Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 9:55 pm Post subject:

_________________

Time but th' impression stronger makes, As streams their channels deeper wear.

dhubthaigh · Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 10:34 pm Post subject:

THE STRATHEARN HERALD: 14.11.1914
CRIEFF SOLDIER KILLED

Another Crieff soldier has fallen at the front in the person of Private John McDonald, of the 1st Black Watch, who was killed in action on the 6th inst., in France. Private McDonald, who was about 23 years of age, and joined the Black Watch a few years ago, was a son of Mr Norman McDonald, shepherd, residing at Orwell Cottage, Academy Road, Crieff.
One of decesed's comrades, writing to Private McDonald's mother from near London, on the 9th inst., tells that he had a letter from the deceased, dated 30th October. "But we have heard of him since then, as a great friend of his and ours, is home wounded in the leg. He left Ypres about last Tuesday (3rd inst.), and John (the deceased) was well then, and is now servant to the new colonel who succeeded Colonel Grant-Duff (who was recently killed in action)".
A letter has also been received by the father of Private McDonald, from a sergeant of the Black Watch at the front, who says :- "I am sending to your care the belongings of No. 1700, Private J. McDonald, D Coy., Black Watch, who, I much regret, was killed in action, 6th November. I have also in my care the exact position of his grave".

I believe that there is a touching letter regarding the death of John McDonald, which I have yet to transcribe.

McDONALD, JOHN
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)
Unit Text: 1st Bn.
Date of Death: 06/11/1914
Service No: 1700
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 37.
Memorial: YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL

dhubthaigh · Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 10:41 pm Post subject:

Name: GRANT-DUFF, ADRIAN
Initials: A
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
Regiment/Service: Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)
Unit Text: Cdg. 1st Bn.
Age: 44
Date of Death: 14/09/1914
Awards: C B
Additional information: Son of the Rt. Hon. Sir Mountstuart E. Grant Duff, P.C., G.C.S.I., and Anna Julia Lady Grant Duff, C.I.E.; husband of Ursula Grant Duff, of 16, Mulberry Walk, Chelsea, London. Designer of the "War Book.".
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 1.
Cemetery: MOULINS NEW COMMUNAL CEMETERY

Ignorance here - can anyone enlighten me as to the "War Book" ?

apanderson · Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 11:21 pm Post subject:

Long link...

Sorry about the huge long link - I don't know how to shorten them!! (And that's after David, Adam and Paul all telling me how to do it)

Mod edit: fixed it for you Anne.

If the above doesn't work, try googling "War Book", Adrian Grant-Duff and click the "Google Book" site - or any of the dozens of hits that come up. I'd never heard of it either Mark - amazing what googling can do!!

Anne

David McNay · Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 11:28 pm Post subject:

Lyn Macdonald has a section on the "War Book" in her book 1914.

Basically, the War Book was a large book, almost encyclopaedia-like, detailing how everything would work if war was declared. It detailed how reservists would be notified, shipping arrangements, billeting arrangements, etc etc. Everything that had to be thought of was detailed in the book.

To give you an idea of how thorough it was, the section on railways, amounted to eighty-seven pages of print, plus eighty-twp pages of typewritten additions and amendments.

dhubthaigh · Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 7:39 am Post subject:

Great stuff, thank you.

DerekR · Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 9:09 am Post subject:

The death plaques to the McDonald brothers, they are so polished that the names are hardly legible but proof, if proof was needed, that someone cared for the memory of the 2 brothers long after their deaths.

_________________

Time but th' impression stronger makes, As streams their channels deeper wear.