World War I Gallery

[Hughie]

Thanks so much for posting all these images and details from your late brothers research, Penny. It has been very much appreciated.

[George Ardrossan]

I agree, Hughie - thanks Penny Tray.
George

[brian f]

I look everyday. And it gives me some insight.

Thanks, George and Penny Tray.

[Penny Tray]

Thanks very much.

I had a notion I might close the topic yesterday by attaching a composite ‘Gallery,’ featuring all 209 photographs (11 photographs in each of 19 rows) in alphabetical order. Alas, albeit I’ve been able to create to create such a ‘file’ for my own purposes, it proved beyond my capabilities to share it. I thought it would be the same as attaching a single photo but it wasn’t .

[Buster]

Private Thomas Grier was killed in action; husband of Rachel Chisholm Grier, Moorpark Road West, Stevenston: -

My great grandfather, thanks for posting this, I have been looking for a photo of him for a few years now, its now great to put a face to his name.
Lest we forget.

[Penny Tray]

Private Thomas Grier was killed in action; husband of Rachel Chisholm Grier, Moorpark Road West, Stevenston: -

My great grandfather, thanks for posting this, I have been looking for a photo of him for a few years now, its now great to put a face to his name.
Lest we forget.

Buster,

You may or may not have the following information, some of which has already been posted elsewhere on the site, and may be located by a word search: -

NAME: Thomas Grier.
DATE OF DEATH: 21 March 1918.
REGIMENT: 2nd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers.
RANK: Private.
SERVICE No. 24685.
LINK TO AREA: Born at Ardrossan; Resident of Ardrossan; Enlisted at Glasgow.
THEATRE OF WAR: France and Flanders.
WHERE BURIED OR COMMEMORATED: Chapelle British Cemetery, Holnon - 111 A.3.
CAMPAIGN MEDALS: British War Medal; Victory Medal.
COMMENTS: Husband of Rachel Chisholm, Moorpark Road West, Stevenston. Brother of Sam and Christina Grier, and Mr and Mrs James Grier, 5 Hirst Place, Saltcoats; son-in-law of Mr Daniel Clark, 1 Auchenharvie Cottages, Stevenston, and brother-in-law of Mrs W. Havelin, Glebe Street, Saltcoats.
ARDROSSAN & SALTCOATS HERALD INTIMATIONS: 12/4/1918; 21/3/1919 (5); 28/3/1919; 19/3/1920; 26/3/1920, and 24/02/1922.

The Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald also reported: -

“Word has been received that Private Thomas Grier, R.S.F., has been killed in action.

Private Grier, who resided at 21 Glasgow Street, Ardrossan, was previously employed in Ardrossan Shipyard and was home on furlough a month ago. He leaves a widow (who is daughter of Mr and Mrs Dan Clark, Auchenharvie Cottages, Stevenston) and two children, and deep sympathy will be felt for them.

In a letter of sympathy to Mrs Grier, Lieutenant H. A. Hilton says: -

“It would come as a big shock, I know, as your husband had only just returned from leave, and unfortunately the attack commenced the day after he reported.

In addition to your husband, we have lost two officers, and nearly twenty of our men are reported missing, so that for the few lucky ones that are left it has been a sad experience. Your husband was a very willing soldier, and it might be some consolation to you to know that he died instantaneously as close as he could be to the enemy.”

[Meg]

What a wonderful job you made of this PT - thank you so much for doing it, a great conclusion to all of George McIntyre’s work. Really well done, a fitting tribute to all the young men who lost their lives in the Great War - and a first class resource for everyone doing research.

Thanks again

Meg

[glenshena]

[img]

[glenshena]

This is a photograph of two officers who were killed on the same day in France October 18 1916. They were great friends. The Officer seated was the Uncle of MY Uncle Hector MacLean Cameron Lee, and the officer standing was the son of Mr. Robert Cameron of Edinburgh, who wrote the letter. They were both officers in the fifth Cameron Highlanders. When he was born Mr. Cameron gifted my Uncle Hector Lee a baby chair belonging to his son Thomas, and gave him the middle name Cameron to honour his name.
My Uncle Hector ran the Albion Bar in Dockhead Street Saltcoats for many years with his son Billy. The name Cameron is still being carried on in the family, my brother called his son Cameron.
I found this touching letter amongst my mothers papaers.

[Penny Tray]

Both men, serving with the 5th Batallion Cameron HIghlanders, Second Lieutenant Hector McLean Lee, and Second Lieutenant Thomas Wright Cameron (son of Robert and Mary Hart Cameron, 36 Polworth Gardens, Edinburgh), are commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Pier and Face 15B, France.

[glenshena]

Thanks for this precious information PT. You are amazing!
Just married we visited a couple of war graves in France on our way over to Scotland. I dont think now at my age I will manage to get back again to that area although I would love to find the monument.
If the soldier killed was my uncles uncle, would that mean he was my grandfathers brother?

[Penny Tray]

Glenshena,

Firstly, this sort of information is freely available on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website. If you have the right information, which you provided, it takes but a moment.

Secondly, I know the square root of nothing about genealogy but off the top of my head I would think your uncle's uncle would be your great-uncle, and therefore, in this case, maybe your paternal grandfather's brother. I stand to be corrected. In fact, if I'm right, I'll be shocked .