The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

Keptie

The Press & Journal of 3 July 2008 covered a story by the concregation of Glass Church (near Huntly) as the Church of Scotland head office in Edinburgh had decided to sell the St Andrews Church of Scotland , Glass for alternative use viz dwellinghouse . The P & J newspaper highlighted that the church had a Brass War Memorial Plaque within the Church erected by Sir Ewan Cameron KCMG & Lady Cameron in memory of their son :

Capt William Henry Veitch CAMERON , 1st Bn Highland Light Infantry who was a casualty of the Great War on 20 December 1914 .

The P & J newspaper also highlighted that the Great War Casualty was a Great great uncle of Rt Hon David Cameron ,MP ( Tory Leader. )

A friend of mine , Fraser Mitchell in Strichen sent me the Press & Journal re this proposed church sale and I contacted a friend of mine Allan Henry , Councillor in Aberdeenshire who put me in contact with a councillor in Huntly . I notified the Inventory of War Memorials in London and the War Memorials trust . They got assurances from the Church that the memorial will be cared for and not thrown out on the changeover from Church to Dwellinghouse . I have not heard further from the "friends of Glass church " who wanted to buy the church as a "going concern" as they had ministers to take services etc . I have not heard further on what has happened to the church since the sale and the Cameron War Memorial within the building

The Press & Journal newspaper of 3 July 2008 page 13 showed the memorial Brass plaque which reads :

" To the Glory of God and In Loving and Honoured Memory of William Henry Veitch CAMERON, Captain 1st battalion , The Highland Light Infantry . Second and Beloved son of Sir Ewan Cameron KCMG and Lady Cameron . Killed in Action near Festubert December 20th 1914 aged 31 . Faithful until Death ."

I sent my paper work to the Inventory of War Memorials for their archive . I also sent a copy to Rt Hon David Cameron MP together with a copy of the Officers died in the Great War casualty report on his Great Great Uncle . David Cameron replied personally to my letter and said that his father and brother would also be given copies of my letter and contents . Seems the Church was sold by the Church of Scotland head offices in Edinburgh .

Maybe some in that Huntly area has an update on this Memorial Plaque and has a copy of the P & J newspaper

.

patrick W Anderson

kinnethmont · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1649 Location: Aberdeenshire

Patrick

You contributed to posts on this same subject and Glass Kirk
http://warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/viewtopic.php?t=669

As far as I know, things are still unresolved.
_________________
Jim

If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

www.kinnethmont.co.uk

Keptie · Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 9:01 pm Post subject: Glass & Capt Cameron , HLI

Thanks for that and hopefully "they " have kept their promise to the Inventory of War Memorials & the War Memorials Trust and others that they will not throw out the brass Memorial Plaques

patrick W Anderson

kinnethmont · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1649 Location: Aberdeenshire

Keptie · Posted: Fri May 22, 2009 1:15 pm Post subject: glass kirk

From what I saw in the P & J papers the Church of Scotland head office in Edinburgh put the Glass Kirk up for sale and the kirk folks at Glass were contacted by the Councillor from Huntly and from the Inventory of War Memorials in London as well as the War Memorial Trust to make sure that the War memorial inside the kirk to Capt Cameron would be put to a safe location if the church was changed into a dwellinghouse .

Seems from what you say Jim the sale has not gone through and it has not become a dwellinghouse

Adam Brown · Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 2:02 am Post subject:

Do we have any updates about this. There are quite a few churches for sale on the Church of Scotland website

http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/about_us/property_and_church_buildings/properties_for_sale

But not Glass Kirk. In which case if it is sold where is the memorial?

Thanks

Adam

kinnethmont · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1649 Location: Aberdeenshire

I am aware that Glass Kirk was sold some time ago and is in private hands. It has had some work carried out to keep it wind and watertight.
The building is not to be turned into a house but is available for community use and a Harvest Thanksgiving service was held in it recently.

The Cameron brass plaque is still there and gleaming brightly.
_________________
Jim

If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

www.kinnethmont.co.uk

Keptie · Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2011 6:41 pm Post subject: glass kirk now closed

Jim
Thanks for your update on the Glass kirk and good to hear that the Capt Cameron HLI brass plaque is being cared for in the building.

pat w anderson

David McNay · Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2011 7:11 pm Post subject:

I believe there will be something in the Sunday Telegraph tomorrow about Captain Cameron.

Keptie · Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2011 1:10 pm Post subject: Capt WHV Cameron , HLI

Sunday Telegraph : Sunday 13th November 2011 ( Remembrance Sunday as well ) : Page 6

CAPTAIN CAMERON PLAQUE PRESERVED :

When Captain WILLIAM HENRY VEITCH CAMERON was killed in battle in 1914 , his relatives honoured his memory with a Bronze plaque in the parish church close to the family seat .

Almost 100 years later , when the memorial came under threat, a family descendant expressed his concern - David Cameron.

The then - Opposition leader was told that the church had been put up for sale and passed on a warning to other family members . The plaque has now been preserved in place .

The case underlines the threat posed by development to many war memoirials which are inside buildings.

Captain Cameron died in France in December 1914 , months after the outbreak of the First World War . A career soldier in the HIGHLAND LIGHT INFANTRY who had served in the BOER WAR , he was 31.

His name was inscribed on a plaque in GLASS PARISH CHURCH , near Huntly , Aberdeenshire . It was the parish church of his elder brother , Ewan Cameron , who also served in the war and is the great grandfather of the Prime Minister.

In 2007 the church of Scotland closed the church , which was serving a dwindling congregation , and put the building up for sale .

In 2008 , Patrick Anderson , a retired Police Sergeant learned of the threat to the Memorial and warned Mr Cameron of the coming sale.

In 2010 the church was sold for £27,000 . Edward Andrews , 66 , the buyer was aware of the Cameron link and has spent thousands restoring the building in order to return it to the community for " Use as they wish ."

"The last thing we wanted was for somebody to covert the church into a house ," said Mr Andrews . "Who knows what would have happened to the memorial ?"

Claire Duffin ( sunday Telegraph )

The write up shows a photograph of William Henry Veitch Cameron in HLI uniform in the ranks obviously a military group with colleagues standing behind him wearing tartan trews and he being a young soldier sitting crossed legged at the front of the photograph .

Also showing in the write is a photograph of the memorial plaque showing the Regimental badge and the words

TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN LOVING AND HONOURED MEMORY OF WILLIAM HENDRY VEITCH CAMERON CAPTAIN 1ST BATTALION THE HIGHLAND LIGHT INFANTRY , SECOND AND BELOVED SON OF SIR EWAN CAMERON KCMG AND LADY CAMERON, KILLED IN ACTION NEAR FESTUBERT DECEMBER 20TH 1914 . AGED 31 . FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH .

-

NB Thanks go to Adam who liaised with Sunday Telegraph staff for her to contact me on this matter and for assisting too

Patrick w anderson

Keptie · Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2011 1:20 pm Post subject: Glass kirk

This is the reply letter I received from Rt Hon David Cameron MP re my notifying him of the Glass church being for sale and the worry of the Capt WHV Cameron memorial plaque inside being lost if sold etc

Rt Hon David Cameron MP HOuse of Commons London SW1 A 0AA
Leader of the Opposition

Wednesday 22nd October 2008 DC/JN

Dear Patrick

Thank you so very much for taking the time to send me the various articles and scroll to my ancestor CAPTAIN WILLIAM HENRY VEITCH ( CAMERON ) of the Highland Light Infantry and also the article on the closure of Glass Church. This was very informative . I know my father and brother would be very interested in reading this too so I have forward them a copy .

Thank you again. It was very kind of you.

yours

David (signed )

David Cameron

(note He did not answer my own query as my Mother's mother was called Veitch and wondered how his great uncle had that in his middle names !

pat

patrick w anderson

kinnethmont · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1649 Location: Aberdeenshire

anne park · Posted: Sun May 20, 2012 10:26 am Post subject: William Hendry Veitch Cameron

William Hendry Veitch Cameron Capt 1st Highland Light Infantry born Shanghai, China Age 32 Killed in Action F & F 20-Dec-14 2nd son of Sir Ewen Cameron KCMG & Lady Cameron (Josephine Elizabeth Houchen). Died at Festubert. Probate: Will: 20 Dec 1914. 39 Hyde Park Gate, Kensington. NoK: Ewen Allan Cameron, Stockbroker. Le Touret Memorial M. R. 22 Panel 37 and 38 Glass Kirk

mons14 · Joined: 08 May 2013 Posts: 20 Location: Canada

A little bit more to add to the story of Capt. Cameron...

Lieutenant Pitts-Tucker made a desperate attempt to take reinforcements up to Captain Cameron, but he and all his party were mown down by machine-gun fire. Seeing their officer fall, Lance-Corporal Barr and Private Carmichael rushed out and managed to bring Lieutenant Pitts-Tucker back some way under a terrible fire, but he was killed by another bullet as they were carrying him. For their gallant conduct they received the Distinguished Conduct Medal. (The Indian Corps In France By. Lt. Col. J.W.B. Mereweather and The RT HON SIR Frederick Smith)

His CO wrote:

‘Your son was killed on the 20th December after making a gallant charge to go to the aid of a brother officer with a few men he had gathered round him. All were shot down. He was as fine a soldier as one could wish to see, and a true and affectionate comrade; and he met his soldiers death just in the manner all who knew him knew he would.’ He was buried near Festubert France . (Bond Of Sacrifice).

A photo of a younger William Henry Veitch Cameron seen here during his service in the Boer War.

stuartn · Joined: 13 Dec 2016 Posts: 2551

WMR 57756