The Scottish War Memorials Project

jamiemcginlay · Joined: 20 Dec 2006 Posts: 897 Location: Glasgow

Troon - Kyle & Carrick District

The Troon war memorial is a tall and tapering grey granite pedestal 13' high with a vitruvian scrolled band below the memorial panels and is surmounted by a 10'6" high bronze allegorical figure of Britannia by the sculptor Walter Gilbert of Birmingham. The monument stands on a raised paved area which is backed with a low grey granite wall terminated by low pylons and incorporating a bench for seating. The names of the dead of WWI are listed on bronze tablets on the sides of the pedestal. The names of the dead of WWII are on a bronze tablet which has been set into the face of the bench behind which echos many of the details of the pedestal. It stands on the foreshore esplanade next to the Walker Hall and car park.
OS Ref No. NS321307 , UKNIWM Ref No. 2004

The inscription on the face of the pedestal reads:
THIS STATUE WAS PLACED TO COMMEMORATE
THE MEN OF TROON WHO SEEKING THE
WELFARE OF THEIR COUNTRY GAVE THEIR
LIVES IN SO DOING AND ARE NOW RESTING
IN AND BEYOND THE SEAS

LIFT UP YOUR HEARTS
1914 - 1918

The memorial was unveiled on Sunday 30th November 1924 by Brigadier-General Walker assisted by a Mrs. D. Moore. In his speech (as reported in ther Ayrshire Post, December 5th 1924) Walker spoke of Troon's contribution to the war stating that in 1914 the population of the town was 6,628 and fully 1,000 men joined the ranks, 618 volunteering at the outbreak of war and 177 'making the supreme sacrifice while 212 were wounded.' He also noted the presence at the ceremony of the 17th H.L.I. which was so closely associated with the town, and the fact that Troon had donated £1,390 to the Erskine Hospital for a Troon Bed and was home to a Red Cross Hospital throughout the war years.

The Glasgow Herald also gave a description of the sculpture describing it as 'Britannia erect and majestic with the Victory in her hand, and the chains of bondage snapped, holds out the palm to those of her sons who lie buried beyond the seas. Britain stands on an island girt by sea, as represented by the archaic treatment above the plinth.'
And in the programme it states 'In preparing this scheme, it has been the desire of the sculptor to bring consolation to the bereaved, and an inspiration and an example to generations of the future.'

WWI ROLL OF HONOUR:
Agnew David
Barnes Robert
Boyd G.V.M.
Brand Geoffrey J.
Briggs William
Brinkworth C.F.
Calderwood Gavin
Caldwell Alexander
Caldwell John
Cameron John W.
Campbell David
Campbell George
Campbell James
Campbell John
Campbell Robert
Campbell Robert F.
Carrick John
Clearie Hamilton
Connell John L.
Copeland James
Cowan William
Craig Thomas F.
Cross Arthur
Cruddas Hugh W.
Cruddas Norman
Crudas Seymour
Cunningham Andrew
Currie Richard D.
Currie Robert
Cuthbert Gilbert
Dale Robert
Daniel James
Daniel Peter
Daniel Thomas
Devine John R.
Dewar James
Dewar Robert
Dick Andrew
Dick John
Donachey Andrew
Drummond Thomas L.
Dunlop Harry A.
Ewen Edgar H.
Fairley James
Fernie George
Fernie George
Gardiner John
Gordon John
Guthrie Robert Y.
Hamilton Alexander E.
Hamilton Andrew
Hamilton William
Hastings Robert
Henry William
Howie Robert
Howie Thomas
Hutton Robert
Hutton Robert
Hutton Robert
Hutton Robert
Hydes Andrew
Hynds Robert
Irvine Charles
Jackson Donald F.
Kennedy John M.
Kerr Andrew
Kerr John R.
Kirkpatrick Robert
Laing Robert C.C.
Laing Thomas C.
Laing William
Ligate John
Lindsay Andrew
Lindsay Joseph G.
Magee Hans
Magee William
Manning John D.
Martin John A.
Martin Thomas
Meikle Robert
Melville Adam L.
Melville John
Miller William
Moffat William MacGregor
Moir Thomas
Moore Tom
Morrison William
Morton George
Murchie Robert
Murphy Thomas
Murray Donald
Murray James
McAughtrie Peter
McAughtrie Thomas
McCaig John
McCormack James
McCourtney Samuel
McCririck George
McCrone David
McCrone John
McDonald William S.
McDougall John
McFarlane David
McGregor Alan
McJannet Hector
McKane Robert
McKean Robert
McLean John
McMurchie John
McMurray George
McNair John
McNeillage John
McQueen George
McTaggart Alexander
Nelson Robert
Paterson John
Paterson John
Paton James
Quail John
Redding David O.
Ritchie Robert
Robertson James
Rodger Hugh
Ross Alexander
Roxburgh John W.
Sayer Ernest J.
Shaw Charles
Shaw John
Shaw Robert H.
Shields Patrick
Sleater William
Smith David
Smith James O.
Sproat William
Steele John
Steele Peter
Stevenson William
Storrar Andrew
Strachan James
Symington Percy G.
Tait John
Tait Robert
Taylor John
Thom David
Thomson David
Thomson William
Torrance James
Tully John B.
Tully William
Walker Robert
Wallace Robert
Wallace William
Warren James
Watson David H.
Watson Hugh
Watson James F.
Watson Laurence S.
Whyte James D.
Wilson James
Wilson Thomas

WWII ROLL OF HONOUR:
Allan Francis J.D.
Armstrong George
Auld William
Bishop Fred W.
Breckenridge William
Brinkworth William
Brown Alan L.
Brown Alexander R.S.
Brown Hugh McC.
Brown William
Caldwell Harry
Clark Thomas
Clearie Hugh
Cook Christian S.
Davies David T.
Douneghey Hugh
French Kenneth H.
Galloway James W.
Graham James G.
Grier George C.
Henderson Neil G.
Hendry Daniel
Howard James C.
Howie William
Hunter John
Hunter John L.
Hunter Robert
Hunter Thomas C.
Jamieson Robert D.
Kelly John H.
Kennedy John
Kennedy William C.
Kerr John W.
Lawrie John D.S.O. D.S.C.
Lynch Thomas
MacAllan Gabriel B.
Melville William L.
Millar John
Millar John A.S.
Millar William
Morgan Walter J.
Morrison James
Muir Laurence
Murchie James
Murdoch James C.
McCormack James
McCormack John M.
McCulloch Duncan McM.
McKellar Duncan
McLaughlin James
McNeillage John
McNeillage Reuben
Noble John
O'Sullivan Patrick
Ramsay Adam
Samson Robert
Stevenson William
Strachan William C.
Taylor Walker
Thompson Frank
Turner James W.
Turner Neil D.T.
Urquhart David C.
Wallace John A.
White James
Wilson James F.
Wilson Robert S.
Work Ian

anne park · Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2007 7:02 pm Post subject: Ewen Edgar H

This man's details are on the Aberdeenshire Memorials : Methlick : there is info and a photo. Anne

clarkc_bpo · Joined: 19 Apr 2007 Posts: 28

Hi all,

To add a bit of colour, albeit a sombre grey tone befitting such a forum, I thought I'd give you background on one of the men listed here.

Walter J Morgan appears on the WWII section of the Troon war memorial.
He was an Royal Navy rate -acting able-seaman - aboard the defensively-armed merchantman (DAM) SS Empire Hawksbill when it was torpedoed north of the Azores by U564 under the command of the famous Rienhard 'Teddy' Suhren at 2.30am on the 19th July 1942. He was listed as missing, presumed dead. All hands were lost.

An interesting aside is that when the U-boat pens and bunkers at Brest were liberated, found hidden among the submariner’s bunks were 361 pictures taken during an active U-boat patrol. An unknown British soldier stuffed them into his pack, and simply took them home.

Around fifty years later, the pictures were found in an attic in a house in England by a man named Lawrence Paterson. His research on the origin of the photographs indicated that they were made by Propaganda Kompanie Maat Haring for Nazi propaganda purposes. He published a book that contained the photos, and told the story of that U-boat patrol.

The book was called U-Boat War Patrol - The Hidden Photographic Diary of U564. The ace commander was indeed Reinhard ‘Teddy’ Suhren, in command of U564, and those photos were taken during a fateful ten week patrol - the patrol that ended the life of a young man from Troon way back in the summer of 1942.

He was my wife's gt-uncle.

regards
Clark

spoons · Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 7:59 pm Post subject:

The statue contains many items of symbolism so I make no apology for posting multiple pics of the detail. UKNIWM states that this is the same design as Crewe 2232 but I don't see how that can be exactly the same, isn't that St Andrew in the fifth pic?

The third panel (at the back with a flower) is difficult to read due to the lighting so let me know if you want a high res copy. These seem to be a separate list of names, also in alphabetical order. I haven't checked if these are officers, late additions, civilians or what.

spoons · Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 8:35 pm Post subject:

You could almost consider the WW1 memorials, and the WW2 memorial behind as two separate memorials, but as UKNIWM lists it as one, I will keep it that way.

While I was photographing the memorial, a 'young' lady came up and had a chat, she said she knew Reuben McNeillage (listed on the memorial). I think she said she was at school with him.

Name: McNEILLAGE, REUBEN
Initials: R
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Fireman
Regiment/Service: Merchant Navy
Unit Text: S.S. Empire Heritage (Cardiff)
Age: 20
Date of Death: 08/09/1944
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 42.
Memorial: TOWER HILL MEMORIAL

spoons · Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 8:41 pm Post subject:

Updated info and photos sent to UKNIWM 2nd Mar 2008

\Paul

Ghostwhisperer · Joined: 01 Oct 2008 Posts: 76 Location: Ross-Shire

Name: McAUGHTRIE
Initials: P
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
Unit Text: 2nd Bn.
Age: 23
Date of Death: 20/08/1916
Service No: S/14751
Additional information: Son of James and Helen McAughtrie, of Dundonald, Ayrshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: B. 30. 31.
Cemetery: ST. SEVER CEMETERY, ROUEN

geoffarcher · Joined: 29 Jan 2009 Posts: 6

Just to add a brief note to Spoons' earlier comments. The same basic figure was used by Gilbert at Crewe and Morley near Leeds, but he is quite right to say that these monuments are not identical. Not only are some of the details different but the attributes they hold differ: at Crewe she holds a palm leaf in her raised right hand & a trident in her left, at Morley a trident in her right hand & a small Nike - or winged Victory - in her left, & of course at Troon, the palm leaf & another, different, Nike.

Large bronzes would be cast in a number of pieces which enabled sculptors to vary details if they wished. Incidentally, the inscription at all 3 sites is identical (except for the substitution of the town name) which suggests that this was provided by the sculptor - which is surprising.
_________________
Geoff Archer