Scotland's Great WAR Memorials

View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Stirling Online Research Repository GREAT WAR MEMORIALS Scotland’s Great War memorials Dr J.J. Smyth and Dr Michael Penman discuss Scottish Great War memorials, asking what the huge volume and diversity of memorialisation projects can tell us about the way Scots sought to remember and commemorate their dead in the immediate aftermath of war hat constitutes Causewayhead This was a sentiment given lessons could also be learned. a ‘war memorial, 1923 greater impetus by the emotional The memorial, and especially its memorial’? impact of the monolithic Cenotaph unveiling ceremony, could be seen The answer erected in Whitehall, London, at as a celebration of victory but it was most people first a temporary structure of wood likely more often seen as a warning would give, we think, would be and card, for Peace and Armistice that this ‘war to end all wars’ must Wto refer to any or all of the civic Day ceremonies in 1919. By far never be repeated. or parish memorials that are the majority of parish and civic There were, however, many ubiquitous in the villages, towns memorials were proposed, funded, other memorials to the fallen; often and cities throughout Scotland. designed, built and unveiled in its utilitarian rather than monumental, These monumental structures, even wake over the next five or so years. driven by a desire to make when relatively modest, were paid Typically situated in a prominent reparation by providing a service for and constructed by communities position or public thoroughfare to the community. Such practical acting through civic committees in an urban centre, often close by commemoration could include or local authorities to mark the a church or civic buildings, these buildings – a village hall, a cottage gratitude felt towards those who monuments would constantly hospital – that were intended to fell. If that ‘ultimate sacrifice’ remind the population of those be permanent, while others could was not to be forgotten then the who had fallen and the debt be more ephemeral – workshops collective memory of it had to be owed by the living. If that was the for unemployed veterans, school given a physical manifestation. primary message intended, other bursaries, a bus stop, gas or 8 HISTORY SCOTLAND - MAY / JUNE 2019 GREAT WAR MEMORIALS electrical lighting, or even just a monetary collection towards a good How many of us are aware of the large cause linked to the war. As well as the general locality, across which the shared ambition memorials to railwaymen situated was to commemorate everyone, there were huge numbers of private in Glasgow Central and Edinburgh bodies and institutions which wished to acknowledge their dead Waverley stations? also: schools, regiments, churches, societies, businesses, banks, post- offices, landed estates, sports clubs, original building remains and fulfils Memorial to the Great which refused to include the etc. In most instances, though not the same purpose, a memorial can War fallen of Aberdour, names of its young professionals all, these would be more modest easily be lost from sight. There are with names listed in who died in arms because they memorials, like a bronze plaque or any number of buildings, including alphabetical order were ‘not members’? a stained glass window. These are churches, where panels listing the also, simply by the constant change fallen of the congregation have Buchylvie War Memorial, Civic and parish memorials in population, the decline of certain become partially or completely unveiled on 30 October All memorials provide a link to the communities, and the closure or re- obscured. How many of us are 1920 with 26 past, but it is the civic or parish location of companies, schools and aware of the large memorials to names engraved and memorials which are the most so on, the more likely to have been railwaymen situated in Glasgow listed in alphabetical publicly visible reminders of the forgotten, lost or even destroyed. Central and Edinburgh Waverley order. Two further names loss suffered by communities, Of course many do still exist, stations? Furthermore, such are listed at the base to both in terms of their physical and even where a school, hospital private or sectional memorials are, honour the fallen of the presence and that they always or church has moved into a new by their very nature, exclusive; they Second World War sought to be inclusive. So much building, the memorial could commemorate the fallen members so that a casualty could be listed be transferred (have a look, for of a particular group only. In on more than one memorial; the example, at the Royal Bank of most instances this exclusiveness place they were born and the place Scotland’s relocation of memorials is unremarkable and inoffensive, from which they enlisted or were when branches close (https://scot. but what are we to make of Bridge conscripted. This sentiment is sh/hsrbs). But even where the of Weir golf club in Renfrewshire witnessed also in the large numbers HISTORY SCOTLAND - MAY / JUNE 2019 9 of names of men who served in Glasgow Central the conflict by streets, local a roll of honour for those who fell. Commonwealth forces included Station First World War communities and congregations, After the armistice, in order to in Scottish memorials, most often and Second World War or, after 11 November 1918, finalise the roll, the corporation Canadian or ANZAC. Emigration memorial information provided by schools, put up the names they had on was not seen as a break with their employers and, of course, families. boards which were displayed in place of birth. The editor of the Stirling Observer, the public libraries across the city. While such memorials are the best in response to readers’ complaints Appeals were made for people to source for at least beginning a local about the absence of any coverage check that their relation was on study of the war and its impact on of the death of their relations, the list and that their details were a community, they are not without explained that the paper was reliant correct. In this ad hoc process their own difficulties. The church upon the public providing that names were inevitably missed. of Scotland and the united free information: and when it did, these A relation of one of the authors church played very prominent parts letters from commanding officers of this piece, Denis Brogan, who in the construction of memorials and comrades to the bereaved was born in Glasgow but served and their unveiling ceremonies, families were often printed in the Inniskilling Fusiliers, is not much more so than the other in full, providing remarkably on the city’s roll of honour but christian denominations. Their joint uncensored and moving details is included in the names on the activity would seem to have been of the circumstances of their SNWM. The reason for his absence part of the process of protestant loved one’s death and its impact on the former can only be guessed re-unification eventually finalised upon their fellows in war. Thus at; was his widow, left with a young in 1929. The church of Scotland local newspapers – which often child, too traumatised to check saw commemoration as part and printed christmas or end-of-year her husband’s name or otherwise parcel of its role as the ‘national’ special issues compiling portraits alienated by the predominance of church and often memorials would and details of the dead for the protestant authority in overseeing be located in the grounds of, or previous twelve months – remain a post-armistice commemoration (a adjacent to, the parish church. At vital and direct source for anyone feeling naturally heightened by the times a memorial might be within researching the Great War’s impact legacy of the 1916 Easter rising in the church, as at St Michael’s in upon a community. Ireland)? The reason for Denis’s Linlithgow, or the memorial could Once the grave scale and likely inclusion on the latter is because be the church itself, as with the duration of sustained loss became the SNWM contacted all Irish ‘restoration’ of St John’s in Perth. apparent by the spring of 1915, regiments for details on the Scots This, of course, raises the question communities – indeed even national included in their ranks. of how other denominations bodies – began to propose and Once a list had been compiled responded. The ecumenicalism that organise for more permanent a decision had to be taken as is a feature of Remembrance Sunday memorials and remembrance. to how the names were to be now was not in evidence in the inter- Glasgow corporation decided in the presented, what details (if any) to war period. That memorial events autumn of 1915 to begin compiling include and, most importantly, became religious services made it difficult for catholics to attend, even at the unveiling of the Scottish National War Memorial (SNWM) in 1927, although the clergy of neighbouring St Mary’s cathedral in Edinburgh had been invited to attend that ceremony (despite being excluded from the SNWM committee). And while the free church did attend on that occasion it was absent from many others; its calvinism was uncomfortable with the notion that their sacrifice has secured a place in heaven for the fallen. Even though civic memorials were intended to include all the children of a parish, not all names were listed. At heart, this was because neither the war office nor the individual service arms provided an official roll call of those who died. Memorial committees had to compile their own lists from newspaper reports, paper rolls of honour kept throughout 10 HISTORY SCOTLAND - MAY / JUNE 2019 What are we to make of Bridge of measure of courage and constancy.

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