Scotland`s War Memorials
Angus
I have a large collection of War Memorial images, both in the UK and abroad and this section is due to be revamped with memorials listed in their respective regional locations etc* This page covers War Memorials in the City of Perth itself while another section covers memorials in the county of Perthshire etc (LINK*).
Intro etc *
*Page under construction*
Glamis
This war memorial stands at the junction of Charleston Road and the A928 Dundee Road in Glamis village, best known for its fine castle which was the childhood home of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.
A retired lady, originally from Glamis, has researched each of the men listed on the memorial and compiled an 120 page folder on the casualties which has been presented to the Angus Folk Museum located in the village. The Black Watch Museum at Balhousie Castle also have a copy. The information on each of the personnel has since been made available on the Scottish War Memorials Project website: Click Here to view.
At the top of the casualty list on the WW1 panel is Captain The Honourable Fergus (Bowes) Lyon, 8th Battalion, Black Watch, who was killed in 1915 during the Battle of Loos. He was the brother of the late Queen Mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, wife of George VI, mother to the present Queen Elizabeth. His loss is thought to have affected the Queen Mother deeply and it is said to be the reason why she placed her bridal bouquet on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Westminster Abbey as she entered before the ceremony.
Fergus Bowes-Lyon was shot several times and struck by shellfire which blew off one of his legs as he led an attack on the German lines. He died of his wounds on the field and was buried in a quarry at Vermelles. Although this quarry was later adopted as a war cemetery the location of his burial place was lost so he was initially recorded among the names of the Missing on the Loos Memorial.
The first name listed on the Second World War panel also has Royal connections. Captain The Hon John Patrick Bowes-Lyon, `Master of Glamis` who had been serving with the Scots Guards when he was killed in action, aged 31, at Halfaya Pass on 19 September 1941 was a cousin of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
A retired lady, originally from Glamis, has researched each of the men listed on the memorial and compiled an 120 page folder on the casualties which has been presented to the Angus Folk Museum located in the village. The Black Watch Museum at Balhousie Castle also have a copy. The information on each of the personnel has since been made available on the Scottish War Memorials Project website: Click Here to view.
At the top of the casualty list on the WW1 panel is Captain The Honourable Fergus (Bowes) Lyon, 8th Battalion, Black Watch, who was killed in 1915 during the Battle of Loos. He was the brother of the late Queen Mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, wife of George VI, mother to the present Queen Elizabeth. His loss is thought to have affected the Queen Mother deeply and it is said to be the reason why she placed her bridal bouquet on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Westminster Abbey as she entered before the ceremony.
Fergus Bowes-Lyon was shot several times and struck by shellfire which blew off one of his legs as he led an attack on the German lines. He died of his wounds on the field and was buried in a quarry at Vermelles. Although this quarry was later adopted as a war cemetery the location of his burial place was lost so he was initially recorded among the names of the Missing on the Loos Memorial.
The first name listed on the Second World War panel also has Royal connections. Captain The Hon John Patrick Bowes-Lyon, `Master of Glamis` who had been serving with the Scots Guards when he was killed in action, aged 31, at Halfaya Pass on 19 September 1941 was a cousin of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Montrose
This memorial loc`n * in Montrose honours Bamse - The Norwegian Navy`s Legendary Teddy Bear! During World War 2, this huge Norwegian Sea Dog became not only something of a local celebrity in Montrose and Dundee but ended up a world famous mascot of the Royal Norwegian Navy and Free Norwegian Forces. Bamse, (Norwegian for `Teddy Bear`) was a St Bernard dog, born in 1937. His owner was Captain Erling Hafto of the Norwegian Navy and Bamse accompanied him when he went to sea on his ship, the Minesweeper Thorodd.
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The Captain registered Bamse as an official crew member and it didn`t take long before the dog became a great favourite of everyone when the warship called in at it`s home ports of Montrose and Dundee. It was well known that as soon as action stations were sounded at sea, Bamse would stand guard in the forward gun turret and refuse to budge until hostilities had ended which unsurprisingly proved a great morale booster.
This illustrated information panel beside the statue tells the full story and shows a map of Montrose with points of interest relative to Bamse`s time spent ashore. These shots of the Minesweeper Thorodd and Bamse are on the panel. // Bamse ready for action, complete with personalised tin helmet! // Above: Having a bath onboard ship.
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It was when the crew were ashore off-duty that Bamse really proved his worth. He would break up fights between crewmen by placing his paws on their shoulders which had a calming influence and round up the Thorodd`s crew just before they were due back on ship, calling in at the various pubs around town, including the one below, and barking to ensure that the sailors returned before curfew.
Bamse also saved a young Lieutenant who was being attacked by a knife wielding assailant and rescued a sailor who had fallen overboard. No doubt the dog never went short of `Scooby snacks`! His crew even clubbed together and bought him a bus pass which hung around his neck and bus drivers always stopped to see if he needed a lift! |
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Bamse died on the dockside at Montrose in 1944 and was buried with full military honours. The picture above shows the Thorodd`s crew at the funeral service which was attended by hundreds of Norwegian sailors, Allied service personnel and townsfolk including school children from Montrose and Dundee. The Royal Norwegian Navy stills holds a commemorative ceremony to honour their remarkable dog every ten years.
In 1984, Bamse was posthumously awarded the Norges Hundeorden for his magnificent war service and in 2006 he also received the PDSA Gold Medal, also known as the `Animals` George Cross`, for Gallantry and Devotion to Duty. He is the only animal from WW2 to have received this honour. Bamse`s medals can be seen at the Montrose Air Station Heritage Museum and further information can be found on this dedicated website: www.bamsemontrose.co.uk. |
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This fine memorial, `The Seafarer`, erected in 1978, is a tribute to the fishermen and seamen of Montrose and Ferryden. The figure`s sculptor was William Lamb, a native of Montrose.
Additional images and information can be found on my blog, Clydeside Images.com. Further War Memorial and Military History content, not exclusively relating to Scotland, may also feature in the galleries of individual countries on this site. Also, check out my Stock Photography Archive for even more shots.