Private 2144, 1st/7th Battalion, Princess Louise's (Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders). Killed in action 16 May 1915. Aged 19. Resident and enlisted Clackmannan. Son of Henry and Clementina Bolton, of 6, Kirk Place, Clackmannan. Buried in NEW IRISH FARM CEMETERY, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Plot XXVII. Row C. Grave 5.

Extract from Glasgow Herald 27th May 1915:

Mr Henry Bolton, Clackmannan, has been notified that his son, Private Thomas Bolton, of the 7th (Territorial) Battalion of the A. and S. H., was killed in action on Sunday, May 17. Private Bolton was employed in the counting house of Hilton Brick and Tile Works.

Captain (the Hon-Master of Burleigh), 2nd Battalion, Princess Louise's (Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders). Killed in action 26 August 1914. Aged 34. Born 25 September 1880 in Edinburgh. Son of Lord and Lady Balfour of Burleigh, of Kennet, Alloa, Scotland. Buried in LE CATEAU MILITARY CEMETERY, Nord, France. Plot III. Row C. Grave 2.

Exract from Bond Of Sacrifice: Officers Died In The Great War 1914-1916, Volume 1, page 56:

CAPTAIN the Honble. ROBERT BRUCE, MASTER OF BURLEIGH, PRINCESS LOUISE'S (ARGYLL AND SUTHERLAND HIGHLANDERS), who was killed at Le Cateau on the 20th August, 1914, was the elder son of Lord Balfour of Burleigh. He was born on the 25th September, 1880, in Edinburgh, and was educated at Horris Hill (Mr. A. II. Evans) and at Eton. Captain Bruce joined the 3rd Battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in 1898, and accompanied the 4th Battalion to South Africa in January, 1900; in April of the latter year he was transferred to the 1st (Regular) Battalion, and with it served through the South African War. He was present at operations in the Orange Free State, in the Transvaal, in Orange River Colony, and Cape Colony; he received the Queen's medal with three clasps, and the King's medal with two clasps. Subsequently Captain Bruce joined the 2nd Battalion and served with it in India and South Africa. In March, 1910, ho was attached to the Egyptian Army, with the rank of Bimbashi, and in September of that year became Captain in the British Army. In 1912 he took part in an expedition against certain tribes between the sources of the White and the Blue Nile, receiving a medal for his services. In the following year he was Intelligence Officer to the force which accompanied the Joint Commission sent to delimit the boundary between the Soudan and Uganda, receiving for his services the 4th Class Order of the Medjidie.

Captain Bruce proceeded on active service at the very commencement of the Great War, and was one of the officers killed soon after the British Force entered the field. Only a short time before the outbreak of the war, the engagement had been announced of the Master of Burleigh to Miss Cicely Blair, only daughter of Colonel and Mrs. Blair of Dalry, Ayrshire.

In Clackmannan Church on the 8th November, the Rev. A. Irvine Robertson, D.D., in the course of his address, made sympathetic reference to the loss that parish and the country had suffered through the untimely death of this young officer, representative of a family of whom it can be said "that no name for the last six centuries has stood higher in the esteem of Scotland than the name of Bruce."

In a report received a few days after the arrival of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders at the front, reference was made to the Master of Burleigh:—"There the same spirit of brotherly helpfulness that had always marked our friend once more manifested itself. He would not be content with supervision; he would share the labours of the lads he commanded; and so doing, with rifle and bayonet in hand, leading on his men against overwhelming odds, Robert Bruce met a hero's fate."

Photograph Copyright © Russell Edwards 2023

Second Lieutenant Kenneth Robert Beresford Kershaw © IWM (HU 123530)

[Lieutenant on memorial] Second Lieutenant, 9th Battalion, Gordon Highlanders. Killed in action 25 September 1915. Buried in FOSSE 7 MILITARY CEMETERY (QUALITY STREET), MAZINGARBE, Pas de Calais, France. Plot II. Row B. Grave 11.

Extract from De Ruvigny's Roll Of Honour 1914-1918, Volume 2, page 192:

KERSHAW, KENNETH ROBERT BERESFORD, 2nd Lieut., 9th (Service) Battn. The Gordon Highlanders, yr. s. of William Arthur Kershaw, of Oakdene, Wooburn, co. Bucks, Managing Director of Messrs. Thomas & Green, Ltd., by his wife, Mary Marie, dau. of William Mitchell, of Wallingford, Berks; and gdson. of William Kershaw, of Springfield, Heywood; b. Maidstone, co. Kent, 28 March, 1892; educ. Borlase School, Great Marlow; Rossall School, where he was a member of the O.T.C., and, on leaving there, went to France and lived for some time with a French pastor to learn the language; subsequently went to live with a German Pfarrer at Winningen, on the Moselle, near Coblentz, to learn that language and study generally; returned to England, when he began the study of Engineering, first in London, then with Messrs. Bertrams. Ltd., of Edinburgh, and, passing on to his technical studies, started work with Messrs. J. & A. Weir, Ltd.; enlisted In the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders 6 Aug. 1914, two days after war was declared, quickly attained the rank of Sergt., and was gazetted 2nd Lieut. 9th Gordon Highlanders 22 Sept. following; was appointed Machine Gun Officer, being sent to Camberley Staff College for a captain's course; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from the beginning of July, and was killed in action at the Battle of Loos 25 Sept. 1915. Buried there. Capt. T. G. Taylor wrote: " During all the time he has been out here he has been doing splendid work, and he gained the affection of us all, and not only of us, but also of his men. They all loved him, and would, in fact, follow him anywhere. I had to send two platoons up with the assaulting columns, and I could see it would have broken his heart if I had not sent him for one. Hi thanked me with all his heart when I told him I had selected his platoon for one He did perfectly splendidly, and I have brought his conduct forward to the notice of the Brigadier, and Col. Scott has forwarded my recommendation to the Divisional Commander. I don't think I could do better than quote what I wrote about the work of his platoon in my despatch, as I feel sure you would like the actual words used best: ' No. 11 Platoon followed the 6th and 7th line of the 9th Black Watch. Seeing that the left flank of the Black Watch was exposed Lieut. Kershaw led his platoon half left and charged some German 1st line trenches immediately on the left of the Black Watch, who at this time had not been able to reach the German 1st line trenches owing to a hot fire from machine guns, rifles and bombs. These trenches he took unaided. The 2nd line was captured almost without opposition, and an advance made on Loos. Within some 300 yards of Loos, where a road crosses the front, a hot fire was encountered from M.G.'s. Lieut. Kershaw was killed at this point after having been previously wounded. All accounts agree that this officer performed most gallantly leading that part of the line to the assault on Loos.' His men say he was perfectly splendid, always in front, and leading the whole way. Well, what more can I say ? No one ever did better, and it is quite impossible to replace him. I trust you will accept my very deepest and sincerest sympathy in your great. and if you will allow me to say so, our great and irreparable loss. We have always been more like a family in our little company mess than anything else, and I can assure you that I speak on behalf of my brother officers as well as myself in all that I have said. I called for volunteers from his platoon as soon as we were withdrawn from action, and we brought him in on Monday. These are the names of the men I selected—the whole platoon volunteered: 3878 Private M. McIntyre. 6836 Private T. Dempsey, 9496 Private T. Kirkwood, and the Platoon Sergt.. 6414 Sergt. G. Henderson. They went out under a heavy shell fire and brought him in. I had the padre to read the service. We laid him in a little soldiers' cemetery near Quality Street—the village of Pit or Fosse No. 7," and Coy. Q.M.-Sergt. S. Farrow: " There was never any doubt as to how his platoon would behave in battle. His boys learned to know him, and everyone knew he would lead them well, and they would follow his lead, and so it proved when the time to strike came. Lieut. Kershaw spoke to the boys, gave them the lead. and right up to the last spared no thought for himself, but encouraged and cheered his lads on, helping them to a victory in which he was not spared to partake. He died so bravely, just as a real British officer. To anyone who has not actually perceived it, I think it may be difficult to understand how it can be possible for men to care so intensely for a fellow-man in so short a time, barely a year; yet I have seen and know that throughout Mr. Kershaw's platoon, and not only his platoon, but the whole company, he was respected and admired, and now his memory is revered." Unm.

Sister, Clackmannan District Nurse. By the time the Spanish Flu and Typhoid Pandemics were under control 450 people had died including Sister McCallum who died 30 September 1919. Buried in Tursovka.

The only female on the Clackmannan's War Memorial is Sister Margaret McCallum. Sister McCallum was a Clackmannan District Nurse who originally came from Helensburgh.

She was one of 151 Scottish District Nurses who volunteered in World War 1 to provide Nursing Services should the War Office or Admiralty call upon them to work in any hospital which was being organised and approved by the Red Cross. She volunteered with the Red Cross as a Qualified Nurse and worked at the Anglo-Russian Hospital in Petrograd (St Petersburgh) which had 200 beds in it.

The hospital was known as “the Empire's (British) gift to our Russian Allies” and operated between 1915-1918. The hospital was closed in February 1917 and staff evacuated to England when the Russian Revolution started.

A picture taken at the Anglo-Russian Hospital when the Russian Empress and 2 of her daughters Officially opened in the hospital in May 1916

After she left Petrograd, Sister McCallum spent some time working at Homeville Auxillary Military Hospital in Headcorn near Maidstone, Kent.

She then joined a Red Cross mission to Czechoslovakia which was battling Spanish Flu and Typhoid Fever at the time. The team that went over established First Aid Stations, Refreshment Stations, A Children's Home and an Epidemic Hospital. They also assisted the hungary, orphans, mothers, children and the elderly in any way they could.

The Red Cross Mission established their headquaters in Tursovka as the spread of the infections were horrendous here. They took over a local school where they established an epidemic hospital with 2 30 bedded disinfection units, they also had a boiler which helped with cleanliness and therefore helped to decrease the risk of infection. The Czechoslovakian Army and local women helped at the hospital and they also had a cook.

Sister McCallum was involved in setting up medical stations in an attempt to get the Spanish Flu and Typhoid Fever under control and stop it spreading in the weakened population who were under nourished. Her stations gave the starving people brought to them from distant villages by Slovak soliders, a serious of baths to disinfect them. Some of the people had never seen a bath before and were scared of them so would howler and scream and fight not to go into them. One nurse said of Sister McCallum “Miss McCallum small though she was, was a wonder at bathing the people and a most devoted worker”

The staff at these medical stations were all worried about being biten by insects which carried the typhoid fever they all wore the full local military uniform of coats, trousers, caps and high boots, but Sister McCallum refused and wouldn't wear the uniform. Unfortunately this lead to her being biten probably by a lous and contracting Typhoid Fever.

By the time the Spanish Flu and Typhoid Pandemics were under control 450 people had died. Sadly Sister McCallum died on the 30th September 1919, she is buried in Tursovka.

The mission Sister McCallum was on lead to the provision of proper medical services in the region and to this day the local people have not forgot Sister McCallum's sacrifice and they still honour her each year.

Her colleague's from Clackmannan clearly didn't forget about her either as they erected the plaque below in her honour which was displayed in Clackmannan Parish Church.

1939-1945

Chief Engineering Officer, S.S. Duncarron (Grangemouth), Merchant Navy. Supposed drowned at sea7 September 1941. Aged 45. Born 13 June 1896 in Campese Glen. Son of William and Mary Paterson; husband of Agnes Paterson, of Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire. Ship's record lists his address at 21, RichmondTerrace, Clackmannan. Originally served in World War 1 as M32035, Royal Navy, enlisted 27 May 1918 for the duration of hostilities, then height 5 feet 7½ inches, chest 37½, brown hair, brown eyes, fresh complexion, served from 23 August 1918 to 10 March 1919. In the 1901 census he was aged 4, born Campsie, Strirlingshire, son of William and Mary Paterson, resident Burnbank Cottage, Campsie, Clackmannanshire. No known grave. Commemorated on TOWER HILL MEMORIAL, London. Panel 36.

Extract from England & Wales Government Probate Death Index 1942:

PATERSON John Mackenzie of 6 North-street Clackmannan died 7 September 1941 at sea Confirmation of Agnes Ramage or Paterson widow. Sealed Llandudno 30 March.

Captain 183771, Royal Army Medical Corps attached to 153 (The Leicestershire Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery. Died 10 July 1944. Aged 28. Born 12 September 1915 Clackmannanshire, resident Clackmannanshire. Son of William and Margaret Ramage; husband of Ida Ramage, of Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. M.B., Ch.B. (St. Andrews). In the 1939 Register he was unmarried, an Officer, Hospital Resident Medical Officer, Longton Hospital Upper Belgrave Road, Longton, Stoke-On-Trent, Stoke-On-Trent. Buried in LA DELIVRANDE WAR CEMETERY, DOUVRES, Calvados, France. Plot VIII. Row L. Grave 3.

Extract from England & Wales Government Probate Death Index 1945:

RAMAGE Alexander of 23 Dundee-road Etruria Stoke-on-Trent died 10 July 1944 on war service administration Chester 9 March to ida Ramage widow and William Ramage coal miner.
Effects £1078 11s. 10d.