War Memorials: Additional Information
Researched by Cllr. Stuart Borrowman
United Free Church Memorial
On 14th March 1920, the United Free Church erected a plaque in what is now known as St. John’s Hall in memory of Atholl Stuart and William Baxter. A tablet of plain white marble with a fluted border, the memorial gives the brief outline of the lives of the two parishioners and is headed “To the Glory of God” with “They died that we might live” at the bottom. It was supplied by Messrs. Scott and Rae of Glasgow.
Rev. James Stuart led the service. Lt-Col. The Rev. John Lindsay (later County Education Convener, lending his name to the High School and council buildings) had been chaplain to Capt. Stuart’s battalion and spoke movingly of the late Captain and recited a short poem, ‘The Conqueror’.
The tablet was unveiled by Miss Chalmers, daughter of Sir Charles and Lady Chalmers of Cathlaw. Then Captain Stuart’s father, J. W. Stuart spoke of his son and of Private Baxter.
Miss Pow played the ‘Dead March’ from Saul to conclude proceedings.
Parish Church Memorial
The death of local young men in wars predates the conflict of 1914-18. On the south wall of the west gallery of the Kirk, a wall tablet was mounted to the memory of William Gillon, the twenty-three year-old son of Andrew Gillon of Wallhouse. He died in January 1849 from wounds received a month earlier serving with the 72nd Regiment, the Bengal Native Infantry during an attack on the fortress of Mooltan (now Multan, Pakistan), part of the Punjab Campaign of 1848-49. The citation reads, “valour during an attack in the field.”
After the Great War of 1914-18, the Kirk minister, Rev. George Beale wrote "we think of lads who but a few years ago were rambling across the Torphichen hills; fighting their mimic battles, playing their childhood games. We saw them grow up. They went away from us, steadfast and stainless, in twos and threes till none were left."
It was agreed that a memorial be erected to the men of the eastern district of Torphichen Parish (that is, excluding Blackridge) and the unveiling took place on Sunday 24th April 1921 in front of “a great concourse gathered.”
A joint service of the Church of Scotland and United Free Church of Scotland was held, conducted by the Rev. George Beale and Rev. Mr. Stewart (spelled thus in press reports), the respective ministers.
Some sixty-nine local ex-servicemen paraded to the church, led by Torphichen Pipe Band under Pipe Major James Campbell. Sacred and solemn music was played with the organist, Miss Brown playing ‘Blest are the Departed' and the opening voluntary from Spohr. Psalm 124, 'Now Israel May Say’ was sung, augmented by the choir led by Mr. Brand. Hymn 513,'Lord for all Mankind Pray' was then sung.
Rev. Beale gave a sermon, ending with “out of our trials surely we can make a better world and live in true fellowship with our neighbours”.
In the absence on military duty of General Sir Francis Davies, Colonel Sir Charles Chalmers, Convener of Linlithgowshire County Council officiated, inaugurating the memorial by dropping the Union flag that had draped it. After a minute’s silence was observed, Mr. Stewart offered up a prayer of dedication and the band played ‘The Flowers of the Forest’. Many wreaths were placed at the foot of the memorial.
The memorial itself was set into the wall of the church, between the then two doors. At about six feet high, the memorial is a lancet-headed Aberdeen granite tablet carved in Celtic knot style, with an angel holding a wreath in the top centre inset, an oval flanked with two thistles carved in the stone with decorative edging left, right and top.
Sculpted by William Vickers of Glasgow, the memorial features the names of fifty men with local connections who had given their lives in the conflict. The main inscription and names are inset between the decorated sides, with the final inscription separately right across the bottom. The names are listed in order of the precedence of their regiments set out in lead.
After the names comes the wording “their bodies rest elsewhere in peace and their name liveth for evermore”.
The following is the principal inscription on the memorial:
“Erected into the glorious memory of those who from this district fell in the Great World War, 1914-18, in defence of human liberty and right”.
Effects of the Great War
The memorial shows two sets of three brothers killed and three pairs of brothers.
Of course, the war affected the whole community, not just the men who were killed and their families. Prior to the introduction of compulsory conscription in early 1916, 82 Torphichen men and 32 from Westfield and Bridgecastle had joined up and all but a few of the remainder had attested under Lord Derby’s “voluntary” scheme. Although there were a number of exempt men in effect, almost every able-bodied man in the district was, or was in prospect of being sent abroad in uniform.
Thus, every home had its anxieties and there were many who came home suffering from wounds, frostbite, illness and shell shock. One Torphichen man, James Paton survived being sunk on the transport ship, Royal Edward on which he was third engineer. In August 1915, the ship was en route to Gallipoli when it was torpedoed by a German U-boat. More than 900 soldiers perished.
Another villager, Pte Andrew McEwan who served in the Army alongside his five brothers, was wounded on four separate occasions.
The gory nature of the conflict and battlefield conditions made for agonies of all sort. For example, Daniel McIntyre was reported missing in April 1917 but as late as the end of the following year his mother, Margaret was still advertising in the press for news of him from returning prisoners-of-war. There was to be no good news for her.
Honours also came the way of Torphichen men, no consolation for the loss of so many friends. For example, Corporal William McMillan of the Royal Scots was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal in 1918, reflecting seventeen years’ service as a regular and brave leadership in the war. His brother, CSM Archibald McMillan (not the Archibald McMillan killed at Arras) was awarded the Military Medal while serving in France with the Cameron Highlanders, 5th Battalion.
The Stuart family, owners of the paper mill and of Brig House lost their son Atholl but his brother, Gerald Fitzgerald Stuart was awarded the Distinguished Service Order.
World War II Memorial
After World War II, the names of eleven war dead were incanted on Remembrance Sunday by the minister, Rev. Dr. P.H.R. (Hugh) MacKay and his successors. However, as the decades passed, prominent villager, Jessie Kerr realised that a permanent memorial to these servicemen and women should be erected.
This was formally proposed and agreed at the AGM of the Kirk Women’s Guild in November 1979 and £60 set aside with an expectation that £200 would be needed in total. A special committee was established including Jack Smith – who acted as chair and as link to the Forces; Jessie Kerr – secretary and leading on the community dimension; Andrew Banks; Jimmy Nimmo; and Diane Young. A meeting of organisations in the village was held in February 1980. With help, including from Councillor David Robertson and a door-to-door collection in the village, their efforts soon bore fruit.
Eventually, the total cost of the memorial proved to be £515.52 for the work by Andrew Roberts, the Bathgate monumental sculptor and the setting in the wall by local man John Currie. Jessie Kerr sourced the original list of names from Mr. Mackay and appeals for information and suggestions of names were circulated. This resulted in Albert Wilson’s name being included in the memorial. The memorial plaque itself is of Salo Red Granite with lead lettering and the inscription, “Lest We Forget” at the foot.
The memorial was unveiled on 9th November 1980 with a service of dedication conducted by Rev. Tom Crichton, Rev. Dr. R. Whiteford (a former Army chaplain) and Rev. MacKay. Rev. MacKay unveiled the memorial and there was a moment of silent remembrance; followed by ‘Reveille’; the laying of wreaths; and the playing of ‘God Save the Queen’.
Wreaths were laid by Miss Ross and Wing Commander D. Mackenzie on behalf of the villages of Torphichen and Westfield. Senior representatives of the Royal British Legion; the Armed Forces; as well as Council Convener Dominic McAuley and Chief Executive David Morrison; George Johnston, chair of Torphichen Community Council; and a representative of Westfield Community Council were among those laying wreaths.
Representatives of the three armed services, Armadale and Bathgate British Legions and the congregation then entered the kirk for a service of worship. Rev. Crichton conducted the service; Pamela Howarth and Wing Commander Mackenzie read the lessons; and Rev. Whiteford delivered the sermon.
The Last Post was played by CSM Lavery of Bathgate Army Cadet Corp and Torphichen and Bathgate Pipe Band led the parade to the community centre for food served by the Women’s Guild.
World War II
Although notably less lethal for Scotland than the Great War, World War II was nonetheless devastating for many families in the area. Again, two pairs of brothers made the supreme sacrifice.
Besides those killed, again there were wounded and prisoners and more chance of injury for those stationed in Britain’s cities. For example, L/Cpl Joe Dunsmore of Bowyett was badly wounded in 1943 in India but, happily, made a slow recovery. Sgt. Peter Campbell from Loch Cottage was reported missing in Italy in June 1942 and it was more than two years before his mother was told he was safe, having been a prisoner of the Italians.
The village rallied round in enthusiastic support for ‘Salute the Soldier’ Days and war savings drives. The Home Guard was active in Torphichen with Lt. Stevenson prominent although duties such as helping organise the gala day was among their more appealing tasks.
In Westfield, too, Lt. Fleming’s Home Guard was prominent and the village held fundraising events, including a photographic display of all its servicemen and women in June 1944. The Torphichen diaspora were not forgotten. Newspapers in Santa Barbara, California reported 81 year-old William Aitken who’d grown up in the village and who was knitting socks for British soldiers.
Names of Torphichen’s War Dead
There was no pattern and no rules about war memorials after the Great War. Usually, families nominated those to be included. Communities chose to commemorate their dead in a wide range of ways including large monuments, stained glass windows in churches and cairns. Many towns and villages had a war memorial within a few years of the end of the Great War, some are still being erected.
Of the fifty men from the Great War on the Torphichen memorial, many are from well-known local families or who had had lived in the village. Some, though, had slighter connections, perhaps comrades of local lads who had become familiar to local families and who wanted them included. Many men appear on more than one memorial based on where they’d grown up, lived, worked or were well-known. Men from across the Avon are included but some who perished are not.
When the main memorial was being made ready, local people put forward names of those who should be included. If there was no one to speak for the man, his name was most likely not added. Thus, four men with Torphichen connections are not included on the memorial. Their names are included here for completeness.
There are also what appear to be three small errors on the memorial, perhaps inevitable among the dislocations of war and the passage of time.
The full list of names can be seen here.
Photographs on his page are copyright John McCulloch 2009
Last update: 2009 10 02 JGM