Scotland`s War Memorials
Ayrshire
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* War Memorials in North and South Ayshire are covered here.
Ayr
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info*
Dalmellington
Situated in the Doon Valley, Dalmellington has a history as a market town and its past industries include weaving and mining. Good quality coal was produced from surface workings and sent down the turnpike road to Galloway. The introduction of Watt`s engine made deeper mine workings feasible and a railway was completed in 1858. Apart from the coal mining, surrounding hill farms collectively contained around 8,000 sheep and 800 black cattle and two woollen mills flourished for a time in the early 1900s.
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The war memorial, which now has plaques listing the names of men from the town and surrounding district who died in both World Wars, was extensively renovated in 2009 and is in immaculate condition. As well as Dalmellington, casualties from the communities of Benquhat (a.k.a. Benwhat), Lethanhill & Burnfoot and Waterside (Dunaskin) are included.
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This monument in front of the war memorial is dedicated to the Mineworkers of the Doon Valley.
An information panel gives details of the Loch Doon Aerial Gunnery School (info to follow)*.
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Kirkoswald
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The Kirkoswald War Memorial is a grey granite Celtic cross with wheel-head which stands beside the main road at the northeast corner of the old kirkyard at the southern end of the village. The proximity of the metal railings marking the perimeter of the grounds makes it difficult to obtain an uncluttered photo. There are also several individual CWGC gravestones, including that of Private T. Dalrymple of the Gordon Highlanders who died of wounds during the Great War after being returned home, scattered among the older grave markers.
The village takes its name from its church which is dedicated to Oswald of Northumbria, supposedly the victor of a battle here in the 7th century. The old church, which was built in 1244, houses the baptismal font of Robert the Bruce. The ruins of the older building are now enclosed by its modern replacement which was built in 1777 to a design by Robert Adam.
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Kirkoswald is best known for its connection with Robert Burns, whose maternal ancestors, the Brouns, came from the village. Burns also attended school here and the schoolhouse, directly opposite the kirkyard, now operates as Souter`s Inn. This is a reference to Souter Johnnie, one of several local worthies that Burns used as inspiration for characters in his poems. Many of these people lie in the churchyard and Souter Johnnie`s cottage still stands on the main street.
Largs
The War Memorial at Largs info* A sailor is also featured, a relatively uncommon occurrence on Scottish War Memorials, although there is at least one other at Kinghorn in Fife.
The work is by Glasgow born sculptor Kellock Brown (1856 - 1934) who trained at Glasgow School of Art and later taught there. He devoted much of his time to metal working, became a member of the London Guild and in 1908 was elected to the Royal Academy. The figure of the kilted Highlander features in several other War Memorials by Brown, including the ones at Johnstone and Inveraray. In addition to a number of fine war memorials Brown`s other work includes the Thomas Carlyle Memorial in Glasgow`s Kelvingrove Park. (to edit*).
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Right: A typically busy scene at HMS Copra. `Copra` was an acronym for 'Combined Operations Pay, Ratings and Accounts', a shore based establishment set up to process the pay and allowances of Royal Navy personnel serving in Combined Operations during WWII. The administrative unit was split between London and Southend, with a section at 'The Moorings', opposite Largs Pier.
The Scottish base employed around 300 Wrens and 300 Chief Petty Officers/Petty Officers working in 15 sections under the general command of a Captain and a Commander. Known as 'pay writers' and doing a job similar to a modern day wages clerk, the wrens calculated the pay due to service personnel, as well as 'allotments' due to dependent relatives. The work was constant as information on the latest postings, transfers and promotions arrived each morning, requiring pay entitlements to be assessed, allocated or amended. |
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Working conditions in 'The Moorings' were by all accounts quite good with a large open plan room which was well-lit and warm. Shifts worked were from 09:00 hrs to 17:00 hrs Monday to Saturday and 09:00 to 12 noon on Sunday, one week in three finishing at midday on the Saturday.
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Between 200-300 Wrens were billeted at the Skelmorlie Hydro Hotel (above), three to a room and there were three Nissen huts in the grounds, each accommodating 12 Wrens plus a Chief Petty Officer. A fourth Nissen hut provided for their 'ablutions'. Transport to and from work was provided by the Royal Navy's own buses with the Wrens returning to 'The Hydro' for lunch. In the evenings, 'liberty buses' provided a service to Largs, where there were connecting service buses to other towns. HMS Copra at Largs was finally closed at the end of 1946 as the mass demobilisation came to an end.
From 18 September 1942 until 25 September 1945, Prestwick-based civilian company Scottish Aviation Ltd operated a seaplane base at Largs. Although there were a number of ?* Coastal Command stations dotted around the Scottish coast, some of which flew flying boats, the Largs facility was a civilian reception facility, primarily for Consolidated Catalinas which would arrive to be serviced or fitted with specialist equipment before continuing the Battle of the Atlantic against the German U-boat menace. Largs also served as an overflow base for the larger marine airfield further north at Greenock. Today, a sunken Catalina from the WW2 era lies in shallow waters between Largs and great Cumbrae and is now a popular diving wreck.
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The slipway at Largs beside the town`s current RNLI lifeboat station building was constructed in September 1942 and two additional slipways were constructed on the north-east side of Great Cumbrae a short distance away.
Any visiting aircraft would initially moor close to the island before being towed up the mainland slipway and across the Largs-Skelmorlie coastal road to park on what is now a putting green for maintenance. Barrfields Pavilion (now part of the Vikingar! visitor centre) was requisitioned to provide workshops and administration facilities. |
During 1944 and 1945, larger Consolidated Coronado flying boats of No 231 Squadron brought urgent freight and mail from Canada to Largs, and returned to North America and Canada with Allied aircrews. This service finally ended in September 1945 when the squadron relocated to Bermuda and in that year a Catalina of Iceland Airways Ltd made successful exploratory passenger flights from Iceland to Largs.
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The IWM images above show Coronado GR Mark Is (modified), of 231 Sqn. Top left is JX495, at the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment, Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire, with JX496 underneath. The latter shot was taken at the at Saunders Roe Aircraft Ltd factory, Beaumaris, Anglesey but this aircraft was also tested at the Helensburgh facility. The background of this photograph has been deleted by the censor. The shot on the right shows "Beaumaris" of No. 231 Squadron RAF based at Dorval, Canada, undergoing a major inspection at the Marine Base, Bermuda.
Combined Ops base etc* The posed portraits below of Commandos `ready for action` were taken taken at Largs during the Second World War and are now part of the Imperial War Museum`s image archive: www.iwm.org.uk.
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Lendalfoot
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This striking memorial to the Russian warship Varyag stands on the Ayrshire Coast at the village of Lendalfoot, approximately 6 miles south of Girvan. Varyag was a cruiser built in the United States for the Imperial Russian Navy. She was launched on 31 October 1899 and commissioned on 2 January 1901.
In 1904, at the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War, Varyag became famous for a heroic action after she and another Russian gunboat were trapped by 15 Japanese warships while she was in the neutral Korean port of Chemulpo.
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Rather than surrender to the Japanese, the Russian ships sailed out to meet their enemy. They put up a brave fight but, drastically outgunned, they received heavy damage and were forced to return to harbour where the decision was taken to scuttle the vessels. A number of neutral European warships, including the British cruiser HMS Talbot (right) picked up the surviving crew members who were eventually returned to Russia where they received a heroes' welcome.
In 1905 the Japanese raised the vessel and carried out repairs after which it served in their navy as the light cruiser Soya. During the Great War, however, Russia and Japan became allies and Varyag was one of several ships transferred by the Japanese to the Russian Navy. The Russians immediately gave the warship her original name back. |
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In 1916 Varyag was sent to Great Britain for a refit but by the time she was ready to resume active service with the Arctic squadron the Russian Revolution was underway so, to prevent her falling into the wrong hands, she was impounded by the British. In 1920 Varyag was sold to Germany for scrap but while she was under tow she ran aground on rocks off Lendalfoot. The wreck remained visible until 1925 when the once proud warship finally sank beneath the waves.
On Sunday July 30, 2006 (Russian Navy Day), a memorial tablet to the cruiser was unveiled at the site. Various Russian dignitaries and navy personnel attended the ceremony but the Russian people wanted to have a more significant memorial. In response, the striking bronze cross featuring the warship was unveiled the following year. Lengths of anchor chain and an anchor have been salvaged from the vessel and form part of the memorial.
In the right-hand photo below, Carleton Castle keep is just visible on the hill in the distance. The structure dates from the 15th century. |
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Monkton
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War memorials are found in communities throughout Scotland and the rest of the UK and are extremely important as reminders to commemorate the sacrifice of the First World War, but there are many others to wars before and since the 1914–1918 conflict. (to edit*)
The simple granite pillar at Monkton in South Ayrshire has a wreath carved in relief on the upper front face with a dedication and the names of the men from the parish who fell in the Great War listed below. There is also a Memorial Hall in the village. The names of casualties from WW2 and then Korea were inscribed on one of the sides.
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The village war memorial was crowned a national winner in 2012's Best Kept War Memorial competition run by the Royal British Legion (RBL) with memorials at Troon and Ayr picking up highly commended accolades. Monkton's memorial was judged as the best in Scotland in the 'Small Community with Gardens' category. The roofless ruin of Monkton Parish Church, (below) also known as St Cuthbert`s, stands on the opposite side of the road, just a few metres from the northern perimeter fence of Prestwick Airport.
Prestwick Airport was established around 1934, to serve primarily as a training airfield. The owner, Group Captain David Fowler McIntyre, founder member of Scottish Aviation Limited, soon added a hangar, offices, and a control tower. The location had been chosen because of its enviable reputation for experiencing favourable weather conditions, irrespective of those elsewhere. This has been confirmed over the years as there have been many occasions when Prestwick has been the only airfield in UK not adversely affected by storms, mist or fog when others have been forced to close.
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During World War II, Prestwick became a natural choice for the eastern end of the Trans-Atlantic Ferry Flight Programme. In the autumn of 1940 an Overseas Movement Control Centre, formed by the Royal Air Force in Gloucester, coordinated non-operational flights outside the UK, including a small number of Trans-Atlantic flights. By March 1941, however, as the flow of air traffic increased, it became necessary to relocate Trans-Atlantic Aero Control to Redbrae House near Prestwick Airport. As the USAAF relocated to British airbases, the Ayrshire airfield was often packed with bombers, transports, utility and long-range fighter aircraft stopping to refuel.
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RAF and Coastal Command types such as the Lancaster and Spitfire also called in. These two Lancs and two Spits, snapped together in September 2014, were a reminder of that era. They were the star attractions at the first airshow to be held at Prestwick in 22 years.
Originally situated on the main Ayr to Glasgow road, Monkton was a busy crossroads at the centre of a 5-way junction. With the introduction of the Ayr by-pass and the Prestwick Airport ring-road, traffic through the village, which has changed little over the years, has fallen considerably. The war memorial, which previously stood at the Cross, has been re-located to its current position at the corner of Main Street and Tarbolton Road.
Troon
This is the Troon War Memorial which stands beside the esplanade on the South Ayrshire town`s South Beach, facing out to sea. The striking bronze figure that stands on top of the granite plinth was sculpted by Walter Gilbert of Birmingham and represents Britannia. Symbolic detail includes Britannia holding up a laurel representing Victory in her right hand, while objects in her left hand represent the chains of bondage and oppression being broken with an angel gazing out across the sea, towards the Fallen.
Bronze panels on either side of the monument list the men of the town who fell during the Great War with the following inscription on the front of the pedestal. `This statue was placed to commemorate the men of Troon who seeking the welfare of their country gave their lives in so doing and are now resting in and beyond the seas`. `Lift up your hearts 1914-1918`.
The memorial was unveiled on Sunday 30 November 1924. Although the town had a population of 6,628 at the outbreak of war in 1914, around 1,000 men went on to serve in the armed forces during the conflict. A low wall behind a bench at the rear of the plinth bears plaques that list casualties from the Second World War.
Bronze panels on either side of the monument list the men of the town who fell during the Great War with the following inscription on the front of the pedestal. `This statue was placed to commemorate the men of Troon who seeking the welfare of their country gave their lives in so doing and are now resting in and beyond the seas`. `Lift up your hearts 1914-1918`.
The memorial was unveiled on Sunday 30 November 1924. Although the town had a population of 6,628 at the outbreak of war in 1914, around 1,000 men went on to serve in the armed forces during the conflict. A low wall behind a bench at the rear of the plinth bears plaques that list casualties from the Second World War.
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.