The Scottish War Graves Project

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

Name: COPLAND, ROBERT M
Initials: RM
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Highland Light Infantry, 12th Bn formerly (2844) Kings Own Scottish Borderers
Age: 30
Date of death: 24 March 1918
Service number: 42010
Additional information: Son of Mrs Copland, of 8 North Main Street, Wigtown, and the late Edward Copland; husband of Margaret McCutcheon Copland, of 19 South Main Street, Wigtown
Casualty type: Commonwealth War Dead
Cemetery: Pozieres Memorial

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

Name: SPROUL, WILLIAM JARDINE
Initials: WJ
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Machine Gun Corps, 84th Coy
Age: 34
Date of death: 20th June 1918
Service number: 59595
Additional information: Son of David and Catherine Jardine Sproul, of Kirvennie, Wigtown. Farmer at Carslae Farm, Wigtown. Native of Ochiltree, Cumnock, Ayrshire.
Casualty type: Commonwealth War Dead
Cemetery: Struma Military Cemetery

Initially enlisted with Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders

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

NAME: WALKER, WILLIAM
Initials: W
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Captain
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force, 6th Squadron & General List, Formerly (Pte), 4th Bn, Royal Scots
Awards: DFC, Croix de Guerre (Belgium)
Age: 24
Date of death: 8 October 1918
Additional information: Son of the late A.D. Walker (Solicitor), Wigtown
Casualty type: Commonwealth War Dead
Cemetery: Arras Flying Services Memorial

Also Mary Broadfoot Walker. According to Wikipedia she served in the First World War in the Royal Army Medical Corps at the 63rd General Hospital in Malta. This remarkable woman also discovered the drug that controls the muscle weakness associated with the condition myasthenia gravis. The wiki page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Broadfoot_Walker#cite_ref-10 also provides a fascinating piece of film from 1935 showing the treatment of this illness.

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

Name: BOYD, DAVID ALEXANDER
Initials: DA
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Lance Corporal
Regiment/Service: Kings Own Scottish Borderers, 1st/5th Bn
Age: 49
Date of Death: 2nd February 1927
Service number: 240463

From the inscription on the headstone it is clear that his family atrributed David Boyd's death to his war service. In a letter home from the Dardanelles, published in the Galloway Gazette on August 14th 1915, the writer reports, "... Davie Boyd got a bullet in the chest but it is not a serious one."

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

Name: HORNER, ADAM
Initials: A
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Gunner
Regiment/Service: Royal Garrison Artillery, 119th Heavy Bty
Age: 37
Date of Death: 1 August 1917
Service Number: 95460
Additional information: Husband of Margaret McDowall Horner, of 14, High St., Wigtown.
Casualty type: Commonwealth War Dead
Cemetery: Duhallow A.D.S. Cemetery

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

Name: THOMSON, ROBERT DOUGLAS
Initials: RD
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Signalman
Regiment/Service: Royal Corps of Signals
Age: 24
Date of Death: 21 October 1943
Service Number: 3190226
Additional information: Son of Ernest and Agnes Thomson, of Wigtown.
Casualty type: Commonwealth War Dead
Cemetery: Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery

Worked on the Burma-Siam railway

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

Name: DODDS, WILLIAM GEORGE
Initials: WG
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Leading Aircraftman
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Age: 35
Date of Death: 7 November 1944
Service Number: 1118015
Additional Information: Son of William and Sarah Dodds; husband of Janet Alice Dodds, of Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire.
Casualty type: Commonwealth War Dead
Cemetery: Runnymede Memorial

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

Name: AIRD, ROBERT
Initials: R
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Corporal
Regiment/Service: Royal Armoured Corps, "A" Sqn, 22nd Dragoons
Age:23
Date of Death: 6 June 1944
Service Number: 7928998
Additional information: Son of John and Mary Helen Aird, of Wigtown.
Casualty type: Commonwealth War Dead
Cemetery: Bayeux War Cemetery

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

Name: WRIGHT, CHARLES ERNEST
Initials: CE
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Gunner
Regiment/Service: Royal Artillery, 149 (The Lancashire Yeomanry) Anti-Tank Rgt
Age:25
Date of Death: 1 December 1941
Service Number: 926535
Additional Information: Son of Charles and Jean Wright, of Gateacre, Lancashire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Cemetery: Tobruk War Cemetery

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

Name: McMILLAN, JAMES
Initials: J
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Lance Corporal
Regiment/Service: Royal Army Service Corps
Age: 35
Date of Death: 24 May 1946
Service Number: 2187861
Additional Information: Son of James Crumbles McMillan and Winifred McMillan; husband of Elizabeth Jane Martha (Jean) McMillan (nee Neil), of Wigtown.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Cemetery: Padua War Cemetery

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

Name: ROSS, JOHN ALEXANDER
Initials: JA
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Serjeant
Regiment/Service: Hampshire Regiment, 14th Bn
Date of Death: 3 September 1916
Service Number: 3/5094
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Cemetery: Thiepval Memorial

Wording is very faded but reads: In memory of Mary Mayor wife of Alexander Ross died at Stranraer 9th July 1907 aged 41 years.
Daughter Christina Mayor died at Wigtown 10th January 1897 aged 8 months.
Son John Alexander, Sergeant, Hampshire Regiment, killed in action Somme 3rd September 1916 aged 22 years.

In the Wigtownshire Free Press 21 Sep 1916: ROSS - Killed in action in France on the 3rd inst, Sergt J A Ross, Hampshire Regiment, son of Superintendent Ross, Stranraer, aged 23 years.

spoons · Posted: Sun Feb 09, 2014 8:41 pm Post subject:

missing photos taken by Mike Morley and added to original posts above.

\Paul
_________________
www.ukwarmemorials.co.uk

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

Name: MCMURRAY, DAVID SIMPSON
Initials: DS
Nationality: Australian
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Australian Infantry AIF, 26th Bn
Age: 32
Date of Death: 9/10/1917
Service Number: 5088
Additional Information: Son of James and Margaret McMurray, of 79, Crawford Avenue, Wavertree, Liverpool, England. Native of Drumrae, Wigtownshire, Scotland.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Memorial ref: Panel 7 - 17 - 23 - 25 - 27 - 29 - 31
Memorial: Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.

Named on Wigtown War Memorial

Galloway Gazette (27/10/17): McMurray: Killed in action on the 9th inst Private DS McMurray, Australian Imperial Force, youngest son of Mrs McMurray, Mossley Hill, Liverpool, late of Wigtown.
Wigtownshire Free Press (1/11/17): Information has been received in Wigtown that Private David McMurray, formerly of the County Buildings, has been killed in action. He went to Australia on leaving Wigtown a few years ago and joined on the outbreak of war. An elder brother (John) is reported missing.

Note: Private McMurray's Attestation Papers with the AIF indicate 10 previous years' Imperial Service.

Name: MCMURRAY, JOHN
Initials: J
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Captain
Regiment/Service: Royal Scots, 12th Bn
Date of Death: 12/10/1917
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Memorial ref: Panel 11 to 14 and 162
Memorial: Tyne Cot Memorial.

Though he died within three days of his brother, both at Passchendaele, John McMurray is not named on Wigtown War Memorial despite both spending some years living in the town.

Wigtownshire Free Press (23/5/1918): Captain John McMurray, Royal Scots, who was reported missing in October 1917, and is now officially presumed dead, was the second son of the late Mr James McMurray, and of Mrs McMurray, 79 Crawford Avenue, Wavertree, Liverpool. He was educated at Ravenstone Public School, Glasserton, gained a bursary open to Dumfries and Galloway, was equal dux of Ewart High School, Newton Stewart and in the law classes at Edinburgh University, took honours in Scots Law and first prize in conveyancing. Previous to enlistment in December 1914, he was employed with Messrs Davidson and Syme, WS, Edinburgh. In the Army his promotion was rapid rising to sergeant within a month of enlistment, to company quarter master sergeant in February 1915 and to commissioned rank in May 1915. He held the vulunteer long service medal having served in the Galloway Rifles for four years and in the 1st Battalion Queen's Edinburgh (afterwards the Royal Scots) for 16 years.

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

Private Robert McGuffie, Royal Scots Fusiliers.

Brother of Louis McGuffie, 1/5 KOSB, who won the Victoria Cross. Robert was severely wounded in the war and had his right arm amputated. Those in Wigtown who remember him recall that his disability did not prevent him wildfowling, compensating by the use of a punt gun. I understand that it was Robert who presented his brother's VC to the KOSB Museam.

Galloway Gazette (14/9/17): Mrs Edward McGuffie, 1 North Main Street, Wigtown, has received official intimation that her son, Private Robert McGuffie, RSF, has been severely wounded and has had his right arm amputated.

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

Major John Duncan Griffiths MC