The Scottish War Graves Project

Catherine · Joined: 23 Apr 2014 Posts: 3

Will these headstones ever been returned to the graves of the war dead? they were taken to Eastwood Cemetery. I would have liked to go to my great uncles grave at Sighthill to lay flowers and visit, the memorial garden looks beautiful at Eastwood but I feel if visiting there I would only be paying respect to a stone rather than my uncle. I do hope this will be considered and the memorial stones returned to their rightful place. All of the war dead I presume are lying in unmarked graves? not very respectful to be honest and it greatly saddens me.

kenmorrison · Joined: 05 Oct 2008 Posts: 747

Catherine - first of all welcome to the forum.
There was some news from the Commonwealth War Grave people a couple of years ago about reinstating some memorials at Sitehill.
See http://scottishwargraves.phpbbweb.com/viewtopic.php?t=1367

The link to the list of names seems to be no longer working so you may want to contact the CWGC via their web-site to see if your relative is included or to be included. The CWGC do try to contact relatives before they do any work so maybe they're waiting to hear from you!

I do hope that you will be able to visit your great uncle's resting place before long.

Ken

Catherine · Joined: 23 Apr 2014 Posts: 3

Hi Ken, thank you for the welcome. I will contact CWGC for information. They would not be able to contact my g/uncles family as they all passed away many years ago and the street where he lived is long gone too. I have only just found out about all of this and that is why I am now looking into it. Most of my family are buried in the Western Necropolis and I'm puzzled as to why my uncle was buried at Sighthill in Springburn he is a Maryhill man born and bred, hopefully I can get some answers to that! Thanks again for your help. Catherine.

kenmorrison · Joined: 05 Oct 2008 Posts: 747

Catherine - regarding Robert Freer's burial place, that is a puzzle.
I see that his death was registered in Ripon, Yorkshire.
http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl
The 5th HLI landed at Gallipoli in early July 1915, so Robert may have been wounded there and evacuated back to hospital in the UK.
I would have expected his famiy to be asked where they wanted him buried.
Ken

kenmorrison · Joined: 05 Oct 2008 Posts: 747

Second thoughts - Roberts record at the Scottish National War Memorial says "Died" indicating illness, and I don't see a Campaign Medal Card for him, indicating that he did not serve overseas.
So possbily taken ill before his unit sailed and died in Ripon Military Camp Hospital.

Ken

kenmorrison · Joined: 05 Oct 2008 Posts: 747

Catherine - Robert's name is on the list. See
http://www.cwgc.org/media/78967/glasgow_sighthill_list.pdf

David McNay · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2014 1:05 am Post subject:

It's possible he died at Ruchill Hospital which I believe is nearby.

kinnethmont · Joined: 25 Mar 2008 Posts: 121 Location: aberdeenshire

Catherine

As a relative you should contact CWGC. They will have moved commemoration from Sighthill due to issues, most likely involving maintenance and the cemetery owners. This happened at times and because CWGC felt they could not provide the level of commemoration they wished, commemoration was moved to a cemetery where they could control things, as in this case. It happened for various reasons throughout UK and overseas, notably in India after division in 1947.
As the situation changes they do, from time to time, move commemoration back, as here and they may wish to mark each war grave appropriately again at Sighthill since the location of the grave will be on record.
Bear in mind, that some of these may not have had a commission headstone pre 1950 and a private headstone was in place.
_________________
Jim

If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

apanderson · Joined: 02 Oct 2007 Posts: 6903 Location: Stirlingshire

Hello Catherine,

If it's any help, I can send you a map of Sighthill which will show you where Section 4 is (it's at the Keppochhill Road side of the cemetery).

Sighthill is a nightmare to find anything in at the best of times, but the reference 4/Q.49 on the CWGC list, translated means Section 4, Row Q, Lair 49.

If you'd like a copy of the map, send me your e-mail address via PM and I'll send you a copy.

Anne

P.S. Welcome from me too!

kenmorrison · Joined: 05 Oct 2008 Posts: 747

http://www.cwgc.org/news-events/news/2016/10/more-than-80-war-graves-re-installed-after-60-years.aspx
includes
A soldier has been commemorated on the centenary of his death today, October 18, after the CWGC re-instated his headstone, along with 84 others at Sighthill Cemetery in Glasgow.

During the 1950s, the CWGC had to take down the headstones of 105 war dead it commemorates at the site as the cemetery had fallen into disrepair.
However, the last five years has seen the Commission work alongside Glasgow City Council to find and mark these men’s graves to be able to re-erect the headstones.
With the excellent work of Glasgow City Council, the site has now been maintained to such a high standard that the men who gave their lives during both world wars can once again be marked with a CWGC headstone.

kenmorrison · Joined: 05 Oct 2008 Posts: 747

Some interesting photos at:
http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?/topic/244040-gnr-james-motherwell-516-rfa/

Mike Morley · Joined: 09 Jan 2014 Posts: 389 Location: Wigtown

It also featured on BBC Scotland news last night and there is an article on the BBC website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-37677084