The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

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

Killearnan & Fettes - Ross & Cromarty, Fortrose Area
Location: Beside A832 at Tore Art Gallery in former church at Newton
Google Maps Street View

The Killearnan & Fettes war memorial is a tall grey granite cenotaph built on raised ground within a walled enclosure. The commemoration and names of the dead are listed on tablets set into the face.
The monument stands on the Kilcoy road junction in front of the kirk, west of the Tore roundabout.
I'm not sure if this is the 'Killearnan (Fettes)' war memorial listed in the Royal British Legion Scotland Directory?

WWI ROLL OF HONOUR:
CAMPBELL JAMES C. KING'S LIVERPOOL PRIVATE 13TH KING'S LIVERPOOL
CAMPBELL JOHN SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS PRIVATE 2ND SEAFORTHS
CHAPMAN HORACE J. CAMERON HIGHLANDERS PRIVATE 2ND CAMERONS
FRASER DUNCAN GORDON HIGHLANDERS PRIVATE 7TH GORDONS
FRASER FARQUHAR SCOTS GUARDS PRIVATE 2ND SCOTS GUARDS
FRASER KENNETH CAMERON HIGHLANDERS SERGEANT 2ND CAMERONS
MACDONALD CHARLES S. CANADIANS CORPORAL 13TH CANADIAN HIGHLANDERS
MACDONALD DUNCAN MACHINE GUN CORPS CORPORAL
MACDONALD JOHN ROYAL SCOTS PRIVATE 12TH ROYAL SCOTS
MACKAY WILLIAM CAMERON HIGHLANDERS PRIVATE 4TH CAMERONS
MACKENZIE JOHN UNITED STATES PRIVATE 4TH U.S. INFANTRY
MACKENZIE JOHN P. GORDON HIGHLANDERS PRIVATE 7TH GORDONS
MACKENZIE WILLIAM SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS PRIVATE 5TH SEAFORTHS
MACKENZIE WILLIAM MACHINE GUN CORPS PRIVATE
MACKINTOSH DUNCAN SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS LANCE CORPORAL 6TH SEAFORTHS
MACLEAN DUNCAN NEW ZEALANDERS SECOND LIEUTENANT OTAGO INFANTRY
MACLENNAN RODERICK CAMERON HIGHLANDERS PRIVATE 4TH CAMERONS
MACLEOD CHARLES SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS PRIVATE 2ND SEAFORTHS
MACRAE CHARLES A. SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS LANCE CORPORAL 4TH SEAFORTHS
MACRAE MURDO ROYAL SCOTS PRIVATE 2ND ROYAL SCOTS
NOBLE ALEXANDER CAMERON HIGHLANDERS LANCE CORPORAL 1ST CAMERONS
NOBLE JAMES SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS PRIVATE 4TH SEAFORTHS
NOBLE KENNETH CAMERON HIGHLANDERS CORPORAL 5TH CAMERONS
NOBLE RODERICK HIGHLAND LIGHT INFANTRY LANCE CORPORAL 15TH H.L.I.

WWII ROLL OF HONOUR:
CAMPBELL FINLAY CAMERON HIGHLANDERS PRIVATE 5TH SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
ELDER CHARLES SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS COMPANY SERGEANT MAJOR 2ND. CAMERON HIGHLANDERS
GRANT IAN PATRICK CAMERON HIGHLANDERS LIEUTENANT COLONEL 5TH CAMERON HIGHLANDERS
MACMENEMY M.G. LOVAT SCOUTS SERGEANT MOTOR TORPEDO BOATS SECTION ROYAL NAVY
MATHESON DONALD ROYAL NAVY PETTY OFFICER ROYAL NAVAL VOLUNTEER RESERVE
RIGGS JAMES GREGOR ROYAL NAVY SUB LIEUTENANT

Adam Brown · Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 1:50 pm Post subject:

Jim

Looking at an OS map and using your location details I would say this is the Killearnan & Fettes War Memorial at NH 583 505 rather than Killen.

Killearnan / Fettes is west of Tore and Killen is nearer Avoch.

Regrads

Adam

Adam Brown · Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 12:01 pm Post subject:

Sub Lt James Gregor Riggs was one of the men lost on Operation Rimau in 1944.

CWGC & SNWM details, there is a discrepancy in the date of death:

Surname RIGGS
Firstname James Grigor Mackintosh
Service number
Date of death 01/11/1944
Decoration
Place of birth
Other
SNWM roll ROYAL NAVY AND ROYAL MARINES
Rank Ty Sub Lieut
Theatre of death R.N.V.R. H.M.S. PRESIDENT

Name: RIGGS, JAMES GREGOR MACKINTOSH
Initials: J G M
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Sub-Lieutenant
Regiment/Service: Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: H.M.S. President.
Secondary Unit Text: attd "Z" Special Unit
Age: 21
Date of Death: 05/11/1944
Additional information: Son of James and Elizabeth Riggs, of Killearnan, Ros and Cromarty.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 32. E. 4.
Cemetery: KRANJI WAR CEMETERY

This operation has appeared in an Australian Film (The Highest Honour) & TV programme (Heroes II).

The operation was led by Lt Col Ivan Lyon of the Gordon Highanders.
A book has been written about the operation called Kill The Tiger and is reported in today's Sunday Mail.

I also found this on the internet today here:

http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/about_us/history/world_war2/v08n10_history.html

"In 1994, after a long search, the bodies of two members of the Rimau Operation killed on Merapas Island were found. They were 21-year old SGT C. Cameron of the Australian Imperial Force and 21-year old Sub-LT G. Riggs of the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve. These two young men bravely held off a small Japanese force that had landed on Merapas Island on 4 Nov 44. Their bravery allowed the other Rimau members to escape by boat. Almost 50 years after the incident, their remains were brought to Singapore. They were buried with full military honours at the Kranji War Memorial on 27 Aug 94. Present at the ceremony were relatives of the two men."

The website above shows a memorial to Operation Rimau in Kranji Cemetery

Sgt Colin Barclay Cameron mentioned above is sometimes listed as Scottish but was born in Australia.

Apart from Riggs there was another Scot on the mission. Walter Falls from Aberdeen

Surname FALLS
Firstname Walter Gordon
Service number S6543
Date of death 07/07/1945
Decoration
Place of birth Old Aberdeen Scotland
Other
SNWM roll SCOTSMEN WHO SERVED IN THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY
Rank A/Able Smn R.A.N.R.
Theatre of death Singapore.

Name: FALLS, WALTER GORDON
Initials: W G
Nationality: Australian
Rank: Able Seaman
Regiment/Service: Royal Australian Naval Reserve
Secondary Unit Text: attd. 'Z' Special Unit.
Age: 25
Date of Death: 07/07/1945
Service No: S6543
Awards: D S M
Additional information: Son of Walter E. Falls and Annie Falls; husband of Joan Alice Falls, of Casino, New South Wales, Australia.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 28. A. 1-10.
Cemetery: KRANJI WAR CEMETERY

Here are Lyon's details. I've included him here because of The Gordon's connection.

Surname LYON
Firstname Ivan
Service number 66175
Date of death 16/10/1944
Decoration D.S.O., M.B.E.
Place of birth Kent
Other
SNWM roll THE GORDON HIGHLANDERS and THE LONDON SCOTTISH
Rank Lt.-Col
Theatre of death Far East.

Name: LYON, IVAN
Initials: I
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
Regiment/Service: Gordon Highlanders
Secondary Unit Text: Attd. 'Z' Special Unit
Age: 29
Date of Death: 16/10/1944
Service No: 66175
Awards: D S O, M B E
Additional information: Son of Brigadier General Francis Lyon, C.B., C.M.G., C.V.O., D.S.O., and Winifred Jane Lyon; husband of Gabrielle Lyon, of Farnham, Surrey.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 27. A. 14.
Cemetery: KRANJI WAR CEMETERY

Donald Davidson is also credited with being Scots but he is not on the SNWM database and his CWGC entry doesn't give any clues

Name: DAVIDSON, DONALD MONTAGUE NOEL
Initials: D M N
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Lieut-Commander
Regiment/Service: Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: H.M.A.S. Moreton.
Secondary Unit Text: attd. 'Z' Special Unit
Age: 35
Date of Death: 18/10/1944
Awards: D S O
Additional information: Son of Gerald Markby Davidson and Florence Mabel Davidson; husband of Nancy Everilda Delacherois Davidson, of Chelsea, London.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Sp. Mem. 23. D. 20.
Cemetery: KRANJI WAR CEMETERY

Regards

Adam

john hendry · Joined: 01 Jul 2007 Posts: 77

I say it is Killearnan, tho the only evidence is my record shows I counted 24 and 6 names, and there are the same numbers on the list.

Adam Brown · Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 8:36 pm Post subject:

Sub Lt James Gregor Riggs is also commemorated on his parents' grave in Tomnahurich Cemetery in Inverness.

http://scottishwargraves.phpbbweb.com/viewtopic.php?t=738

Adam

Adam Brown · Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 10:26 pm Post subject:

A photograph of Lyon's grave and a memorial to him has now been posted

http://warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/viewtopic.php?t=5579

Thanks

Adam

stuartn · Joined: 13 Dec 2016 Posts: 2551

WMR 75902