This year sees the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Great Britain entered the War on 3rd September 1939; after six years of bitter fighting on land, sea and in the air, the War finally ended in 1945. Germany surrendered to the Allies on 8th May 1945. Only after atomic bombs were dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, did Japan finally surrender on 15th August 1945, bringing the war to a final close.
A display of Highland Dancing in the liberated Belgian city of Ghent, March 1945, by men of the 2nd Cameronians.
Low Parks Museum had planned to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the War with a commemorative exhibition, exploring a number of personal stories and experiences of men from The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) and the Lanarkshire Yeomanry (with our friends in The Lanarkshire Yeomanry Group). Current events have sadly put the exhibition on hold for the time being but it is hoped we may be able to feature some of the planned content in the Museum at some point later in the year.
While the Museum itself is currently closed in line with Government guidelines, we will continue to bring you stories, photographs and collections content through the regimental collections blog. The material that would have formed the basis for our exhibition will be covered in a series of blog posts over the coming weeks and months. We will continue to highlight and promote new posts through the Low Parks Museum Facebook page, so please make sure to ‘like’ the Page to keep up to date with our latest content. We are always interested to hear of your own family stories, so if you have any photographs, stories or objects from the War that you would like to share, we’d love to see them on the Facebook page.
Our first Second World War – 75 yearsOn post will be landing very soon, so stay tuned!
There are literally hundreds of excellent photographs in the Cameronians regimental museum collection. One could argue that photographs are one of our richest resources, in that they provide visual documentation of the Regiment’s history, and the men who made it.
Unfortunately, we aren’t always able to make best use of a photograph as, to put it simply, we don’t know much about it; who does it show, when was it taken, what event is being depicted? For the majority of the photographs in the regimental collection, this information simply hasn’t been recorded.
At a guess, less than a quarter of the photographs in the regimental collection bear the names of the soldiers shown. Formal, posed, group photographs of a Company, Platoon or sports team might have a title and a date, but rarely individual names.
” ‘B’ Company, 2nd Battalion Boxing Team, Bordon, 1936″
All useful information, but sadly no names
Often a photograph has been pasted into an album with little or no caption, or has been removed from the mount that had the title recorded. If a photograph had been handed to the Regiment in times past, or to the museum in it’s infancy when still staffed by soldiers – there was often an assumed level of knowledge and familiarity with regimental photographs and so written details weren’t always deemed necessary. In other cases, the name of a soldier may have been written on the reverse of an image, but often without details such as when and where the photograph was taken. Often this is because the family member who may have donated the photograph didn’t know more than the name of the relative depicted – and even this might not always be certain. I’m sure many of us have old family photographs that we have inherited, with only a vague notion of which great-great granddad/granny/uncle or relative that we think might be shown. How many of us regularly lament the fact we didn’t pay more attention (or take written notes) when an older relative was relating family history stories to us, or pointing out faces in the family albums? I certainly do, and I should know better!
With that said, what can we do with these unidentified photographs? Luckily, with many military photographs there is usually always some detail that can be discerned as a starting point. The type of uniform worn can usually help establish, at the least, whether the sitter is a soldier, sailor or airman, and possibly also give us a rough period for when the photograph may have been taken. The more detail a photograph contains, especially in terms of uniform, the better chance we have of being able to identify things such as a regiment or battalion, time period, and possibly a location. There are many books covering this subject alone, not to mention some excellent online research guides that can be a useful starting point for those looking to research their own family photographs. The Scottish Military Research Group have an excellent guide aimed specifically for those with photographs of relatives in Scottish units – http://scottishmilitaryresearch.weebly.com/uploads/7/3/9/1/73918079/scottish_military_research_using_family_photographs.pdf
Not forgetting James Taub’s excellent blog post on the subject of identifying Cameronians in First World War photographs – http://cameronians.apps-1and1.net/srid/
With many photographs in the regimental collection, it has been possible to identify a particular unit or even identify individual soldier(s) by close examination of the detail on show.
“Guard of Honour to Douglas Haig when he unveiled the Memorial to the Regiment at Kelvingrove”
The above photograph is a perfect illustration of this. The title tells us that the group shown were Field Marshal Haig’s guard of honour when he unveiled the Regimental memorial at Kelvingrove Park (9th August 1924). A further note on the reverse of the image records that the men shown were from the 6th Battalion – one of the Territorial regiments of The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). All the men in this photograph are wearing medals related to service in the First World War; a number of those shown are awards given for gallantry, or long, meritorious service. The combinations of these awards, together with the ranks of the wearers at a given point in time, and the fact they are all from the 6th Battalion makes it possible for us to put likely names against some of the men shown. Trawling through seniority lists and other 6th Battalion notes in the Regimental magazine, The Covenanter, from the 1920s gives me potential names for seven of the men shown: rear row, second from left – CQMS A. Peat MM; front row, left to right – Sergeant John Stevenson DCM, MM, RQMS J. Hamilton, RSM J. J. Wall MM, MSM, Lieutenant A. Cullen, unknown CSM, CSM J. Williams MM, MSM, unknown CSM.
Sometimes one can be very lucky and hit the jackpot while searching through resources like The Covenanter. Take the photograph at the start of this article as an example – if you remember it was a photograph of the boxing team from ‘B’ Company, 2nd Battalion, taken at Bordon in 1936. Looking through The Covenanter magazine for May 1936 reveals a reproduction of this very photograph, along with an accompanying article, and, more importantly the names of the men shown.
The following photograph was donated by a relative of a Cameronian soldier, one of the group shown. In this instance, the name of the soldier has been recorded on the reverse; i.e. ‘Charles Henderson, extreme left, back row’. None of the other soldiers are identified, and the photograph is undated although the donor knew that their relative had served in the First World War.
Group photograph from the First World War – Charles Henderson, standing first left
The badges and other insignia on show, however, tell us much more. The badge worn on the upper arm, consisting of three coloured blocks (best seen on Charles, standing on left) is that worn by the 2nd Scottish Rifles while part of the 8th Infantry Division, from 22nd Sept 1914 until 3rd Feb 1918 when they moved to 20th Division. Some of the men also wear a wound stripe(s) on the lower left sleeve; this was introduced in July 1916. At least six of the men also wear a medal ribbon above the left-breast pocket, most likely that of the 1914 Star – these were first issued late 1917/early 1918 – the 1914/15 Star ribbon was identical to the 1914 Star, but this wasn’t issued for wear until 1919.
The more we work through our photographic collections while cataloguing, or researching exhibitions and displays, the more familiar we become with things such as regimental peculiarities of uniform, barrack buildings and background scenery at camps and training facilities, and of course, with individual faces. Close scrutiny of identified faces in labelled photographs has allowed to us to pick out the same soldier in other, unlabelled images. Quite often the presence of this ‘well kent face’ is enough to give us a potential unit identification (if looking at a group photograph), and a broad time period. The more we know about a photograph, the more useful it becomes in terms of illustrating the regiment’s history.
“Sjt’s Mess, 1923”
The excellent photograph above was simply labelled “Sjt’s Mess, 1923”. A search of our collections database revealed that there was another photograph in the collection with a similar title, that version being framed with the names of those shown printed on the mount. A physical check of this second photograph confirmed that the images shown were identical. What’s more – the framed photograph is extremely large and difficult to digitise due to it being behind glass; the unlabelled copy is small enough to scan and reproduces at a very high quality. Looking through the faces, several men were familiar and could be identified in other photographs. Sitting second from the left in the front row is Company Sergeant Major John Crymble.
Close-up of CSM John Crymble
If we look closer at the First World War photograph of the 2nd Battalion above, look who’s sitting in the front row…
Of course, researching a solitary photograph is a time consuming process with no guarantee of the results. We are careful nowadays to make sure we capture as much information about any object that comes into the museum collection, whether it be a photograph, medal, item of uniform etc. It is important that we carefully record who the item belonged to, when and how it was used, and any other important details relating to an objects history and it’s owner. With this in mind, it is worth taking the time to sort through any family photographs you have and add in any details that will someday prove invaluable to future generations, budding family tree researchers, and of course, museum curators!
A heavyweight both in the film industry and the historical world is 1917 directed by Sam Mendes and starring George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman. Without giving away too much of the plot, the film is set in April 1917 during Operation Alberich, the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line following the heavy fighting during the Battle of the Somme. Two young soldiers are sent with a message, ordering the 2nd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment to halt further attacks.
George MacKay as Schofield in 1917. Note the battalion flashes of the 2nd Devons.
British officers early in the film discuss trying to figure out if the Germans had completely abandoned their positions. While the question ‘where have the Germans gone?’ is explored through these two fictional individuals, it was a real situation facing the BEF in the Spring of 1917. A way which the BEF attempted to answer this question was through the liberal use of raids. One of the most famous photographs not only of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) but of the entire First World War was captured during one of these raids to gather more information on the enemy withdrawal. On 24 March 1917, B and D Companies of the 10th Scottish Rifles were captured by photographer John Warwick Brooke as they advanced to raid the enemy positions in their front.
Raids were commonplace up and down the British lines that Spring, but the one made by the 10th will remain one of the most famous in the history of the British Army solely through the series of photographs taken that day. The Battalion lost 3 Officers and 33 Other Ranks killed, wounded, or missing, most from British shells falling short.
Other battalions of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) experienced this confusing absence of Germans as well. The 2nd Scottish Rifles even served alongside the real 2nd Devons in 23 Brigade, 8th Division. On 15 March 1917, (several weeks earlier than the film is set), their story commenced with the 2nd Devons and 2nd West Yorks advancing upon reports of the enemy retiring in front. The 2nd SR themselves sent out a patrol under Second Lieutenant A.H. Ronan on the 18th finding the village of Moislains completely abandoned. When informed of this the Battalion Commander, Major Colin Robert Hoste Stirling sent forward C Company to take the position. The Scottish Rifles then advanced through Epinette Wood and Aizecourt-le-Bas, which was defended against counterattack on the 25th. That night the 2nd Scottish Rifles was to support the 2nd Devons during a night attack, however, this was called off. Perhaps part of the background for the film?
(L) Benedict Cumberbatch in 1917 wearing the flash of the 2nd Devonshire Regiment. (R) The Flash of the 2nd Scottish Rifles also of 23 Brigade, 8th Division
The 2nd Scottish Rifles continued alongside the 2nd Devons to attack Dessart Wood on 30 March, Gouzeaucourt on 12 April, Villers-Guislains, on 14 April, Gonnelieu, on 21 April, and La Vacquerie on 5 May. It was here that the Hindenburg Line was reached and the clear open warfare of the past few weeks, also seen in the film, was ended. The 2nd Scottish Rifles, while not explicitly depicted in 1917 were certainly nearby. The places in the film while not the factual locations of the 2nd Scottish Rifles, 2nd Devons, and the rest of 23 Brigade, are real and had a Cameronian presence during the Great War.
Écoust-Saint-Mein and Croiselles were both depicted in the film. The latter was being fought over by the 1st and 5/6th Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) during the same month in which 1917 takes place. Both attacked towards the village of Fontaine-lès-Croisilles (to the north-east of Croisilles itself) on 14 April. The objective of the Croiselles-Cherisy Road was not reached and both battalions suffered heavy casualties. Notable figures of the Regiment including Captain D. G. Moncrieff Wright, commanding A Company of the 1st were wounded. Acting CSM of D Company, John MacLaren Erskine, v.c. was killed alongside 4 Officers and 39 Other Ranks of the 5/6th. The two battalions of the Regiment would attack again on 16, 23, and 24 April before finally being relieved.
John MacLaren Erskine, V.C. Killed in Action 14 April 1917.
While the story of the film itself is a mix of fact and fiction, exploring the real units and places help connect the story of the regiment to the big screen. The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) were present on the Western Front during the timeframe of the film and took part in many of the actions related to the story. While viewing historical fiction is a form of entertainment, it remains a great tool to encourage the exploration of the actual events which took place!
This blog post was prompted by recent discussions on Facebook regarding the whereabouts of certain items of The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) regimental silver collection. Some veterans were curious as to where items of regimental significance ended up after the 1st Battalion’s disbandment in 1968, and so this blog post has been written to hopefully answer those questions and give something of an overview on the regimental silver collection from the time of disbandment to the present day.
Regimental silver laid out in the 1st Battalion’s Officers Mess, Maryhill Barracks, c.1913.
The disbandment of the 1st Battalion The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) has been touched on in a previous blog post and there is little need to go over it again in this post. Suffice to say, the decision to disband the 1st Battalion posed several logistical and administrative challenges. Chief among these must surely have been the small matter of the redistribution of officers and men from the 1st Battalion to other regiments and army corps. There was also the planning and organising required for the actual disbandment service itself – a high-profile yet sombre occasion of great significance that was attracting a high degree of media attention. While these considerable challenges were being faced, there was also the small matter of regimental property to consider.
In the March 1968 issue of The Covenanter (the Regimental magazine) the following article was published, under the title Disposal of Regimental Property:
Members of the Regiment will be wondering what will happen to our Regimental Property after the Disbandment of the 1st Battalion.
The bulk of the property in use with the 1st Battalion belongs to the Regimental Trust, and for so long as World Politics continue in their present fluctuating and critical state, there must always be a possibility that the Battalion might be resuscitated, however unlikely that this might appear today.
The Trustees have therefore decided (for the present, at any rate), to retain the bulk of our property. Utility items of Silver to equip a Battalion, will be stored, and the majority of the larger items will be loaned out where they will be appreciated, and where they will best serve to perpetuate the image of the Regiment. There will of course, also be a small requirement of items of historic interest, for the Regimental Museum.
At the same time however, there will be a certain number of smaller items which will be surplus to requirement, and which the Trustees are planning to dispose of, in order to supplement the Trust Funds. As almost all those items are from the Officers’ Messes of the two former Regular Battalions and the former 3rd and 4th Militia Battalions, the Trustees are anxious to give the serving and former officers of the Regiment the opportunity of bidding on favourable terms for those items before any attempt is made to dispose of them in the open market. In the case of the property of the two Regular Battalions, preference will be given to the bids of those who are, or were Regular Officers (or their close relatives), and in that of the 3rd and 4th Militia property, to the bids of our ex-Territorial Officers (or their close relatives).
The sorting, cataloguing and valuing of these possessions, is a complicated operation which the Trustees have in hand at the present time. Notification of the items available for sale, and the method of making bids for them, will be issued as soon as possible.
Having looked through the various lists, catalogues, insurance valuations, and correspondence generated through the cataloguing of the silver collection described above, I can confirm that it was indeed a complicated operation, especially when one considers the background of general upheaval under which this was carried out.
In the immediate run up to Disbandment, a number of formal presentations were made to high-profile persons linked to the Regiment, and to units with formal regimental affiliations. These were invariably items of silver, selected as being suitable for disposal. Included among these presentations were two pairs of silver goblets (a pair of 26th and a pair of 90th) to King Gustav of Sweden, the Colonel in Chief, a silver memento to Sir Alec Douglas-Home, and a small silver teapot to Lieutenant Colonel Leslie Dow, the last C.O. of the 1st Battalion. A number of silver bugles and regimental-pattern dirks were presented to the 7th Duke of Edinburgh’s Own Gurkha Rifles, the Witswatersrand Rifles, and the Rifle Brigade Depot.
Around this time, a number of silver items were also returned to officers who had originally presented them to the Regiment.
As outlined in the article quoted above, there was also a private sale of surplus silver items where serving and retired officers of the Regiment could bid on a small memento of their service. The items offered in this sale comprised mainly of small silver items, such as cutlery, ashtrays, table lighters, tableware etc., along with a selection of trophies and presentation cups deemed not to be of great regimental significance. Proceeds from this sale would bolster the Regimental Fund, and help pay for the long term storage and insurance of the remaining items being retained by the Regiment. Items not sold through this method were sold in a subsequent general sale at Christie’s.
A follow-up article in the June 1968 issue of The Covenanter recorded the presentation of larger items of regimental significance on loan to other regiments, corps, and institutions in order to help maintain the name of the Regiment:
After separating out the items which would be wanted for the Regimental Museum, the Trustees decided that, in order to keep the Regiment’s name to the fore, in as wide and as worthwhile circles as possible, and at the same time, to save the Regiment from the heavy expense of storing and insuring large quantities of Silver for an indefinite period, the remaining items should be offered on loan to responsible institutions which could be guaranteed to look after these treasures, to keep them insured, and to restore them to the Regiment if we should ever call for their return.
Some of the more significant of these items included the silver centrepieces of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Battalions. The 1st Battalion centrepiece was presented to Holyrood House, while the 2nd Battalion centrepiece was deposited with the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
Major General Hunt (right) with the 2nd Battalion’s centrepiece at RMC Sandhurst. Pictured on the left is Major Jim Burrell, a Cameronian officer who commanded Dettingen Company at Sandhurst when the presentation was made on 27 June 1968.
Other loaned items include the presentation of the Durand Cup, a famous football trophy won by The Cameronians in India in 1906, to Queen Victoria School in Dunblane, and six regimental side-drums to St. Bride’s Church in Douglas to name but a few.
In the years following the 1st Battalion’s disbandment, a number of smaller items of regimental silver were gifted to individual’s on their retirement from service. A number of additional items were also presented to various sporting clubs and institutions as prizes for competitions.
The regimental trustees organised a series of sales throughout the 1980s and into 1990 to help raise funds for the purchase of the Riding School and to redevelop the regimental museum. During these sales a number of larger silver items were sold, including a rams head snuff mull and the ‘St Vincent’ bowls made by Paul Storr. Reserve items from the museum collection were also sold, namely items of uniform and headdress and edged weapons.
The remaining regimental silver, along with the rest of the regimental museum collections, officially transferred in 2000 to South Lanarkshire Council, at the request of the regimental trustees and with approval and conditions set out by the Scottish Court of Session. Care of and responsibility for the collection now rest with South Lanarkshire Council and South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture (SLLC) who directly manage the collection on behalf of the Council.
Silver ‘Junk’, presented to the Band of the 1st Battalion by the Hong Kong Naval & Military YMCA, 1927. After Disbandment this item had been loaned to Motherwell Burgh Council. It was returned in 2009 and is now displayed in Low Parks Museum.
Since 2000, we have continued to monitor the regimental silver loaned to other regiments, corps and institutions at the time of disbandment, honouring the agreement set out by the Regiment at that time. In some instances, silverware has been returned from loan through mutual agreement with both parties. These situations have mainly arisen whereby the unit or institution to whom the item(s) had originally been loaned have faced amalgamation, downsizing, disbandment or closure, resulting in a need to streamline or dispose of property.
A large number of items remain on loan, including the 2nd Battalion Centrepiece which has been a feature of the Mess at Sandhurst since June 1968. Several pieces continue to form part of the Mess Silver of the unit to which they are loaned.
Some regimental silver currently on display in Low Parks Museum. The 4th (Milita) Battalion Centrepiece is to the left of the display case.
A broad selection of the regimental silver collection is currently on permanent display in Low Parks Museum. In 2009 a temporary exhibition titled ‘Precious’ showcased the regimental silver and for the first time since disbandment, reunited some of the loaned items that were temporarily returned for use in the exhibition. Silver items have since featured in several other exhibitions and temporary displays.
Regimental silver displays as part of the ‘Precious’ temporary exhibition, which was showcased in Low Parks Museum in 2009.
A large selection of the silver collection has been photographed, and can be viewed on our Online Collections browser – https://www.slleisureandculture.co.uk/info/206/online_collection . Using the term ‘regimental silver’ in a Quick Search will return a good number of these items.
On 30th July 1944, 9th Cameronians were destined to take part in the opening phases of Operation Bluecoat, the first move in the break-out from the Normandy beachhead.
15th (Scottish) Division’s objectives for 30th July were fairly ambitious and were broken into three phases; Phase I – Wick, Phase II – Elgin, and Phase III – Nairn. 9th Cameronians were tasked with Phase I, namely the capture of the French village of Sept Vents with the support of 4th Grenadier Guards Tank Regiment.
According to written orders issued on 29th July, it was expected that 9th Cameronians would secure their objective by 10am on the 30th. Unfortunately, things did not quite go to plan. The Regimental History starts it record of this action with the ominous words “Many misfortunes were experienced in this engagement”, while Lieutenant Colonel Villiers, Commanding Officer of 9th Cameronians, starts his diary entry for that day “We started today badly”.
There were delays in briefing the officers with the most up-to-date information in the hours before the attack was due to start. The knock on-effect of this was that some officers did not have sufficient time to brief their own men fully before ‘H Hour’. The consequence of this were fully felt when Major Peter Clarke, Officer Commanding ‘D’ Company, was wounded early in the action. His subordinates, lacking the full detail of the expected attack, struggled to keep on with their objectives.
Enemy resistance had also been under-estimated. 9th Cameronians received heavy shelling from German positions even as they approached the Start Line for the attack.
‘C’ Company took the wrong route to their objective which, although getting them there in good time, meant they had failed to clear a particular section of the village of Sept Vents en route. ‘B’ Company thus encountered additional resistance when making their way through the village, resulting in many casualties.
Unexpected mine-fields and delays in clearing this dangerous obstacle compounded the problems faced by the Battalion that day.
It was 12:30 before the Battalions objectives were secured and they could be employed to provide support to the units undertaking Phase II and III. While ultimately the day proved successful (the men having the thrill of hearing a BBC broadcast that evening describing their victory), the events of the day proved the potential difficulties they could expect to face. Colonel Villiers closed his diary entry that day with the telling statement:
“The battle was a good example of how many things can go wrong.”
The war diary for 9th Cameronians records that 14 men were killed on 30th July 1944. Among them was 27 year old Lieutenant George Alexander from Blantyre.
George was married and he and his wife Elizabeth had two young children. George was something of an “Old Sweat”, having first enlisted as a Rifleman in 6th Cameronians in February 1933. The 6th Cameronians were a Territorial Army battalion covering Lanarkshire – it’s headquarters were in Hamilton, where George was originally from.
George rose steadily through the non-commissioned ranks and by early 1941 held the rank of Colour Sergeant. In December 1942 he was selected for Officer training and posted to 161st O.C.T.U. George received his commission on 2nd April 1943 and was appointed to 9th Cameronians.
George was a Platoon Commander in ‘B’ Company at the time of his death. ‘B’ Company suffered heavy casualties when they met fierce German resistance centred around the church in Sept Vents.
This poignant letter in the Museum Collection was written by George’s widow, Elizabeth. It was written in response to a letter of sympathy she received after George had been killed.
I just can’t realise that now he’s never coming back. Everyone has been so kind, and they have all said that time will heal. But I don’t think that it really brings forgetfulness. It is only that a little of the soreness leaves the heart as the weeks go past. At first it seemed as though the bottom had dropped right out of my world, but now as I slowly return to normal, I am realising that his two sons are his sacred trust to me and please God, I shall be worthy of that trust. When I look at them, I know that he is not lost to me entirely.
Elizabeth goes on to say:
I had a letter from Col. Villiers last week. He was his C.O. in France. He said that he was killed in the action which ultimately led to the big push which we are now having. He was leading his men against an enemy strong point across the River Orne and he says that I can be proud that he died so heroically. God knows it didn’t take this to make me proud of him. He was buried with eight of his men in a small regimental cemetery in a lovely little orchard on the banks of the river. A cross has been erected over his grave and the name of the regiment, Cameronians, was written out in flowers at the foot of all their graves.
She finishes her letter with:
I hope that Isa’s, Bessie’s, and your husband are spared to come back to you, my hopes and dreams are buried in a little orchard somewhere in France.
Buried near Lieutenant Alexander in Bayeux War Cemetery is 36 year old Rifleman Thomas Walker, also from Hamilton, who died in the same action. Both men are commemorated on the memorial panels at Hamilton Town House; these were unveiled on 29th March 1953, The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) providing the Guard of Honour.
