The Fallen of Newmains / Cambusnethan / Morningside / Chapel / Torbush

[sage]

Hi Swally,

I have come across another anomaly re the names on the memorial at Newmains Cross.  As an Armit researcher I discovered that the brother of David Armit who is named on the memorial was omitted.  He was Thomas Armit S/16033, 2nd Bn., Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders who died 24 April 1917.  I was able to establish that he enlisted in Partick not Wishaw and that maybe that was the reason for the omission though his death was reported in the Wishaw Press 25 May 1917.  It would be nice to see him named in your book alongside his brother and cousins (David & Ebenezer McNeill, Samuel Murray and Adam Armit)

It's probably also worth mentioning Sgt James Armit DCM who died of Bronchietasis (believed to be attributed to being gassed during war service) who died in 1936 aged 43.  I believe that he does not have so much as a headstone on his grave at Cambusnethan and as we commemorate those who gave their lives in the Great War and those who achieved such heroic feats it's a shame that more is not done to recognise them.

I wish you every success with your book and would be grateful if you'd let the Lanarkshire board know when it's published and available.

Sage

[IMBER]

I've looked again at the only service record I can find for a Patrick Brawley. This one gives his home address as 3 Main Street. There's some correspondence from Patrick on the file from an address in Montreal. His regiment is shown as RFA.

I looked again at the Medal Index Card for Patrick Brawley, Connaught Rangers. It bears the comment "Class Z". That denotes that he was placed in the Army Reserve, subject to recall, at discharge at the end of the war.

You mention an asterisk which indicated KIA. Where did you see that?

Imber

[sancti]

The 1901 census has 3 Patrick Brawleys shown as born Newmains and living in Cambusnethan. Years of birth are

Abt 1885 living at 12 Brown Street - parents James and Sarah

Abt 1892 living at 12 New Row - parents Peter and Catherine

Abt 1894 living at 3 Main Street - parents Daniel and Helen

[mhomac]

Sage wrote
"It's probably also worth mentioning Sgt James Armit DCM who died of Bronchietasis (believed to be attributed to being gassed during war service) who died in 1936 aged 43.  I believe that he does not have so much as a headstone on his grave at Cambusnethan and as we commemorate those who gave their lives in the Great War and those who achieved such heroic feats it's a shame that more is not done to recognise them."

I had someone who also died after the war with a war related illness. If you can find a copy of the death certificate, I suggest you send that and all relevant information to the "In from the cold project" They can investigate further and, if its proved that death was related to the war, they can forward all the details to CWGC. They then can recognise your man.
After several years I was able to have a CWGC Gravestone erected in Old Monkland cemetery on the site of the family lair. Really proud to have achieved that after such a long time and now I can place a Poppy cross there every year.
Morag.

[IMBER]

CWGC will only erect headstones for deaths within a qualifying period and after the Great War that ends on 31 August 1921. If someone leaves the services and their later death can be shown as attributable to war service then they can qualify for war graves treatment but only if their death is within that qualifying period.

Imber

[sancti]

Which memorial is Patrick Brawley named on?

[Swally]

You mention an asterisk which indicated KIA. Where did you see that?

Imber,

The asterix is against his name on the left hand side, there is a key to the symbols at the bottom of the page.

Swally

[Swally]

Here is what I have

2nd Lieutenant   KENNEDY Gilbert McL. Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) 6th Bn.

                  Gilbert was killed in action on 16/18th* June 1915 during the Second
                  Action of Givenchy which was part of the Battle of Festubert.
                  In his history of the Cameronians, Colonel H.H. Story, M.C. records how
                  The night before the attack planned for 15th June, the enemy were heard to
                  shout from their trenches – “Come on, Jocks; we are waiting for you.”
                  When zero hour came the first waves went over the parapet – 2/Lieutenant
                  J.C.E. Hay led his bombing party across no mans land and into the German
front line. Another officer, 2/Lieutenant G.C. Macdonald, was soon killed,
but his men forced their way into the enemy’s line – nothing but grim
determination to close with the enemy, notes Col. Story “ could have carried
the men forward in the face of such massacre” The history of the 51st Division records how the men plunged into the enemy wire – lacerating their flesh till they fell.” The German second line was captured but at great cost. Only three officers remained untouched. The battalion held their gains until relieved around 4 a.m. on 16th June and marched to Le Touret where the roll was called. Colonel Story records that out of a strength of 705 only 357 remained. The following officers were killed in this action, - Major D.P.Shaw, Lieutenant P.H.Keith; Second Lieutenants J.B. Wilson, C.G. Macdonald, and G.M. McL. Kennedy.
Gilbert was 20 years of age and was part of 154th Brigade 51st Highland Division and was the son of the Reverend Gilbert A.K. M.A. and Mrs Kennedy Marse, of Cambusnethan. Lt. Kennedy was studying at Glasgow University when war broke out and pleaded with his father to be allowed to join the army right away, with great reluctance the Reverend Kennedy gave his consent, and Gilbert junior joined the Royal Army Medical Corps as a private, although some time had elapsed since ending his studies he later sat and passed his exams. Subsequently he was commissioned into the Cameronians. He was given charge of a draft of men and to the Ardeer Munitions factories on guard duty when the last of the explosions which had take place in that dangerous establishment blew him out of his bed, gladly he escaped serious injury.
He was then sent to France and took part in the heavy fighting that took place at that time, but sadly was killed only two months after arriving in France.
2nd Lieutenant Kennedy has no known grave and is commemorated on –
LE TOURET MEMORIAL, France. Panel 15 and 16.
*The Commonwealth records state that Gilbert was killed between 16th and 18th June.

[mhomac]

Glasgow University Roll of Honour.

2nd Lieutenant Gilbert Mcclelland Kennedy
Rank: 2nd Lieutenant
Regiment: 6th Cameronians - Scottish Rifles
Degree: Student
Awards: N/A
Comments: Killed in action
Note/Press Clipping: N/A
Photograph ID: N/A