Dunoon War Memorial Private Donald Roderick Ainsworth, 2nd Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, born at Morvern, Argyllshire, was the second son of William Ainsworth, a Gamekeeper, and Margaret Ainsworth, of 17 Gilbert Street, New Plymouth, New Zealand, formerly Post Office, Ardgour, Argyll. His siblings were John, Isabella, Janet and Henry. When he enlisted at Glasgow, he gave his residence as Hastings, New Zealand, so it would appear that he returned to Scotland in order to enlist in a Scottish regiment. This was not unusual and we have found many people who made similarly long journeys. He died on 24 September 1918, age 23, and is commemorated on the Vis-En-Artois Memorial, and the Hastings, New Zealand Cenotaph (left). Private Charles Aitken, 1st/5th Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, born in 1889 at Langbank, Renfrewshire, was the second son of Charles Aitken, a Gamekeeper, (died in 1922), and Margaret Aitken, (nee McNiven, born at Tobermory), of Sunny Bank, Ardentinny, Greenock, previously Gamekeeper's House, Langhouse, Inverkip. His siblings were John, Eva Catherine, James, Winifred, Alexander and Agnes. He died on 28 September 1918, and is buried in Voormezeele Enclosure No. 3. Private James Aitken, 1st/4th Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers, born in 1890 at Moffat, was the third son of Charles Aitken, a Gamekeeper, (died in 1922), and Margaret Aitken, (nee McNiven, born at Tobermory), of Sunny Bank, Ardentinny, Greenock, previously Gamekeeper's House, Langhouse, Inverkip. His siblings were John, Eva Catherine, Charles, Winifred, Alexander and Agnes. He died of wounds on 19 July 1915, age 25, and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial. Private Robert Rennie Smith Aitken, 17th Battalion Highland Light Infantry, born on 27 March 1897 at 516 Govan Street, Glasgow, was the eldest son of Robert Smith Aitken, a Tube Works Engineer's Mechanic, and Elizabeth Rennie Aitken, of Willesden, Mart Street, Dunoon. They were married on 5 June 1896 at Dunoon. His siblings were, John, James and Hugh. He died on 26 June 1917, age 20, and is buried in Ramscappelle Road Military Cemetery. Private Alexander Lang Allan, 5th Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), born on 20 February 1891 at Dunoon, was the fifth son of Arthur Lang Allan, a Grocer and Wine Merchant, of Langlands, Royal Crescent, Dunoon. His siblings were Mary, Euphemia, William, Arthur, John, James, Ann and Alexander He died on 14 June 1915, age 22 and is buried in Houplines Communal Cemetery Extension. On 19 June 1915, the Glasgow Herald reported: Intimation has been received by his parents in Dunoon that Private Alexander Allan, 5th Scottish Rifles, has been killed. The information was conveyed in a letter of sympathy sent by the chaplain. Private Allan, who was about 22 years of age, joined the Scottish Rifles last November, and after three months training was sent to the trenches. He is the youngest son of Parish Councillor A. L. Allan, grocer, Hillfoot Street, Dunoon. Private Andrew Allan, 4th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders, formerly Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, born in 1899 at Dunoon, was the second son of Andrew Allan, a Life Assurance Agent, and Isabella Allan, of North Edward Street, Woodburn. His siblings were Mary, Margaret, John, Robert, David, Isabella, Jane, Georgina and James. He died on 13 April 1918, and is commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial. Private George C Anderson, 1st/7th Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, born in 1877 at Govan, Glasgow, was the youngest son of Robert Anderson, a Grocer, and Agnes Anderson, of 6 Strone Terrace, Govan, Glasgow. His siblings were John, Jessie, Archibald, Elizabeth and Mary. In 1901, George was employed as a Butcher, living with his widowed mother at 38 Gardner Street, Govan. He died of wounds on 16 March 1917, age 40, and is buried in Aubigny Communal Cemetery Extension. Private Gordon S Anderson, 1st/5th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders, born in 1899 at London, was the younger son of Stewart Anderson, a Boot Manufacturer, and Emily Anderson (nee Lamb), of Ellengowan, Sandbank, Dunoon, and also at Cowley, Middlesex. His siblings were Ella, William, Vera and Constance Alexandra. On 23 July, the 5th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders sustained heavy casualties at the Bois de L'Aulnay and on the sunken road from Espilly to Marfaux. It seems likely that Gordon was wounded there. He died of wounds on 25 July 1918, age 19, and is buried in Terlincthun British Cemetery, Wimille. Constance Alexandra was named as sole beneficiary in his will. Second Lieutenant James Skelton Anderson, 21st Battalion King’s Royal Rifle Corps, born on 4 September 1897 at London, was the eldest of Sir Kenneth Skelton Anderson, KCMG, and Lady Louisa Mary Anderson, of Stamford House, Wimbledon Common, London and Ardartaig House, Loch Striven, about eight miles from Dunoon. His siblings were Kenneth Angus (see below) and Hew Skelton. Educated at St Aubyn's, Rottingdean, and Harrow, he was gazetted Second Lieutenant on 26 August 1915 and served in France from 5 May 1916. James was wounded in action on the Somme on 7 October, and died of his wounds at a Casualty Clearing Station, near Albert, on 10 October 1916, age 19. He is buried in Heilly Station Cemetery, Mericourt-L'abbe. Sir Kenneth, Chairman of the Orient Steam Navigation Company, was President of the UK Chamber of Shipping in 1915, and on numerous committees concerned with Art, Fisheries, Shipping and Education before and during the Great War, and a member of the Shipping Control Committee 1915-21. One of the Orient vessels, HMS Otranto was an armed merchant cruiser requisitioned by the Royal Navy in 1914. Built before the war for the UK–Australia run as the SS Otranto, she was primarily used during the war to search for German commerce raiders. She played small roles in the Battle of Coronel in November 1914 when the German East Asia Squadron destroyed the British squadron searching for it and in the Battle of the Falklands the following month when a British squadron annihilated the Germans in turn. Apart from brief refits in the UK, Canada and Australia, she remained on this duty until early 1918 when she became a troopship. During a severe storm off the Isle of Islay in late 1918, she was rammed by another troopship and forced ashore by the storm, killing 470 passengers (American soldiers) and crewmen. Ardtaraig House On the Cowal peninsula, Ardtaraig is located on the eastern shore of Loch Striven, a half-mile from its head and eight miles northwest of Dunoon. With its beginnings as a traditional farm-house built around 1788, it was extended in a grand style between 1914 and 1935 as a pastiche of a 17th century Scottish laird's house, complete with steeply pitched roof, crow-stepped gables and pepper-pot turrets. The result is a mansion of two storeys and an attic. The estate was bought by Sir Kenneth Anderson in 1912 who began the extensions but lost interest when his sons were killed during the First World War. The estate passed to a cousin in 1923, was used as an Officers' Mess by the Navy during World War II and was bought by the families of two further cousins in the 1960s and is now managed on their behalf through a trust. Midshipman Kenneth Angus Anderson, Royal Navy, born on 13 November 1898 at Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, was the second son of Sir Kenneth Skelton Anderson, KCMG, and Lady Louisa Mary Anderson, of Stamford House, Wimbledon Common, London and Ardartaig House, Loch Striven, about eight miles from Dunoon. His siblings were James Skelton (see above) and Hew Skelton. He was educated at St Aubyn's School, Rottingdam, and entered Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, in September 1913. On the outbreak of war in August 1914, he joined HMS Bulwark, and lost his life when that ship was blown up at Sheerness on 26 November 1914. Bulwark was attached to the Channel Fleet, patrolling in the English Channel. On 26 November 1914, while anchored near Sheerness, she was destroyed by a large internal explosion with the loss of 736 men. Two of the 14 survivors died later in hospital. The explosion was likely to have been caused by the overheating of cordite charges that had been placed adjacent to a boiler room bulkhead. Lance Bombadier Jens (not James) Ernest Charles Andreson (not Anderson), 254th Siege Battery (TF), Royal Garrison Artillery, born on 5 April 1895 at Royal Hotel Cottages, Innellan, was the son of Jens Carl Christian Ernst Andreson, a Hotel Clerk, born in Copenhagen and naturalised British, and Jessie Andreson, of Royal Hotel Cottages, Innellan, later of 164 Milton Avenue, East Ham, London. His siblings were John and Margaret. He died on 25 June 1918, and is buried in Les Baraques Military Cemetery, Sangatte. Private James Armstrong, 1st/8th Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, born in 1884 at Dunoon, was the younger son of Robert Armstrong a Carting Contractor, and Margaret Armstrong, of Brooklyn Place, Glebe Lane, Dunoon. His siblings were Thomas, Ann, Elizabeth and Helen. He was killed in action on 13 November 1916 and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. Private Robert Austin, 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders, born in 1899 at Kilmun, Argyllshire, was the son of William C. Austin, and Jane Austin, of Garden House, Creggandarroch, and after the war Ferndean Cottage. Cove. Dumbartonshire. His siblings were Mary, Elizabeth, William and Margaret. He was killed in action on 1 October 1918, age 19, and is buried in Flesquieres Hill British Cemetery. The battalion war diary records an operation to take Romilly from 31 September 1918 to 2 October 1918 during which heavy casualties were incurred. The diary writer comments that the battalion was extremely weak when the operation was undertaken and almost entirely devoid of senior NCOs, and few officers had any experience.