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Woodlands Methodist Church

 
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jrah60
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Joined: 04 Dec 2009
Posts: 1915
Location: East Kilbride

PostPosted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 7:47 pm    Post subject: Woodlands Methodist Church Reply with quote

Woodlands Methodist Church, 229 Woodlands Road, Glasgow G3 6LW

OS Grid Ref: NS 576665



The Church is housed in a listed building erected by the Swedenborgian New Church in 1907. The building was refurbished in 1994. Woodlands Methodist Church was established in 1977, and continues the tradition of Methodist worship in Glasgow which started in 1765.
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jrah60
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Joined: 04 Dec 2009
Posts: 1915
Location: East Kilbride

PostPosted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 7:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote



The church has a unique memorial panel commemorating the Second World War.
This came from St John's Methodist Church, formerly in the city centre, in the site which is now occupied by the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.
The unusual feature of this window is that members of the Methodist Church are represented in the images.
I had the privilege of meeting one of the members, Nan Stuart Horne, who is represented on the Memorial.
In the Memorial she is positioned bottom left and was in the Land Army, she is now 90 years of age.
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jrah60
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Joined: 04 Dec 2009
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Location: East Kilbride

PostPosted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 7:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Three others depicted on the memorial were killed in action.

KEMISH, COLIN HARRY TOMS
Rank: Boy 1st Class
Service No: P/JX 182115
Date of Death: 24/05/1941
Age: 17
Regiment/Service: Royal Navy, H.M.S. Hood.
Panel Reference Panel 51, Column 3.
Memorial PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL
Additional Information: Son of C.P.O. Harry Kemish, R.N., and Fedelma Beatrice Kemish.

DOUGALL, T M
Rank: Sapper
Service No: 2078841
Date of Death: 02/08/1942
Age: 22
Regiment/Service: Royal Engineers
Grave Reference Sec. L. Grave 431.
Cemetery NEW KILPATRICK (OR HILLFOOT) CEMETERY
Additional Information: Son of Andrew and Jane Dougall, of Glasgow.

DOTT, ARCHIBALD SUTHERLAND
Rank: Flight Sergeant
Service No: 1558249
Date of Death: 13/06/1944
Age: 21
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 144 Sqdn.
Panel Reference Panel 217.
Memorial RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL
Additional Information: Son of James and Ann Murdoch Dott, of Inchture, Perthshire.

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

PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 1:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That photograph of Nan Stuart Horne is fantastic. That must be unique to meet someone who is depicted on a memorial, well done for getting that.
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Kenneth Morrison



Joined: 29 Sep 2008
Posts: 7749
Location: Rockcliffe Dalbeattie

PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 2:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There's a photo of Colin Kemish at http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/k/KemishCHT.htm
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Ken


Last edited by Kenneth Morrison on Sun Jan 11, 2015 11:00 am; edited 1 time in total
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MJM



Joined: 30 Jun 2014
Posts: 1
Location: Maidstone, England

PostPosted: Sat Jan 10, 2015 10:42 pm    Post subject: Woodlands Methodist Church - Colin Kemish Reply with quote

Colin Kemish was my grandfather's brother Harry's only son, he was born 2nd May 1924 in Guernsey, Channel Islands. Harry served in submarines in WW1 and then when hostilities finished met Delma and settled in St Peter Port, Guernsey.
With WW2 looming, Harry rejoined the Royal Navy and was stationed at the Torpedo school at Plymouth. Colin was desperate to join the Navy, a decision strongly opposed by his mother, eventually he was allowed to, and entered HMS Ganges as a Boy entrant at Shotley. In May 1940 the Admiralty closed HMS Ganges as a Boys Training Establishment and boys were transferred to HMS St George - an ex holiday camp on the Isle of Man during 1940.
The fall of France in 1940 led to the evacuation of the Channel Islands and Colin's mother, Delma left on the SS Bairritz on June 19th 1940 for Southampton, where she rejoined her husband, Harry, who had been detailed to the new Degaussing Section at Clarence Pier, Portsmouth performing duties to protect ships against magnetic mine attack. Due to the air raids on Portsmouth, Harry's section was transferred to HMS Revlis, Ardencaple Castle, Helensburgh, near Glasgow. Delma went to Scotland with her husband and worked for the Admiralty in the Mine Design Department.
While living in Glasgow, Harry, Delma and Colin (when on leave) would attend St Johns Methodist Church in Sauchiehall St. This church was used by many of the Channel Islanders who had been evacuated to Glasgow.

From his letters, it would appear Colin must have completed his training in the Isle of Man and joined his parents in Scotland for Christmas 1940. Prior to returning to duties at HMS Victory, Portsmouth where he awaited his posting to a ship. My mother remembers Harry, Delma and Colin staying with her family early in 1941, her sister Kath, went to the station with Harry & Fedelma to see Colin off on the train to Portsmouth.
She recalls Colin saying that he hoped his posting would be on HMS Hood as it was a "wonderful ship" and "unsinkable" and Colin saying to his father.
"Dad, the next time you see me, you will have to salute me!" to which his father replied "and I shall be very proud to do so!"

We are unclear as to when Colin received his posting to HMS Hood, it may have only been weeks or even days before she sailed from Scapa Flow on May 22nd 1941.

In 1948, Colin's parents received a letter from the wife of Reverend J Brazier Green of St John's Methodist Church, Glasgow advising them that part of their War Memorial would include a stained glass window. The scene would be on the lines of Christ blessing the children, but grouped around him would be figures representing the services. They wished to use a likeness of Colin to represent the Royal Navy. The final design was based on a photograph of Colin in summer rig with a HMS Hood cap band. The memorial was unveiled on Remembrance Sunday 1948.

St John's Church was demolished to make way for a development in Sauchiehall St, however the window memorial was removed to a new site at Woodlands Methodist Church
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Adam Brown
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Joined: 14 Dec 2006
Posts: 7312
Location: Edinburgh (From Sutherland)

PostPosted: Mon Jan 12, 2015 2:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

MJM

Thank you very much for posting all this information about Colin Kemish and the extra information about the memorial, it is very much appreciated.

Kind regards

Adam
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