Posted on behalf of Elizabeth R Savage....
Private James Richardson, 1st/9th Bn., Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, my mother's eldest brother, died 5 April 1915 age 18.
The first time the Germans used gas at Ypres ("Wipers" as the Tommies called it) in the Province of West Flanders.
Each night at 8 PM the traffic is stopped at the Menin Gate half a mile from the centre of Ypres while members of the local Fire Brigade sound the Last Post in the roadway under the Memorial's arches. See http://www.greatwar.co.uk/westfront/yps ... ingate.htm The Menin Gate memorial contains the names of 54,896 officers and men from all the overseas British and Commonwealth forces who fell in the Ypres Salient before 16 August 1917. That was just one battle, and just the first of three Battles of Ypres (the third more often better known as "Paschendale" see http://www.blacks.veriovps.co.uk/content/3138.html )
I have a letter witten in pencil to his grandfather James Jack about the conditions in the Ypres Salient just before he was killed.
Elizabeth
REMEMBRANCE DAY MEMORIAL
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anner
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To All, young or old, who fought in many wars. Those who died and those who returned, injured or not. They should all be remembered and given thanks for keeping our whole country free.
Anne
Anne
Researching Wilson, Reid, S(c)later and Ross in Glasgow. Mcgregor, Ross, White, Pirie, Gaffney, and Math(i)e(w)son and Ross in Dundee and Perth.
Yorkshire: Butterworth, Todd, Angell, Bearpark and Nutbrown. To name but a few.
Yorkshire: Butterworth, Todd, Angell, Bearpark and Nutbrown. To name but a few.
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greenpark
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In Memory of Robert Muircroft
S/3610, 9th Bn. Seaforth Highlanders.
Killed in Action, France and Flanders, 24/03/1918. During the Germans Spring Offensive.
Enlisted Culross, Fife. Born Lanarkshire.
Son of Charles and Jessie Muircroft.
Letter sent to my Great,Great Grandmother,
Dear Mrs Muircroft,
You will have heard before receiving this letter of the death of your gallant son, and I offer you my very deepest sympathy in your very great loss. I feel his loss greater than I can say, as he has been my faithful servant for two years, and I had made a friend of him as well, and his thought of my welfare was ever upper-most in his mind. In fact he had all my letters on him, when he was shot, so as to make sure that I would receive them on my return from leave, but sad to to relate his body fell into the hands of the Germans, and any little personal effects he had on him were unable to be taken from him. He was one of the most popular men in the battalion and would always volunteer for any hard and dangerous work, in fact he volunteered to carry ammunition when he met his death.
Again expressing my great sorrow in our united loss.
Believe me,
Yours sincerely,
S. Forbes Sharp.
Major.
9th Seaforth Highlanders.
S/3610, 9th Bn. Seaforth Highlanders.
Killed in Action, France and Flanders, 24/03/1918. During the Germans Spring Offensive.
Enlisted Culross, Fife. Born Lanarkshire.
Son of Charles and Jessie Muircroft.
Letter sent to my Great,Great Grandmother,
Dear Mrs Muircroft,
You will have heard before receiving this letter of the death of your gallant son, and I offer you my very deepest sympathy in your very great loss. I feel his loss greater than I can say, as he has been my faithful servant for two years, and I had made a friend of him as well, and his thought of my welfare was ever upper-most in his mind. In fact he had all my letters on him, when he was shot, so as to make sure that I would receive them on my return from leave, but sad to to relate his body fell into the hands of the Germans, and any little personal effects he had on him were unable to be taken from him. He was one of the most popular men in the battalion and would always volunteer for any hard and dangerous work, in fact he volunteered to carry ammunition when he met his death.
Again expressing my great sorrow in our united loss.
Believe me,
Yours sincerely,
S. Forbes Sharp.
Major.
9th Seaforth Highlanders.
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DavidWW
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Scotland has always given of it people on a disproportionate basis in relation to the rest of the UK
In WWI the estimates of Scots killed in action vary between 148,000 and 159,000; and on a percentage basis between 12% and 16% of UK casualties. (The problem in deriving exact figures relates to non-Scots who served with Scottish regiments, and the many Scots who served with English regiments, and corps such as the Royal Artillery.)
In WWII Scots who died in action numbered ca. 50,000, representing around 1/3rd of the UK's military war dead.
In The Korean War Scots who died in action, or were missing in action, presumed dead, numbered around 1/4 of the UK total of 2,700. (The problem with the Korean figures is uncertainty in relation to missing in action figures.)
For other significant campaigns such as Malaya and Cyprus since WWII, see http://www.roll-of-honour.com/ This site also covers Boer War casualties.
Let's not forget either the multiples of those above numbers who were wounded, and suffered, and continue to suffer as a result of their wounds.
Especially in WWII, let's not forget civilian casualties, not just in bombing raids and the like, but also those who died in connection with their wartime occupation - fulltime and volunteer, including medics, the Observer Corps, firefighters, policemen, ARP, rescue squads and many others, including the little remembered Bevan Boys ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stor ... 3152.shtml ) - my father in law was one such.
Please note that this thread should in no way whatsover be taken as a glorification of war, but simply a commemoration of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
David
In WWI the estimates of Scots killed in action vary between 148,000 and 159,000; and on a percentage basis between 12% and 16% of UK casualties. (The problem in deriving exact figures relates to non-Scots who served with Scottish regiments, and the many Scots who served with English regiments, and corps such as the Royal Artillery.)
In WWII Scots who died in action numbered ca. 50,000, representing around 1/3rd of the UK's military war dead.
In The Korean War Scots who died in action, or were missing in action, presumed dead, numbered around 1/4 of the UK total of 2,700. (The problem with the Korean figures is uncertainty in relation to missing in action figures.)
For other significant campaigns such as Malaya and Cyprus since WWII, see http://www.roll-of-honour.com/ This site also covers Boer War casualties.
Let's not forget either the multiples of those above numbers who were wounded, and suffered, and continue to suffer as a result of their wounds.
Especially in WWII, let's not forget civilian casualties, not just in bombing raids and the like, but also those who died in connection with their wartime occupation - fulltime and volunteer, including medics, the Observer Corps, firefighters, policemen, ARP, rescue squads and many others, including the little remembered Bevan Boys ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stor ... 3152.shtml ) - my father in law was one such.
Please note that this thread should in no way whatsover be taken as a glorification of war, but simply a commemoration of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
David
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kirstyf
- Posts: 5
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- Location: Fife
In Honoured Memory
Of
S/2030 Private Frank Mann, 7th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders.
Frank was killed in action on Saturday25th September 1915 on the first day of the Battle of Loos. He was 22yrs of age and was part of 26th Brigade,15th Scottish Division, which had landed at Boulogne,France in May 1915.Loos was their first big engagement.
Frank was born in Leven, Fife, enlisted at Kirkcaldy,Fife and was the son of John & Helen Mann,of 586 Wellesley Road Denbeath, Methil, Fife.
Private Mann has no known grave and is commemorated on LOOS MEMORIAL, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 112-115.
Of
S/2030 Private Frank Mann, 7th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders.
Frank was killed in action on Saturday25th September 1915 on the first day of the Battle of Loos. He was 22yrs of age and was part of 26th Brigade,15th Scottish Division, which had landed at Boulogne,France in May 1915.Loos was their first big engagement.
Frank was born in Leven, Fife, enlisted at Kirkcaldy,Fife and was the son of John & Helen Mann,of 586 Wellesley Road Denbeath, Methil, Fife.
Private Mann has no known grave and is commemorated on LOOS MEMORIAL, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 112-115.
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Keatley
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DavidWW
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puffin
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- Location: Cambridge UK
Ernest Russell Lyon
See the Success Stories (posted 2nd April 2007) in the main Forum for a development that has resulted from the memorial I placed for Ernest Russell Lyon in November 2006.
I now believe that the inscription on the gravestone of his mother ( Elizabeth Wright Pealling) in Colinton Kirkyard is a memorial only and that Russell's remains were not repatriated after his Spitfire crashed on 27th july 1944. From the information sent to me from Ploemeur by a local history researcher there is a strong presumption that an unmarked anonymous war grave at Guidel, near Ploemeur, may be Russell's grave.
Thank you Jean-Yves
Puffin
I now believe that the inscription on the gravestone of his mother ( Elizabeth Wright Pealling) in Colinton Kirkyard is a memorial only and that Russell's remains were not repatriated after his Spitfire crashed on 27th july 1944. From the information sent to me from Ploemeur by a local history researcher there is a strong presumption that an unmarked anonymous war grave at Guidel, near Ploemeur, may be Russell's grave.
Thank you Jean-Yves
Puffin
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AndrewP
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Re: Ernest Russell Lyon
Hi Puffin,puffin wrote:See the Success Stories (posted 2nd April 2007) in the main Forum for a development that has resulted from the memorial I placed for Ernest Russell Lyon in November 2006.
I now believe that the inscription on the gravestone of his mother ( Elizabeth Wright Pealling) in Colinton Kirkyard is a memorial only and that Russell's remains were not repatriated after his Spitfire crashed on 27th july 1944. From the information sent to me from Ploemeur by a local history researcher there is a strong presumption that an unmarked anonymous war grave at Guidel, near Ploemeur, may be Russell's grave.
Thank you Jean-Yves
Puffin
I live near to Colinton Kirkyard, and can have a look and see what is written on the headstone. I expect it may say something like "commemorated here" rather than "buried here". I can take photos and e-mail them to you.
All the best,
AndrewP
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puffin
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Hi Andrew,
Thanks for your kind offer . In fact I already have photos of the gravestone taken both before 1985 and after 1985 (when more names were added to the stone). As Russell's name is on the stone pre 1985 I had just assumed that he had also been buried there.
But now reading what I have seen from the french research my assumption has changed. I now believe that my grandfather arranged for Russell's name to be added to the gravestone some months or years after his son Russell had first been posted as missing after being shot down on the July 27th 1944.
I have contemporary newspaper cuttings, firstly a Nov.1944 Notice in The Scotsman,saying he is "reported missing", and then later in June 1945 this changes to be "offically presumed dead".
Russell's mother, Elizabeth Wright Lyon(nee Pealling) was the first buried here in the family grave in 1935.The grave and stone are therefore present from around then onwards.
So it makes sense that Russell's name is on this gravestone but just as " In Memoriam", having been added there later in the mid 1940's.
Thanks again
Puffin
Thanks for your kind offer . In fact I already have photos of the gravestone taken both before 1985 and after 1985 (when more names were added to the stone). As Russell's name is on the stone pre 1985 I had just assumed that he had also been buried there.
But now reading what I have seen from the french research my assumption has changed. I now believe that my grandfather arranged for Russell's name to be added to the gravestone some months or years after his son Russell had first been posted as missing after being shot down on the July 27th 1944.
I have contemporary newspaper cuttings, firstly a Nov.1944 Notice in The Scotsman,saying he is "reported missing", and then later in June 1945 this changes to be "offically presumed dead".
Russell's mother, Elizabeth Wright Lyon(nee Pealling) was the first buried here in the family grave in 1935.The grave and stone are therefore present from around then onwards.
So it makes sense that Russell's name is on this gravestone but just as " In Memoriam", having been added there later in the mid 1940's.
Thanks again
Puffin