The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2014 1:37 pm Post subject: ALPHA WW1

PTE. JAMES A. McLURE, A. & S.H.
James Alexander McLure, Private (252975) 2nd Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Age 33.
James was a draper when he enlisted in December 1915. He was mobilised in March 1916 and posted as Private (23091) to the Royal Scots Fusiliers but in June was transferred to the 2/6th A&SH
He went to France in January 1918 and joined the 2nd A&SH.
Born 1886 in Sorbie, Wigtownshire. Son of Nathan and Isabella Rigg (Robertson) McLure of Isle of Whithorn. Husband of Mary (Burnie) McLure of Knockeavie, Kirkcowan, Wigtownshire who he married in 1915 in Kirkcowan.
Killed in action on 29 September 1918 and buried in Villers Hill British Cemetery, Villers-Guislain, France.

O.S. WILLIAM McROBERT, R.N.D. H.M.S. VIVID.
William Murray McRobert, Ordinary Seaman (J/67975) HMS Vivid, Royal Navy. Age 18.
William was a farm labourer when he enlisted in March 1917. He died of measles and pneumonia at the Royal Naval Hospital, Plymouth.
Born 1898 at Cairndonnan, Kirkcolm, Wigtownshire. Son of James and Margaret (Murray) McRobert of Tonderghie Row, Isle of Whithorn.
Died on active service on 18 April 1917 and buried in Plymouth (Ford Park) Cemetery, Devon.
[HMS Vivid was the naval barracks at Devonport]

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2014 1:49 pm Post subject: ALPHA WW1

PTE. FREDERICK NIBLOCK, R.S.F.
Frederick Niblock, Private (29888) 6th/7th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers. Age 19.
Fred enlisted in May 1916 and went on active service in the November.
Born 1897 in Whithorn. Son of Alexander and Mary (Mills) Niblock of Sea View, Isle of Whithorn.
Missing in action on 11 April 1917 and named on the Arras Memorial, France.

L.CORP. JOHN PATERSON, R.SCOTS.
John Paterson, Lance Corporal (23130) 11th Battalion, Royal Scots. Age 30.
John had served in the Royal Navy as Stoker (295512) from 1900 until 1908 and was a seaman, living with his mother Mary at 121 Allison Street, Crosshill in Glasgow when he enlisted in June 1915. He joined his battalion in France in October 1915.
Born 1887 in Broughton Skeog, Whithorn. Son of Charles and Mary (Caffery) Paterson.
Missing in action on 13 October 1917 and named on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium.

DAVID ROBB, CHIEF ENGNR., S.S. KALIBIA, M.F.A.
David Robb, First Engineer: S.S. Kalibia (Glasgow) Mercantile Marine. Age 34.
The “Kalibia”, sailing from Norfolk, USA to Bordeaux, was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine UB80 off the Lizard.
Born 1883 in Ardrossan, Ayrshire. Son of John and Jane (Burnie) Robb. Brother of Jane Templeton Robb of Tonderghie Row, Isle of Whithorn.
Killed by enemy action/Lost at sea on 30 November 1917 and named on the Tower Hill Memorial, London.

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2014 1:58 pm Post subject: ALPHA WW1

SEC. LIEUT. ANDREW STEWART, M.A. M.C. NORD.FUS.
Andrew Stewart, Military Cross, Second Lieutenant: 10th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. Formerly Leading Seaman (Z/7633) Royal Naval Division. Age 31.
Andrew had graduated from Glasgow University in 1909 and had been an assistant minister in Hamilton before taking up the post of Minister of the Isle of Whithorn United Free Church in January 1914.
He enlisted in the RND in December 1915 and was posted to Blandford Camp in Dorset. A year later he applied for a commission and, after attending Officer Training at Fermoy in Co. Cork, he was appointed as a 2nd Lt. in the Northumberland Fusiliers in April 1917.

Military Cross citation (for an action on 18 September 1917): T./2nd Lt. Andrew Stewart, att'd North'd Fus.
“For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. Under heavy machine-gun fire he crawled up to within five yards of an enemy strong point and opened fire with a Lewis gun to cover his platoon's attack on the strong point.” (London Gazette: 22nd March 1918)

Born 1886 in Carluke, Lanarkshire. Son of William and Helen (Brownlie) Stewart of 19 Union Street, Carluke, Lanarkshire.
Killed in action 20 September 1917 and buried in Larch Wood (Railway Cutting) Cemetery, Belgium.
Also named on the War Memorial in the Old Churchyard in Carluke and on a memorial in Isle of Whithorn Church.

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2014 2:15 pm Post subject: ALPHA WW2

1939 - 1945.

RANDOLPH CRAWLEY.
Randolph Miller Crawley, Aircraftman 1st Class (1550823) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Age 21.
Born 1922 in Isle of Whithorn. Son of David and Margaret Nichol Crawley of Isle of Whithorn.
Died on active service 8 June 1943 at Towcester, Northamptonshire and buried in Whithorn Cemetery (CWG)

MARTIN MAGUIRE.
Martin Maguire, Sailor: M.V. Arthur F. Corwin (London) Mechant Navy. Age 21.
Born 1920 in Whithorn Parish. Son of Charles and Maggie (Marshall) Maguire of Isle of Whithorn.
Killed by enemy action/Lost at sea 13 February 1941 and named on the Tower Hill Memorial, London.
At 16.25 hours on 13 February 1941 the German Submarine U-103 damaged the Tanker “Arthur F. Corwin”, a straggler from convoy HX-106, with two torpedoes southeast of Iceland. The U-boat then left the burning tanker in a sinking condition. At 19.50 hours the same day, U-96 came across the wreck which was still afloat and sank her. The master, 43 crew members and two gunners were lost. (Source: uboat.net)

JOHN McGUIRE.
John McGuire, Leading Seaman (LT/X 9436B) H.M. Trawler "Kingston Cornelian" Royal Naval Reserve (Patrol Service) Age 27.
Born 1912 in Isle of Whithorn. Son of John and Euphamia (Ambrose) McGuire of Burnside Cottage, Isle of Whithorn.
Killed on active service/Lost at sea 5 January 1940 and named on the Lowestoft Naval Memorial, Suffolk.
HMT Kingston Cornelian was sunk in a collision with the French merchant ship Chella in the Strait of Gibraltar. Unlike many such trawlers, she was owned by the Admiralty (rather than hired) and manned by the Royal Naval Patrol Service. She was bought from the Kingston Steam Trawling Company Ltd. in August of 1939 and converted into an A/S trawler and assigned to the 7th Anti-Submarine Group at Gibraltar. (Source:uboat.net)

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2014 2:28 pm Post subject: ALPHA WW2

ANTHONY PRINGLE.
Anthony Pringle, Petty Officer Telegraphist (P/JX 14672) HMS Barham, Royal Navy. Age 21.
Born 1920 in Glencairn, Dumfriesshire. Son of John and Janet (McGuire) Pringle of Whithorn.
Killed in action/Lost at sea 25 November 1941 and named on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Hampshire.
On 25 November 1941, while steaming off the Egyptian coast near Sidi Barrani, to cover an attack on Italian convoys, the battleship HMS Barham was hit by three torpedoes from the German submarine U-331. As she rolled over to port, her after magazines exploded and the ship quickly sank with the loss 862 members of her crew. There were 449 survivors. (Source:uboat.net)

JOHN WEAVER.
John Weaver, Leading Seaman (D/JX 150227) HMS Saumarez, Royal Navy. Age 26.
Born 1920 in Whithorn Parish. Son of Peter and Agnes (Niblock) Weaver of Maryhill, Glasgow. Grandson of Alexander and Mary Niblock of Sea View Isle of Whithorn.
John was brought up by his maternal grandparents, Mr & Mrs A Niblock, who had lost their own son, Frederick, in the First World War (See earlier post) At 16 years of age he joined the Navy, and in his ten years of service was torpedoed on three occasions.
Died of wounds 24 October 1946 and buried in Corfu British Cemetery, Greece.
The destroyer Saumarez was mined and heavily damaged in the Corfu Strait on 22 October 1946.
The mines had been secretly laid by Albanians. Another destroyer HMS Volage rammed the burning Saumarez in an attempt to save her crew but then struck another mine, whose explosion ripped off her bow. The Volage managed to reach Corfu with Saumarez in tow.

Ken - with many thanks to Mike Morley for lots of help with research.