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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, , 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. Such approaches, however, were Weir golf club in Renfrewshire which not universal: not every place embraced the egalitarian ideal. While Buchlyvie in the Trossachs refused to include the names of its young listed their dead alphabetically and gave no detail other than professionals who died in arms because their names, other localities kept to the hierarchical. For instance, they were ‘not members’? Aberdour in Fife, whose memorial was a new church hall, placed the officers at the top of the memorial plaque. Why these differing local in what order were they to be ones to appear on the memorials. At practices? In truth we do not listed. Public memorials to those Stirling the memorial, unveiled in really know. Very few formal who fell in battle were essentially 1922 by western front commander- written minutes of local memorial a late-19th-century invention, in-chief General Sir Douglas Haig, committees (often adjuncts to embraced by cities and towns to by then a veterans’ champion, other town or civic committees) commemorate rank and file who originally was without names: but survive and each community would fell in Britain’s Imperial conflicts, a year later, in response to popular have to be studied independently but for which there remained a complaint and demand, four brass before any definite answer could be strict hierarchical demarcation plates were attached to the base offered or to see if the local press by rank. However, First World where all 667 known names were reported in detail on committee War memorials, commemorating listed in alphabetical order without discussions. That tensions did exist mass conscript armies, heralded a distinction by rank. Glasgow’s is almost certain. transition (though still incomplete) great granite cenotaph, flanked by Take, for example, Callander in to a more democratic practice recumbent imperial lions beneath Stirlingshire, a county in which in which all who fell were given a lowering sword, unveiled in partial memorial committee equal prominence and significance. 1924, has no names inscribed on minutes survive for only three of Georgian memorials had originally it; with over 18,000 dead there was its 29 parishes. In that relatively focused on the senior military simply not enough room. The roll wealthy town the minutes record figures of national importance; of honour includes rank, unit and that the ‘Comrades of the Great think of the various Nelson home address for each entry but is War’, a local veterans’ organisation, columns across the UK and Canada similarly democratic as the order withdrew from the memorial (including the one in Dublin blown of the roll is strictly by surname, committee in 1920 after it refused up by republicans in 1966), or and its full title is, ‘Roll of Honour to include the names of all who the similarly numerous statues of the Citizens of Glasgow who served rather than only those who to Wellington. With the Crimean died in the Great War 1914-18’. died, a point of disagreement (1853-56) and then the Boer The corporation was determined to echoed in a number of parishes Wars (1880-1, 1899-1902) the avoid drawing distinctions among throughout Scotland. Tensions contribution of all ranks began to its dead and emphasised that the in Callander were also briefly be recognised and in the case of military effort had been by a citizen heightened by controversy over the the latter especially the names of army. The foreword to the roll read: siting of their monument on ground all who fell tended to be included, donated by a wealthy landowner, though still in separate listings The fact that no distinction won although the simple mercat-cross of ‘officers, non-commissioned by officers or men indicated on the aesthetic of their completed stone officers, and men’. The Black Watch Roll may seem to call for a word of column and heraldic lion memorial, Memorial on Edinburgh’ mound is explanation. It early became apparent unveiled in September 1921, had a striking if typical example. that particulars of such honours been accepted after consultation could not be fully ascertained, and, with the (short-lived) Scottish War Naming the fallen rather than take the invidious course Memorials Advisory Committee, While memorials to individuals in of giving these in some cases and initiated by the Royal Scottish war have continued to be built, such not in others, the committee, after Academy to ensure quality-control as the statues to Bomber Harris due consideration, decided to omit of the physical memorials from an (1992) or SAS-founder David them altogether. That this was a wise artistic and architectural viewpoint. Stirling (2002), it can be argued decision will be conceded by those who There was some unhappiness, that the nature of the First World reflect that the Roll is mainly one, not too, at the manner of raising War with its catastrophic losses and of professional warriors, but of peace- subscriptions for the Callander citizen army demanded a collective loving citizens, who, called to arms by memorial with dances and sales- commemoration. And the public a great national peril, bore, each and of-work, common across Scotland, wanted the names of their loved all, their stern ordeal with an equal to be supplemented in this locality

HISTORY SCOTLAND - MAY / JUNE 2019 11 sources, as it were, and no-one While Buchlyvie in the Trossachs listed should wish to see them altered in any way, but changes can be made in the virtual world. On the website their dead alphabetically and gave no dedicated to the war memorials of West Lothian (https://scot.sh/ detail other than their names, other hswlothian) there are pictures of all the parish memorials which show localities kept to the hierarchical the variety of practice in the county – from the purely democratic as by door-to-door collection by boy The Glasgow roll of grew, so the democratic approach in Dalmeny (with names only, scouts which was in turn rendered honour, first published to memorialisation became the arranged alphabetically) to the awkward by the local newspaper’s in 1922 and giving norm. This, however, needs more strictly hierarchical as in Abercorn repeated publication of the names details of more than research. Certainly, to our eyes and Kirknewton & East Calder only of those donating £1 or more. 18,000 people who today there is something about (officers first). In every instance, It could be argued that as lost their lives in the a memorial where the names are however, when the names have time placed the war at a greater Great War distinguished – separated? – by rank been transcribed onto the website, distance and as scepticism about that jars. These memorials exist they have been arranged in simple the very purpose of the war as monuments and thus original alphabetical order.

Memorials and the community In this regard, parish and local civic memorials are very much a reflection of the communities which erected them, revealing much of the war-experience, politics, culture, economy and surviving demography of that community and locality. Thus, present-day researchers can often discern these unique characteristics and sensitivities in the fund-raising activities which supported most Scottish parish memorials completed c.1920- 27, and in the physical nature of the chosen monuments (often compromised by cost and size) and then the ceremony which accompanied its unveiling. In that regard, the local press remains a crucial source for historians alongside the military details of the fallen individuals to be gleaned from the open access databases of the Scottish National War Memorial or the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. These and other sources have been drawn on to great effect by a number of current projects cataloguing memorials and researching their histories and recorded names: not least the Scottish War Graves Project (http:// scottishwargraves.phpbbweb.com/), the War Memorials Trust (www. warmemorials.org/links-scotland/) and the ’s War Memorials Online (www. warmemorialsonline.org.uk/). In truth, however, in the years

12 were absent from the unveilings Bannockburn war Dr J.J. Smyth is Senior Lecturer in of the London Cenotaph and memorial with its History at the University of Stirling. SNWM), we must try to appreciate Highland soldier His research focuses on labour politics, the emotional experience for all statue, to which the business history and social issues in assembled – veterans, families, townspeople objected the 19th and 20th centuries, and is school children, clerics – of the the author of ‘Labour in Glasgow: prayers and music deployed in 1896-1936: Soocialism, Suffrage and these public ceremonies. The Last Sectarianism’. He has also collaborated Post, God Save the King and Scots with colleagues at Stirling on the project Wha Hae were typically played ‘Lest Scotland Forgets: Recording and sung at memorial unveilings Scotland’s Great War Memorials’. and subsequent Armistice Days across Scotland. But most striking Dr Michael Penman is Senior Lecturer of all were the piper’s laments, in History at the University of Stirling. particularly the traditional dirge His key interests lie in the political of Flowers of the Forest, echoing the history of medieval Scotland, and he lost 1914-18 generation back to has written political biographies of Scotland’s lost host at Flodden in both Bruce kings – ‘David II’ and 1513. Many are the contemporary ‘Robert the Bruce: King of Scots’. He sources which record the closing has also collaborated with colleagues at play of this piece as ‘the most Stirling on the project ‘Lest Scotland after the war there were perhaps heart-gripping moment of the Forgets: Recording Scotland’s Great few monuments across Scotland service’, and that ‘the mournful War Memorials’. which provoked a profound wail of the pipes seemed to renew emotional response when first an ancient grief’. unveiled, in and of themselves as Thus, the Scottish crowds FURTHER READING physical objects. Even when new who gathered at their memorials there was a traditionary familiarity in the inter-war years shared in G.T. Bell, ‘Monuments to the Fallen: in the popular iconography shared something of the intense personal Scottish War Memorials of the Great by hundreds of memorials in response recorded by John (Lord) War’ (University of Strathclyde PhD their chosen form of a Celtic Boyd Orr on hearing the pipes play thesis, 1993) cross, cairn or obelisk, up-turned this lament after the slaughter of sword or rifle, or soldier at rest his friends and comrades on the A Stirling 100 (University of Stirling (and Bannockburn parish in Somme in 1916: ‘I have never in exhibition, 2011), S. Bromage, M. Stirlingshire objected to their statue my life felt so unutterably sad’. Penman and J.J. Smyth (eds.) of a Highland soldier). That said, Flowers of the Forest would be there is arguably more poignancy played, too, at Haig’s funeral in The Silence of Memory: Armistice to be felt at a community’s loss on 1929, by which time it had become Day, 1919-1946 (Providence, 1994), A. viewing such a memorial as that Scotland’s musical presence at Gregory: https://scot.sh/hssilence of Elie in Fife, mounted on the Cenotaph ceremonies. And Lewis outer wall of the parish churchyard Grassic Gibbon would invoke Memorials of the Great War in and which records the fallen in its impact in his post-war novel, Britain: The Symbolism and Politics of alphabetical order along with their Sunset Song: Remembrance (Oxford, 1998), A. King: peacetime occupation, than there And then, as folk stood https://scot.sh/hsmemorials is in encountering the sheer scale dumfounded…the Highlandman and martial power of the SNWM in McIvor tuned up his pipes and began ‘Memorials and Locations: Local Edinburgh Castle, recording all of to step slow round the stone circle of versus National Identity and the the nation’s fallen by regiment and Blawearie Loch, slow and quiet and Scottish National War Memorial’, service. And of course, what most folk watched him, the dark was near, Scottish Historical Review, 89:1 (2010), naturally provoked an onlooker it lifted your hair and was eerie and J. Macleod, 73-95 to tears was sight of the engraved uncanny, the Flowers of the Forest as name of their own lost loved-ones. he played it. It rose and rose and wept ‘Catholics and Great War Yet what linked such small and cried, that crying for the men Memorialisation in Scotland’, Journal of village or great city memorials in that fell in battle. Scottish Historical Studies, 37:1 (2017), the first flush of remembrance was This should serve as a powerful D. Tierney, 19-51 their shared meaning of loss and reminder that, lest they be sacrifice and how those feelings forgotten as ‘urban wallpaper’, ‘Music, Emotion and Remembrance: were expressed and experienced Great War memorials are sites of Unveiling Memorials to the Fallen of from 1919 onwards. Here, far remembrance to be experienced on the First World War in Scotland’, Social more important than formal Armistice Day and with all History, 43:4 (2018), J.J. Smyth, 435-54. speeches by dignitaries (which the senses.

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