As we approach the anniversary of the disbandment of the 1st Battalion The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), this letter from the museum collection might be of interest, especially to those Cameronians and their families and friends who attended the disbandment parade on 14th May 1968.
Letter from General Eisenhower in reference to disbandment of the 1st Battalion The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles).
It was sent to General Sir George Collingwood, then Colonel of the Regiment, on 26th April 1968, from General and former President of the United States of America, Dwight D. Eisenhower. During the Second World War, General Eisenhower had been Commander of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) from 1943-1945. The letter was written in reference to the upcoming disbandment of the 1st Battalion The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). In the letter, General Eisenhower sends his greetings to all those attending the Regimental Dinner on the eve of the disbandment service. This dinner was attended by 188 officers, guests and friends of the Regiment, and included among the Regimental Guests, General Count Thord Bonde of Sweden. General Bonde was Aide-de-camp General to King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden (the Colonel in Chief of The Cameronians), and was in Scotland to represent His Majesty at the disbandment parade.
General Eisenhower signs off his letter ‘With best wishes, and a salute to Comrades-in-arms of W.W.II, Sincerely, Dwight Eisenhower’.
May we take this opportunity to send warm greetings to all Cameronians, their families, and friends of the Regiment, many of whom will have their own personal memories of the disbandment of the 1st Battalion.
We are very proud to host Next of Kin: Scottish Families and the Great War, now open at Low Parks Museum in Hamilton. Next of Kin was developed by National Museums Scotland in partnership with nine other museums and heritage organisations across Scotland, including South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture, and was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Scottish Government.
The exhibition reveals the personal stories of separation and loss experienced by Scottish families and by communities with loved ones who were fighting abroad in the First World War.
In addition to the material on loan from National Museums Scotland, we have used a selection of objects from the museum collection to tell the story of James and David Lusk, members of a local family affected by the War.
Captain James Lusk, France c.1915
At the outbreak of the First World War, James Lusk was an officer in the 6th Scottish Rifles, one of The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) four Territorial Force battalions. In civilian life James was a director in the family business, David Colville & Sons iron and steel company. James’s battalion went to France on 21st March 1915.
From the beginning of the War, James wrote extensively to his brother David who was Presbyterian Minister at Oxford University. The letters describe life in the battalion while at their War Station in Falkirk, and active service conditions in France.
Sadly, as with so many family stories from the First World War, tragedy would soon strike. James was fatally wounded on Christmas Day 1915, and died three days later. Possibly inspired by the death of his brother, David Lusk would become a Chaplain to the Forces and serve with the British Army on the Western Front. The exhibition showcases some of the items kept by the Lusk family in memory of James, including his cap badge and identity disc.
The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) cap badge, worn by Captain James Lusk
The exhibition also features a selection of wartime newsreel clips of Scottish soldiers, and an audio presentation with spoken extracts from some of the written material that features in the exhibition. There are also two iPad interactives that contain material from partner venues where the exhibition has already been displayed.
The exhibition is open until March 29th and entry is free. Low Parks Museum is open 7 days a week – please do come and visit!
Remember, you can explore more of the museum collection, including more of the James Lusk collection, by using our Online Collections browser.
Packed with new songs and some old favourties that are intertwined with a Lanarkshire love story and the families’ struggle back home, The Rifles recounts the Cameronians harrowing experiences in France during the First World War.
A world premiere musical production by a large ensemble cast from South Lanarkshire High Schools supported by a live professional band. The Rifles is the brand new musical play from the creative team that brought the smash hit Divided City to Lanarkshire in 2013.
Part of South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture’s First World War Project:
Local Heroes – The Untold Stories of The Cameronians in their Own Words
Times: Thursday 5, Friday 6 and Saturday 7 November 7:30pm
This Sunday (11th October) will be your last chance to see “Cameronian Curiosities”, our temporary exhibition showcasing some of the weird and wonderful objects from The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) museum collections, on display in Low Parks Museum. We have some exciting new exhibitions and displays coming up in Low Parks Museum – watch this space for more updates!
If you haven’t been able to see the exhibition in the flesh, you can see some of the objects that feature in the display on our website – Cameronians Curiosities.
Don’t forget that you can also explore thousands of objects from the South Lanarkshire museum collections by using our online collections browser – Online Collection.
