The Scottish War Graves Project

Adam Brown · Joined: 21 Sep 2007 Posts: 714 Location: Edinburgh

More details to follow

226 WW1 CWGC graves

The high number is due to a major military hospital being nearby during the war.

Caroline · Joined: 15 Jul 2008 Posts: 2

The Scottish Genealogy Society recently published a book of the gravestones in Comely Bank, which includes all the CWGC ones, of course. Many of them died in the infulenza epidemic after the Great War, as there was a hospital nearby.

daveogg · Joined: 10 May 2009 Posts: 3

The hospital is still there and is now a geriatric unit .there is a mass grave on this site where the interned were buried standing up due to lack of
space .The visitor book is now kept at Edinburgh Castle in the national
war memorial ..

scotsman50 · Joined: 24 Jan 2013 Posts: 859 Location: Lothians

scotsman50 · Joined: 24 Jan 2013 Posts: 859 Location: Lothians

The cemetery has been used by the Edinburgh Cemetery Company since 1898 and is now owned by the City of Edinburgh Council. The entrance to Comely Bank Cemetery is in Crewe Road South, though the address the City of Edinburgh Council give is Craigleith Road.
If you want to visit the communal CWG plot walk through the gates and follow the path in front of you to the end and turn left. Keep walking and you will eventually see the plot in front of you, or alternatively treat the cemetery as a square and follow what would be the diagonal.

Communal CWG plot
An unusual feature of the War Graves plot is that the granite headstones lie flat. This was a decision made by the architect, Sir Robert Lorimer.
The plot contains WWI and WWII casualties/Spanish Flu victims and a member of the Finnish Legion.
There are another 76 headstones in the cemetery marking the final resting place of sailors, soldiers and airmen of WWI and WWII.
There is also the last resting place of a member of the Mercantile Marine, Reginald Earnshaw, who died at the age of 14. Reginald Earnshaw is, at present, the youngest UK casualty to die while serving his country.

scotsman50 · Joined: 24 Jan 2013 Posts: 859 Location: Lothians

The following photos are all taken from the headstones on the Communal Grave plot.

Name: A'COURT, Frank Austin
Rank: Private
Service No: 70898
Date of Death: 14/10/1918
Age: 21
Regiment/Service: Canterbury Regiment, New Zealand Expeditionary Force.
Grave Reference: D 55
Cemetery: Comely Bank, Edinburgh.
Additional Information: Son of Mrs Emily Ada A'Court, 239 Kilmore Street, Christchurch, New Zealand[/b]

scotsman50 · Joined: 24 Jan 2013 Posts: 859 Location: Lothians

Name: ADAMS, James
Rank: Private
Service No: 17684
Date of Death: 19/02/1918
Regiment/Service: 5th Btn. Cameron Highlanders.
Unit: Transferred to (489639) 456th Agricultural Coy. Labour Corps.
Grave Reference: D 14
Cemetery: Comely Bank, Edinburgh.
Additional Information: Born in Edinburgh, Died at home.

scotsman50 · Joined: 24 Jan 2013 Posts: 859 Location: Lothians

Name: ALDCORN, James Adam
Rank: Corporal
Service No: 166482
Date of Death: 03/12/1918
Age: 26
Regiment/Service: Royal Engineers.
Unit: 13th Anti-aircraft searchlight Sect.
Grave Reference: D 9
Cemetery: Comely Bank, Edinburgh.
Additional Information: Son of Thomas and Annie Aldcorn.

scotsman50 · Joined: 24 Jan 2013 Posts: 859 Location: Lothians

Name: ALLAN, John Larmour
Rank: Serjeant
Service No: 718
Date of Death: 20/01/1918
Age: 46
Regiment/Service: 6th Bn. Leinster Regiment
Grave Reference: D 15
Cemetery: Comely Bank, Edinburgh.
Additional Information: Born circa 1872, Awarded Ashanti Star (1896). Served in the South African Campaign.

scotsman50 · Joined: 24 Jan 2013 Posts: 859 Location: Lothians

Name: Anderson, Robert
Rank: Private
Service No: 937
Date of Death: 20/01/1916
Age: 21
Regiment/Service: 8th Bn. Royal Scots.
Grave Reference: D 3
Cemetery: Comely Bank, Edinburgh.
Additional Information: Born 1895 at Prestonpans, East Lothian. Son of Janet Anderson and the late John Anderson of 19 Dean Park Street, Edinburgh.

scotsman50 · Joined: 24 Jan 2013 Posts: 859 Location: Lothians

Name: BAILEY, J.
Rank: Private
Service No: 1833
Date of Death: 27/03/1919
Age: 25
Regiment/Service: 3rd Bn. Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
Grave Reference: D 5
Cemetery: Comely Bank, Edinburgh.
Additional Information: Husband of Margaret Bailey, 28 West Nicholson Street, Edinburgh.

scotsman50 · Joined: 24 Jan 2013 Posts: 859 Location: Lothians

Name:BAILLIE, H.
Rank: Private
Service No: 19552
Date of Death: 05/02/1919
Age: 32
Regiment/Service: 14th Bn. Cameronians (Scottish Rifles).
Unit: Transferred to (2107) Scottish Command Labour Centre, Labour Corps.
Grave Reference: D 6
Cemetery: Comely Bank, Edinburgh.
Additional Information: Son of John and Maisie Baillie ofAyr; Husband of M. Baillie, 18 Dean Street, Kilmarnock.

scotsman50 · Joined: 24 Jan 2013 Posts: 859 Location: Lothians

Name: [/b]BARRIE, J.[b]
Rank: Lance Corporal
Service No: 111072
Date of Death: 23/11/1918
Age: 23
Regiment/Service: 44th Bn. Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment).
Grave Reference: D 10
Cemetery: Comely Bank, Edinburgh.
Additional Information: Husband of J. White (formerly Barrie), 65 Abbeyhill, Edinburgh.

scotsman50 · Joined: 24 Jan 2013 Posts: 859 Location: Lothians

Name: BEACHAM, Richard.
Rank: Private
Service No: 2/12103
Date of Death: 03/11/1916
Regiment/Service: 9th Bn. Royal Scots Fusiliers.
Grave Reference: D 23
Cemetery: Comely Bank, Edinburgh.
Additional Information: Born at Broadwell, Gloucestershire. Son of Annie and the late Henry Beacham, 9 Costa Street, Peckham, London.

scotsman50 · Joined: 24 Jan 2013 Posts: 859 Location: Lothians

Name: BEATON, Angus.
Rank: Private
Service No: 754103
Date of Death: 01/03/1919
Age: 24
Regiment/Service: 58th Bn. Canadian infantry.
Unit: Central Ontario Regiment.
Gallantry Awards: MM (Military Medal).
Grave Reference: D 34
Cemetery: Comely Bank, Edinburgh.
Additional Information: Son of Mr and Mrs Beaton of Dayton, Ontario, Canada.