HILLHEAD HIGH 5CH00I WAR MEMORIAL VOLVnE 3a rstef. II . a.. National Library of Scotland UllllUllHIllll *B000502274* L«3P Hillhcad High School Wrr Memorial Volume PUBLISHED BY THE HILLHEAD HIGH SCHOOL WAR MEMORIAL COMMITTEE 1921 PRINTED BY WILLIAM HODGE AND COMPANY, LIMITED GLASGOW AND EDINBURGH PREFACE. Little requires to be said by way of introduction to this volume. Those gallant men, old pupils of Hillhead High School, whose names are here recorded, have fashioned their own memorial in deeds that have no need of ornament. But it is right and fitting that their old School, which bore so large a part in moulding their character, should wish to honour and perpetuate the names of those whose shining valour has ennobled both them and her. The spirit of self-sacrifice that they showed was not created by the war. It but gave an opportunity for the display on a world-wide stage of qualities already acquired in the home, in the School, on the playing field, in the warehouse, the workshop, and counting house. The 945 names here recorded comprise, so far as has been ascertained, all former pupils who served in the war. All ranks and all arms of the Service are repre- sented and all the fighting fronts. By far the larger portion of them joined up from the homeland, but from the ends of the earth, over dividing mountains and across estranging seas, our old boys rallied to the call. This volume, together with the mural tablets in the School Hall, is specially intended as a memorial of those who fell. They number, so far as known, 175, and it is only an act of seemly piety that the inheritors of their places and of their traditions should reverently scan the long array and seek to make the names there enshrined familiar as household words. Death came to them in every guise—in the air, on the land, on the sea. Their graves are severed by vast distances and by a waste of seas, but, sepulchred near or far, they have all a common resting place in the grateful hearts of their countrymen. It is our joy and pride to be of the same blood, children of a common mother, and it is our hope and prayer that all future generations of pupils will take knowledge of them and carry forward their torch of high endeavour. CONTENTS, Preface, Extracts from School Magazine— The Call to Service, 1915, - - - - - - 7 Victory—Christmas, 1918, - - - - - 8 Synopses— A. —Roll of Service, - 10 B. —Regimental Analysis, - - - - - - 10 C. —War Honours, - - - - - - - 13 D. —Pro Patria, - ...... 13 Roll of Service, -------- 14 War Honours, --------- 52 Pro Patria— A. —List of Fallen, ------ 62 B. —Memorial Tablet, ---.... 73 C. — Portraits, -------- 74 D. —Biographies, - ----.-. 119 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/hillheadhighscho1921hill Extracts from School Magazine. THE CALL TO SERVICE 1915. This issue of the School Magazine is essentially a War Number. The great world drama now being unfolded on so many widely separated stages rivets all our attention, and absorbs all our thought. Nothing else matters. And so the Magazine is shorn of many of its old features, and is largely devoted to our old pupils who have responded so nobly to the call for service. Let it not be forgotten that the homes from which our boys went forth to war were in no sense military or militant. So far as I know, only one of our old boys was in the Regular Army when war began. Their interests and their parents' interests, like those of the great mass of the nation, were all along the lines of peaceful pursuits. Not one of them, I am sure, ever looked for the daily routine of their lives to be broken by even the distant singing of a bullet. Yet when the call of duty came, loud, clear, insistent, our youth sprang to arms as if fighting had been their profession. This spontaneous response of a free and peace-loving people (for our boys were but typical of the great mass of the people) has never been equalled in the world's history, and is proof that the great heart of the nation still beats true to the best and highest traditions of the past. The School may well be proud of the splendid lead given by its former pupils. The Roll of Honour now contains the names of almost 600 pupils, of whom 200 hold commissions. The number of the latter would have been much greater had the response of our boys to the first call been less prompt and general. They did not wait for commissions, but with a pure and unselfish patriotism joined the ranks at once, qualified though they were by education, character, and training for commis- sioned rank. As privates and non-commissioned officers they have made themselves so invaluable that commanding officers can hardly be persuaded now to part with them. These privates of the first hundred thousand hold a specially warm place in the affection of the School. A scrutiny of the Roll of Honour shows that it has been recruited from many lands. The Homeland, of course, comes first, but Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, the States, South America have each sent a quota, proving that the Motherland has still the gift of keeping alive, across estranging seas, round half a world, the love and reverence of her sons. In addition to Artillery, Engineer, Army Service Corps, and R.A.M.C. units, 62 different regiments, Scottish, English, Irish, Colonial, are represented on the list, and our old boys will be found fighting in every section of our " far-flung battle line." Ten members of the staff are already on the Roll, and others are ready to go when the Education Department grants them permission. This depletion of the staff places a severe strain on those 7 Hillhead High School who remain, but the pupils are reported to be quite satisfied with the amount of attention they still receive. The School deeply regrets to record that 29 of her gallant sons have already laid down their life for King and country. We grieve for them cut off when life was just opening out before them, life in some cases already of bright achievement, in all of high promise. The School in respectful sympathy sorrows with the relatives and friends, but with sorrow is mingled a just pride that when the call came they were found faithful even unto death. Like Crusaders of old, they have fallen in defence of a pure and lofty ideal, and have won for themselves a glory that grows not old. It will be the duty and the high privilege of their old School to treasure through all generations the memory of their splendid loyalty, devotion, and self- surrender, and to take ever-fresh inspiration from their example. The part played by our former girl pupils is all too inadequately represented by the few names on the Roll of Honour. Yet, in a sense, it is better so, for it throws into high relief the fact that it is impossible to record the names of all our girls who are giving whole-hearted service at this time, for their name is legion. When the full history of the war comes to be written, not the least splendid of its pages will be that recording the self-sacrificing labours of women. Their infinite resource in service, their courage in trial, their fortitude in sorrow have given a new dignity and an added meaning to the name of woman. The School salutes its devoted daughters. The School salutes its gallant sons. God guard, and bless, and keep them. VICTORY-CHRISTMAS, 1918. It has been well said that in all things we are unequal to the events of this hour. " Not only are we unable to express what we feel, we cannot even feel what we would express." The past four years seem like a hideous nightmare from which we have awaked still dazed and stupefied. During that time disappointment, defeat, and grave vicissitudes of fortune have largely been our portion. The Schoolboy point of view of our experience was ingenuously expressed by one pupil who com- plained that German schools were always having victory holidays, while up almost to the last we had not a single one. And owing to the lack of imagination on the part of the Government the first and last holiday petered out in somewhat inglorious fashion. All through these testing days the very stars in their courses seemed to conspire against us. Again and again the elements appeared leagued with our enemies, and rain, fog, snow, robbed us of the victory that was our due. It is no wonder therefore that many hearts began to faint and fail, and some even in high places were heard to whisper that victory was impossible, or that a draw was the best that could be hoped for. Fortunately, others were made of sterner stuff. During the siege of La Rochelle the citizens were reduced to such extremities that the Mayor and some of his councillors spoke of surrender, and even appointed Victory—Christmas, 1918 envoys to ask for terms from the enemy. A more resolute section, however, took matters into their own hands, deposed the Mayor, and elected in his stead a bluff sea captain. On taking his seat for the first time in the Council Chamber he laid on the table a ponderous pistol. " What is that for? " said some of the members. " That is for the first man who talks of surrender," replied the grim old seaman.