The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

alexmaclennan

Large wooden WM to the fallen in both world wars

St Augustine’s Dumbarton WM
Episcopal Church

High Street Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire G82 1LL
01389 734514

OSGB36: NS 3969 7522 [10m precision]
WGS84: 55:56.5924N 4:34.1072W

This memorial lies on the left interior wall of the church

2m high wooden memorial. Ornately carved.
Surmounted by a Central carved wooden angel with head bowed holding a down pointing sword and with a wreath around lower legs. Bas relief carved 1914 and 1919 to either side of angel. Three upper wooden panels with gothic window bas relief details around panel edges and at the top of panels.

Central Panel

A bas relief carving possibly of a burning heart above the inscription

TO THE
GLORY OF GOD
IN PROUD REMEMBRANCE

Left and right hand Panels list names of the fallen
Forename, middle initial and surname
Rank and unit.

Left Hand Panel

A small round bas relief carving of a Saltire with curvilinear decorations between the arms of the cross above the names.

RICHARD AIREY
SGT. M.G.C.

A. ATKINSON
PTE. OTAGO BN. N.Z.R.

HON. O.A. BINCHAM
LIEUT. R.F.C.

JAMES BROOKES
SGT. LEINSTERS

JACK CHATTON
SGT. 1ST. R.I.F.

REV. T.A. CLEGHORN
PTE. 1ST. LONDON SCOTTISH

LEON S. DENNY
CAPT. 1ST. H. DRAGOON GDS.

ALLAN O. DOUGLAS
CAPT. 2ND. LONDON SCOTTISH

THOMAS G. EVANS
PTE. 9TH A. & S. H.

DAVID FERGUSON
L/CPL. 2ND. P.O. RIFLES

ROBERT FINDLAY
CAPT. 13TH. A. & S. H.

RICHARD HEPBURN
PTE. 6TH. BLACK WATCH

GEORGE JOHNSTONE

CHA G N ERSO

Right Hand panel

A small round bas relief carving of the Dumbarton Crest of an elephant carrying a castle as a howdah above the names.

JOHN LUSK
PTE. 9TH. A. & S. H.

WILLIAM McCOURT
PTE. 1ST. CAMERONS

JAMES McKEEVER
PTE. 1ST. GORDONS

ALEX. W. MARSHALL
L/CPL. 8TH. BLACK WATCH

WILLIAM MOODIE
PTE. 9TH. A. & S. H.

JAMES NUGENT
PTE. 10TH. A. & S. H

ROBERT NUGENT
PTE. 10TH. A. & S. H.

HILTON R. PALMER
PTE. R.A.M.C.

JOHN PROCTOR
PTE. 15 T.R. R.E.

WILLIAM ROBERTSON
R.F.A.

WILLIAM G. SWAN
SAP. R.E.

ALEX. VALLANCE
PTE. 2ND. SEAFORTHS

ANDERSON R. WALKER
TPR. 13TH. ALBERTA DRGS.

BASIL WITHY
LIEUT.

Below the three Panels for the Great War is a single Panel
For Second World war. Central Bas Relief 1939-45

8 names of the fallen in 4 rows.
Forename, middle initial and surname
Rank and unit.

Left outer Row
SAMUEL BLAIR
PTE. CAMERONIANS

ROBERT W. CRAIG
CAPT. ROYAL ARTILLERY

Left Inner Row
DAVID DEVLIN
AIR MECH. FLEET AIR ARM

WILLIAM HUNTER
NAT. SERVICE MINING

Right Inner Row

ROBIN A. JOHNSTON
PTE. CAMERON HIGHRS.

NATH. McMILLAN
ENGINEER M.N.

Right Outer Row.
ALEX. THOMSON
SGT. NAVIGATOR R.A.F

GEO. J. VALENTINE
LIEUT. R.A.

Below the Panels is a three sided table/ plinth with 2 inscriptions along each of the three sides

THESE GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR KING AND COUNTRY IN THE GREAT WAR
-WHOSOEVER SHALL LOSE HIS LIFE SHALL PRESERVE IT

In the centre of the lowest panel below the table is a round bas relief of a cross.
_________________
alex maclennan

Adam Brown · Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 12:35 pm Post subject:

This looks like it is a table or pedestal for something to sit on. Was there a roll of honour perhaps?

Adam

apanderson · Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 3:35 pm Post subject:

FINDLAY, Robert Scott

Brother of George de Cardonnel Findlay, Royal Engineers, V.C., M.C. & Bar
Brother of Lt. Col. Charles Bannatyne Findlay, Royal Horse Artillery
Brother of …? Findlay, Royal Navy
Second Cousin of Brigadier-General Neil Findlay, Royal Field Artillery
Second Cousin of Captain Robert De Cardonnel Findlay, 4th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders
Brother-in-Law of Captain Claud Gray-Buchanan, 35th Sikhs, Indian Army, attached Royal Flying Corps

CWGC:
Rank: Captain
Regiment: Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, 9th Battalion
Date of Death: 22nd May 1915
Age: 28
Buried: Boturich Castle Private Cemetery (near South West Corner)
Additional Information: Son of Robert Elmsall Findlay and Jane Cecelia Louise Findlay, Boturich Castle, Balloch, Dunbartonshire. Born at Glasgow

SNWM:
Rank: Captain
Regiment: Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, 9th Battalion (Territorial)
Date of Death: 22nd May 1915
Cause of Death: Killed

SDGW:
Rank: Captain
Regiment: Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, 9th (The Dunbartonshire) Battalion (Territorial)
Date of Death: 22nd May 1915
Cause of Death: Killed

MIC: Robert Scott Findlay, Captain, 9th Battalion, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. Deceased 22nd May 1915
Medal EntitlementL 1915 Star, British War & Victory Medals
Correspondence Address: (Father) Major R. E. Findlay, Boturich Castle, Balloch, Dunbartonshire.

De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour, Volume 2:
Findlay, Robert Scott, Captain, 1/9th Battalion, Princess Louise’s (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) (Dunbartonshire T. F.), second son of Robert Elmsall Findlay of Boturich Castle, Dunbartonshire by his wife Jane Cecelia Louise, daughter of James Scott, 1 Woodside Place, Glasgow; born Glasgow 17th April 1887; educated St. Ninian’s, Moffat; Harrow (H. O. D. Davidson’s House, Elmfield), and Balliol College, Oxford, where he graduated B.A. in 1910; was afterwards on the staff of Messrs. Findlay, Richardson & Co., Lt., Merchants, Glasgow, Manila, Japan and China; went to Manila, Philippine Islands for his firm in November 1912, returning home on leave in June 1914; joined the 9th Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders as 2nd Lieutenant 28th July 1910; promoted Lieutenant 24th January 1913 and captain 16th December 1914; was still in England on leave when war broke out in August 1914; volunteered for foreign service; served with the 1/9th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders in this country from 4th August 1914 and in France and Flanders from 19th February 1915; took part in the Second Battle of Ypres, when the battalion earned high praise from F.M. Sir John (now Lord) French; was three times hit by pieces of shell 10th May, but after a short visit to the Field Dressing Station in the evening, he returned to the fire trench, in command of a mixed company of the 2nd Camerons and the 1/9th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders and held it until relieved the next morning and was killed in the railway accident near Gretna 22nd May 1915, while returning home on four days’ leave. A brother officer wrote: “He was the coolest man in difficulty or danger I ever met; he did splendid work for the regiment throughout and was certainly one of our best and bravest officers,” and another: “He was always cool, always seemed to know the right thing to do and did it; absolutely fearless, but never took an unnecessary risk or allowed any of his men to do so.” While at Harrow he was in the House Football XI in 1903 and in the School Shooting Eight in 1904 and 1905, when they were the winners of the Ashburton Shield. At Oxford, he rowed in his College Torpid, 1906, 1908 and 1909; in the College Eight, 1906 and 1909; shot in the University Eight, 1906 and 1909 and in the University Long Range Four, 1906, 1907, 1908 and 1909, when he was captain; was in the University Swimming Team, 1908, and in 1910 shot the Scottish Eight. Unmarried.

Soldiers’ Effects: Captain R. S. Findlay, 9th Battalion, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders.
Killed in railway accident at Gretna, 22nd May 1915.
Grantees: Robert Elmsall Findlay Esq., Robert Findlay Esq., Charles Bannatyne Findlay Esq., (jointly) George de Cardonnel Elmsall Findlay Esq., also Mrs Sarah MacAdam Potter.

The Scotsman, 25th & 26th May 1915. ‘Deaths’
Findlay. Killed in railway accident near Gretna on Saturday, 22nd inst., Captain Robert Scott Findlay, 1/9th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, aged 28, second son of Robert Elmsall Findlay of Boturich, Dunbartonshire. Military Funeral at St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church, Dumbarton on Wednesday 26th inst., at 2.50 o’clock. Friends please accept this intimation and invitation.

Commemorated: Kilmaronock Civic Memorial, Harrow School WW1 Shrine,
Balliol College War Memorial Book & St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church Memorial (Dumbarton)

Monumental Inscription:
Robert Scott Findlay, Captain in the 1/9th Battalion
Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (Dunbartonshire)
The second son of Robert Elmshall Findlay of Boturich
Born 17th April 1887, killed in the Railway Accident near Grentna
On 22nd May 1915 when returning from France on leave
After three months of service fighting near Ypres.

The owner of Boturich said that the stone may be on the list for a bit of maintenance after a visit by Iain Anderson, Scottish CWGC Supervisor.

See (Borurich Castle Burial Ground): http://scottishwargraves.phpbbweb.com/posting.php?mode=editpost&p=30699&mforum=scottishwargraves