The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

IanA · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 949

I am looking at the Makerstoun memorial in the Borders and I'm wondering how many other memorials have the above dates. Of course, I know that men dying after the war had ended were entitled to official CWGC headstones but to 'extend' the war in this way does seem rather bizarre!

Thanks,

Ian

DelBoy · Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2014 5:51 pm Post subject:

perhaps they wished the date shown to cover those years which deaths on the memorial occurred? With a soldier dying of wounds or an accident?

IanA · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 949

Very likely. The last one died of TB in an Edinburgh infirmary but that must apply to many men on memorials where the war did not drag on to 1920.

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

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2014 4:01 pm Post subject:

I believe the dates used on most memorials reflect the views of people at the time rather than any historical/legal accuracy.
Most use 1918 as that was the effective end of the "European War". The next most common was 1919 to reflect the Peace Accord signed at Versailles in June 1919. The treaty was formally implemented in January 1920 and this date is used more rarely on memorials.
I suspect (but without proof) that the 1920 date is also used where local battalions served in Russia.
There were various other peace treaties signed throughout 1920 (and later in the case of the Ottoman Empire) and they were ratified at different times by different nations. So I stuggle with the idea of an official end of the war date; as I suspect did the War Memorial Committees.
_________________
Ken

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

Ken

IanA · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 949

Adam Brown · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 4:03 pm Post subject:

When looking into South Lanarkshire war memorials last year it was a pretty even split between the committee’s use of 1918 or 1919. None used 1920 and I don’t recall seeing it on another memorial so that must make Makerstoun quite rare.

Here is the memorial in question

The dead are listed in date of death order and the last named soldier died in 1920. (Pte F C Mack KOSB) so I would suggest that is the reason, as suggested by Derek above.

Another Mack is the first man listed, killed serving in the KOSB at Achi Baba Nullah on 12th July 1915. I wonder if they were related?

Adam

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

IanA · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 949

There are three Macks on the memorial and I believe they were all related.

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