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Blackburn, West Lothian

 
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Adam Brown
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Joined: 14 Dec 2006
Posts: 7312
Location: Edinburgh (From Sutherland)

PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 8:02 pm    Post subject: Blackburn, West Lothian Reply with quote

Blackburn War Memorial
Location: To follow
OS Ref: To follow

A modern memorial (and not to everyones taste I'm sure) using marble plaques that have obviously been moved from a redundant church or hall.

Note how the post war names include those lost in training accidents









Adam
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David McNay
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Joined: 14 Dec 2006
Posts: 11425
Location: Lanarkshire, Scotland

PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'd love to know what was going through the sculptors mind when he came up with that.....thing.
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jamiemcginlay



Joined: 20 Dec 2006
Posts: 930
Location: Glasgow

PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 5:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry, I thought it looks great David! Rolling Eyes
I take it its a downturned broadsword driven down into the ground. I'd be interested to know more about it.
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dhubthaigh
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Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Posts: 5071
Location: Blairgowrie, Perthshire

PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 5:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It is certainly unique, but I don't actually mind it.

Look at this link, the 'new' memorial has certainly been located elsewhere previously;
http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/towns/townfirst260.html
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Adam Brown
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Location: Edinburgh (From Sutherland)

PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 6:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's now located in front of sheltered housing rather than being in a park .

Adam
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DerekR
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Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Posts: 3013
Location: Hawick, Scotland

PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 6:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The memorial broadsword looks out of place standing in front of housing.
It looked better in its old open park setting.



At first I didn't like it but I must say that it is growing on me. I think that it's the scale of the sword thats throwing me - it needs to be bigger.

As for the memorial slabs, I don't know how long they are going to last being nearly horizontal in the Scottish climate.
_________________

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



Joined: 20 Dec 2006
Posts: 930
Location: Glasgow

PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 8:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I managed to find some stuff on the sculptor, David F. Wilson. For anyone who lives out Blackburn way he was responsible for the Livingstone Roundabouts.
His website is at:
http://www.dfwilson.co.uk/index.htm
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Adam Brown
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Joined: 14 Dec 2006
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Location: Edinburgh (From Sutherland)

PostPosted: Thu Jun 21, 2007 1:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here are three Post-1945 fatalities listed on Blackburn's memorial.
The details are from the AFM database


BONNES, James
Rank Pte
Service Number 23980256
Regiment/Corps Royal Scots
Place of Birth/Home Town Blackridge, West Lothian
Date of Birth 4 January 1940
Age 24
Date of Death 31 October 1964
Cemetery Name MA'ALA, Aden
Grave N: 12

Because Private Bonnes died in Aden during the troubles there he is listed
in the SNWM database as well.

WOODS, Thomas
Rank Pte
Service Number 24288254
Regiment/Corps 3rd Bn The Parachute Regiment
Place of Birth/Home Town Fauldhouse, West Lothian
Date of Birth 15 May 1950
Age 27
Date of Death 21 November 1977

MINTO,David Wilson
Rank LCpl
Service Number 24141219
Regiment/Corps Scots Guards
Place of Birth/Home Town Edinburgh
Date of Birth 11 March 1948
Age 29
Date of Death 3 February 1978
Cemetery Name Warriston Crematorium, Edinburgh

Adam
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Rockford



Joined: 21 Jun 2008
Posts: 7
Location: Lanarkshire

PostPosted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 7:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi everyone,

I've just come across this site and am impressed by the quantity and quality of the photos and information available.

Regarding the Blackburn War Memorial - its new position is deceptive, as it has only moved about twenty feet from where it was in the photo posted by DerekR. The memorial was resited when the original nursing home was demolished and replaced with the sheltered housing that now stands on the site.

I'm from Blackburn and have a book about the village that was recently published. It states that the WW1 granite plaque was fixed to the wall of the Baillie Institute in 1925, as the money collected wasn't enough to pay for a more substantial memorial owing to the village's economic circumstances. The book suggests that the second plaque may also have been at the Baillie Institute, although this isn;t confirmed.

According to the book, the memorial itself was designed in the 1990s by Bill Millan, depute head teacher (also an art teacher) of a local primary school and the inspiration for this was a battlefield burial - "a rifle with fixed bayonet thrust into the ground above a makeshift grave".

As the Baillie Institute was (I think) demolished around the same time, the granite plaques were incorporated into the base.

DF Wilson only designed the new space, not the memorial itself.

I hope this answers some of the questions asked, but if there's anything else I can help with regarding the memorial, let me know!

Best wishes

Rockford
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spoons



Joined: 09 Jan 2007
Posts: 4991
Location: St John's Town of Dalry

PostPosted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 8:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Welcome to the forum and thanks for the info on the memorial.

\Paul
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dhubthaigh
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Joined: 19 Dec 2006
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Location: Blairgowrie, Perthshire

PostPosted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 9:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rockford,

Very interesting information, thanks for that.
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