The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

Adam Brown · Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 8:28 pm Post subject: St Patrick's R.C. Church

St Patrick's R.C. Church War Memorial Chapel
Cowgate, Edinburgh
OS Ref: NT 261 735

I was disappointed when I visited this memorial. I had been told the old mortuary chapel in St Pat's had been made into a memorial chapel after the First World War.

Unfortunately there has been subsidence in the church and the marble altar had to be removed so it is no longer a chapel and a locked door has been added to restrict access because the room is now used as an office.

The volunteer on duty was only too happy to let me into the room to see the memorial plaques but it's a shame they are locked away. The plaques may be moved to the main part of the church but they still haven't decided exactly what to do with them.

The volunteer said that the plaques were for both World Wars. He was very helpful and very knowledgeable about other parts of the church so I've no reason to doubt him.

There is a lot of building work going on at the front of the church just now so I will return for a photograph of the church itself when it is finished.

The Altar stood where these boards now stand

The skylights caused my poor old camera a lot of problems so this last one is a bit blurred I'm afraid.

Adam

Adam Brown · Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 8:33 pm Post subject:

I tried looking up one of the names with no regiment to see if they were Second World War names.

I chose Betram Rogan and looked in SNWM and CWGC databases. There is no Bertram Rogan but there is a Bartholomew Rogan who is from Edinburgh

Surname ROGAN
Firstname Bartholomew
Service Number 14086
Date Death 10/09/1916
Decoration
Place of birth Edinburgh
Other 8th Bn.
SNWM roll THE ROYAL SCOTS FUSILIERS
Rank L/Cpl
Theatre of death Balkans

Is Bertram a shortened version of Bartholomew?

Here are the CWGG details. No clues I'm afraid

Name: ROGAN
Initials: B
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Lance Corporal
Regiment/Service: Royal Scots Fusiliers
Unit Text: 8th Bn.
Date of Death: 10/09/1916
Service No: 14086
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: B. 376.
Cemetery: KARASOULI MILITARY CEMETERY

Adam Brown · Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 8:37 pm Post subject:

I then tried Nicholas Marino. He is definitely a Great War name so I don't think any WW2 names are commemorated unfortuantely.

Surname MARINO
Firstname Nicholas
Service Number 12530
Date Death 19/04/1916
Decoration
Place of birth Edinburgh
Other
SNWM roll SCOTS GUARDS
Rank Gdsn
Theatre of death F.& F.

Again though not much detail in the CWGC database entry

Name: MARINO, NICHOLAS
Initials: N
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Scots Guards
Unit Text: 2nd Bn.
Date of Death: 19/04/1916
Service No: 12530
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 11.
Memorial: YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL

Adam

john burnett · Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 790 Location: Fife

I visited the church and took photographs, but the glare on them made some of the names unreadable. I was going to go back but am glad someone else got decent photographs. A hotel is being built in part of the church grounds and in return part of the deal is the church is getting a hall.
For the First World War, it is a list of all those who died and is in fact a War Memorial.

For the Second World War, this is a roll of honour. It is not clear whether those listed as missing survived or not.

A loose translation from the Latin reads as follows: Please pray for the 311 men who from this parish gave their lives in the great war 1914-1919.