The Scottish War Graves Project

Keptie · Joined: 30 Mar 2009 Posts: 54 Location: Letham Forfar angus

The old churchyard at Eassie that holds the Pictish standing stone inside the ruined kirk has one family erected headstone of a WW2 soldier casualty from 1943 :

The headstone states :

"IN REMEMBRANCE OF OUR DEAR SONS : Charles Napier who died 18 July 1941

WILLIAM killed in action 27 March 1943 .

This headstone is in the main part of the old churchyard nearto the gated entrance of the churchyard .

Keptie · Joined: 30 Mar 2009 Posts: 54 Location: Letham Forfar angus

CWGC index shows

NAPIER WILLIAM

Pte 2889126

14th Highland Light Infantry

aged 22 years

death date of 27 March 1943

Brookwood Memorial Surrey

Panel 14 Column 2

There is no next of kin shown on this index

Keptie · Joined: 30 Mar 2009 Posts: 54 Location: Letham Forfar angus

SNWM index at the Edinburgh Castle lists :

NAPIER WILLIAM

2889126

DEATH date 27 March 1943

Born Dundee

Pte Highland Light Infantry & The Glasgow Highlanders

Theatre of death : AT SEA

kenmorrison · Joined: 05 Oct 2008 Posts: 747

Was curious about the SNWM Theatre of Death entry "AT SEA"

Various sources say that the 14th HLI was a "short lived unit in North Africa"

I wonder if William was lost in the sinking of the City of Guildford by U593 on 27 March 1943.
from uboat.net

City of Guildford (Master Clifford Collard) was hit and sunk. 70 crew members, 11 gunners and 48 army personnel were lost. The master, six crew members, one gunner and five army personnel were picked up by HMS Exmoor and landed at Benghazi.

Keptie · Joined: 30 Mar 2009 Posts: 54 Location: Letham Forfar angus

Thanks for that info Ken . seems tie in with what the CWGC index implied in their info section on that memorial to the missing .

patrick w anderson

FortyTwa · Joined: 12 May 2009 Posts: 382 Location: Arbroath

As noted by Keptie, Pte Napier is commemorated on the Brookwood Memorial, which is for those who have no known grave and whose deaths occurred in circumstances where it was not appropriate to have their names on any of the 'in theatre' memorials
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FortyTwa · Joined: 12 May 2009 Posts: 382 Location: Arbroath

CWGC record

Name: DEMPSTER, ALEXANDER MUNRO
Initials: A M
Nationality: Canadian
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (Eastern Ontario Regiment)
Age: 37
Date of Death: 18/09/1916
Service No: 195
Additional information: Husband of Isabella Macdonald Dempster, of Coupar-Angus, Perthshire, Scotland.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: I. C. 19.
Cemetery: CONTAY BRITISH CEMETERY, CONTAY

SNWM record

Surname DEMPSTER
Firstname Alexander
Service Number 195
Date Death 18/09/1916
Decoration
Place of birth Keith Banffshire
Other Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.
SNWM roll CANADIAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE
Rank Pte
Theatre of death F.& F.
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La a' Blair 's Math na Cairdean

kenmorrison · Joined: 05 Oct 2008 Posts: 747

The final photo is I think

Name: SIMPSON, ROBERT GREWAR
Initials: R G
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Lance Corporal
Regiment/Service: Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment)
Unit Text: 2nd/6th Bn.
Date of Death: 27/04/1917
Service No: 241823
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Pier and Face 10 C 10 D and 11 A.
Memorial: THIEPVAL MEMORIAL

Surname SIMPSON
Firstname Robert Grewar
Service Number 241823
Date Death 27/04/1917
Decoration
Place of birth Eassie Forfarshire
Other 2/6th Bn.
SNWM roll SCOTTISH CASUALTIES EXTRACTED FROM ENGLISH REGIMENTS
Rank L/Cpl
Theatre of death F.& F.

Is the grave in the second set of photos now a CWG?

Name: CROMB, JAMES WATSON
Initials: J W
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)
Unit Text: 5th Bn.
Age: 20
Date of Death: 27/11/1916
Additional information: Son of Andrew and Mary Cromb,of Castleton.
N.B.: PLEASE NOTE This casualty was accepted for commemoration by the Commission recently.Please contact the Commission before planning a visit, for more information.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Lair K Grave 27
Cemetery: EASSIE CHURCHYARD

and who is the other man named (his uncle?)

Ken

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

FortyTwa · Joined: 12 May 2009 Posts: 382 Location: Arbroath

Correct on both counts gents and thanks for tidying up my rather sloppy efforts. I'll get better pix of the Cromb/Dempster headstone next time I'm passing - light was atrocious.

And good to see Pte Cromb being accepted by CWGC, albeit 90 years after the event.
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La a' Blair 's Math na Cairdean