Blantyre Soldiers fighting in WW1 won many awards and accolades but when a soldier at the front, John McKeeman did something remarkably brave and was not shown recognition by the army, local people later took it upon themselves to acknowledge his bravery. Lance Corporal John McKeeman, a soldier in the 1st Cameronians is the central […]
We know there were many thousands of men who were killed in WW1 but the women who severed in various occupations don’t seem to have received the same deserved recognition. What about Blantyre WOMEN who fought in conflicts? Catherine Connor was born in Blantyre in approx. 1894 and served with the Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps. Catherine died on 30 May 1918 aged […]
We can only imagine the horrors of war, and what state of mind many of the First World War soldiers were in when they were deployed to the trenches on the European Mainland. Blantyre man Hugh Boyle, from Auchentibber like other soldiers felt it necessary to draft a small will, knowing chances of death in […]
Remembering Blantyre WW1 soldier, Hugh Boyle His parents, James and Mary Boyle (nee MacKenzie) came to Blantyre from Bridgeton between 1896 and 1901. Employed as a coal miner, James and his wife moved to Peasweep Row at Auchentibber with their young son, Hugh Boyle, born in 1896. By 1901, Hugh had a brother James, aged […]
What a great WW1 photo of Arthur Leggat of Springpark, Auchentibber shared here by Isabella Fleming via Alex Rochead! I Wonder what the little separate satchels were for on the leather band around his chest? He was likely between 19-23 years old in that photo, assuming it was taken in war years. Arthur Leggat was […]
Well what a photo this is! Margaret Stewart has shared this photo which features a WW1 Artillery Squad. The photo was in her family album and although names are not known, it is likely that a family member was part of this group. Pictured in full uniform, these 21 men stand beside a gun, […]
Priestfield Hall, High Blantyre People are invited back to Priestfield Hall, High Blantyre at 3.30pm today, Sunday 11th November 2018 to hear Gordon Cook’s presentation about Auchentibber history. The event marking 100 years since the end of WW1 is being celebrated in true style, with the Community Council doing a fantastic job in decorating the […]
How utterly tragic it is to find young men who died right at the end of war, just weeks before armistice. Today, we remember Alexander Gillespie, one of 14 men honoured on the Auchentibber War Memorial. It seems fitting to post this today, not just because the memorial is being renovated but today is exactly […]