Two Pals Remembered

Earlier this year, Low Parks Museum in Hamilton was host to the First World War partnership exhibition, Next of Kin, coordinated by National Museums Scotland. As part of this exhibition, a commemorative scarf was made by two volunteers from Hillhouse Parish Church. The hand-knitted scarf is a reference to the wartime effort by volunteers at home who would knit hats, scarfs, gloves and socks for the comfort of soldiers at the front.

Commemorative Scarf, created by volunteers for the ‘Next of Kin’ exhibition

The volunteers, Marion and Margaret, decided to create this scarf in the regimental colours of The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), green, blue, and black, and used a thick, ribbed pleating to echo the pleats of a piper’s kilt. They also added the name ‘James Lusk’ to the scarf; Captain James Lusk featured in our display as part of the Next of Kin exhibition. James was a native of Strathaven, South Lanarkshire, and a manager in the famous iron and steel company David Colville & Sons. Tragically, James died on 28th December 1915, of serious wounds he had received on Christmas Day while handing out cigarettes to the men in his battalion.

Captain James Lusk is commemorated on the scarf

While visiting The Cameronians displays in Low Parks Museum, Margaret had seen the objects on display that tell the story of Alexander Harris and William Wilson, who were the the subject of a previous blog post. Touched by the story of the two young pals, Margaret and Marion decided to add their names to the scarf.

The names of Alexander Harris and William Wilson were added to the scarf, fixed to the same piece of Douglas tartan cloth

Margaret said that she had been struck by “how these young pals had enlisted together for Kitchener’s New Army, just like so many friends from every town, village and city throughout the country.  The story of two ordinary boys who would become soldiers,  signing up together with consecutive service numbers, just like so many others whose stories have been forgotten, and how they would have trained and fought together and for one of them to ultimately die and just how devastating this must have been to the other.”

You can see the scarf on display at Low Parks Museum, alongside a photograph of Alexander and William.

We would like to thank Margaret and Marion for all their hard work.

The Next of Kin exhibition is currently on tour, for venue details and dates please see the National Museums Scotland website for details – http://nms.ac.uk/national-international/sharing-collections/touring-and-lending/next-of-kin/touring-exhibition/

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