Guest KevinEndon Posted 12 May , 2009 Share Posted 12 May , 2009 Do you recognise this memorial, it appears to be Scottish, some of the names appear on the Kilbirnie/Glengarnock memorial. It was sent to me by email and the sender knows nothing at all about it, therefore I have turned to the forum for help, fingers crossed. The intitials at the bottom seem to be SBS, goodness knows what the years mean to the left of the names, they are not in numerical order so it doesn't look like a school memorial, it can't be dates of birth as some are 1911. I am as baffled as the sender. Hope you can help Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 12 May , 2009 Share Posted 12 May , 2009 Hi Kevin. It looks like something out of a church. Where did he find it? Can you post the names on it and any other dates etc Cheers Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truthergw Posted 12 May , 2009 Share Posted 12 May , 2009 Could it be for both wars? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versigny Posted 12 May , 2009 Share Posted 12 May , 2009 There's definitely a connection with the Ayrshire area as three of the less common surnames (Longmuir, Service & Pollock) seem to be identifiable as originating in Arran, Saltcoats & Beith respectively. But you've presumably already worked that out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KevinEndon Posted 12 May , 2009 Share Posted 12 May , 2009 1907 William Anderson HLI 1907 Malcolm Bell Canada 1907 William Blackwood A&SH 1888 J.Ritchie Brown R.A.M.C. 1896 Walter S Burns R.E. 1908 Hugh A Crawford A.Y. 1907 Alexander Fulton R.S. 1907 Henry H Gibson R.A.M.C. 1911 Thomas B Gilmour R.S.F. 1889 Robert Hope Gordon K.I.R. 1909 George Graham A&SH 1907 John W Hendry Cam High 1893 Hugh Higgins A&SH 1911 William Holmes HLI 1908 Hugh F.S. Hunter K.O.S.B. 1888 Arthur L Hyndman Yeo 1891 William Kerr M.G.C. 1910 Bryce Longmuir R.I.R. 1903 Robert A MacNeil N.F. 1901 Angus K McKinven Canada 1905 William McF McLean A&SH 1806 James McLelland R.S.F. 1895 James McMurtrie Cam High 1897 Joseph T Melville H.L.I. 1907 John Osborne H.L.I. 1899 Max K Pollock R.S.F. 1912 Thomas H Pullar H.L.I. 1904 James K.T. Ritchie Canada 1895 Robert RitchieH.L.I. 1906 James C Robertson H.L.I. 1910 John Sandisland R.N.V.R. 1893 Andrew Service A.Y. 1908 Edward S Short Cam High 1896 Charles T Smith Dgn Grds 1904 Thomas K Stevenson R.S.F. 1909 John Stewart Gordon High 1888 William Stewart R.S.F. 1908 Charles Whitelaw M.G.C. 1901 Robert Wilson H.L.I. 1909 James C Wright S.Grds. here is the email "Hello Kevin, I have attached a photograph of a memorial. This photo was discovered among by late Uncle's possesions. His name was Anderson so I am sure the Anderson on the memorial must be related though I am not sure how at the moment. My Uncle lived in Beith and I see a number of the men are on the Beith memorial. I thought you may be interested because I think some of them are also on the Kilbirnie memorial (Hugh A Crawford, George Graham, William Stewart, Charles Whitelaw, James C Wright). The unfortunate thing is I have no idea where this memorial is or who the men represent, or whether it still exists. Have you come across this memorial before? I hope your research is going well." As you can see we don't have a lot to go on. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KevinEndon Posted 12 May , 2009 Share Posted 12 May , 2009 The only clue apart from the names is the bit at the bottom Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audax Posted 12 May , 2009 Share Posted 12 May , 2009 Maybe a School Roll of Honour or War Memorial? SBS = Saltcoats Board School or similar? Dates maybe dates the pupils left the school? A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 12 May , 2009 Share Posted 12 May , 2009 Scottish Boy Scouts? or perhaps all head boys from a certain school/year? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KevinEndon Posted 12 May , 2009 Share Posted 12 May , 2009 The second name down looks like 1806 even when enlarged, that date throws everything out of context. The boy scouts were founded in 1907 which would make a few of the names too old to be scouts, as for head boys wouldn't they be in numerical order and too many years are duplicated, I am baffled but open to all suggestions and thanks for those so far. I cant see the memorial in the Scottish War Memorials site, time to bang my head against the wall, Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Lees Posted 12 May , 2009 Share Posted 12 May , 2009 Could S.B.S. be Saltcoats(?) Boys School? Are there/were there any other Boys schools in the area beginning with 'S'? Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockdoc Posted 12 May , 2009 Share Posted 12 May , 2009 If it's a school roll of honour, might the date be their school-leaving date and not when they died? Their years at the school would be more relevant there than their dates of birth or death. It may be that the earliest years pre-date the memorial itself, which may have replaced an earlier one. Just musing but, if a larger than usual number of ex-pupils died in a war, that may have triggered the memorial to create an adequate space. That would mean the very early dates are from the Napoleonic wars, the third perhaps the Indian Mutiny and the remainder look to be of an age for The Great War. If I'm right, the order on the memorial is the order in which they died. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinb Posted 12 May , 2009 Share Posted 12 May , 2009 If it's a school roll of honour, might the date be their school-leaving date and not when they died? Their years at the school would be more relevant there than their dates of birth or death. It may be that the earliest years pre-date the memorial itself, which may have replaced an earlier one. Just musing but, if a larger than usual number of ex-pupils died in a war, that may have triggered the memorial to create an adequate space. That would mean the very early dates are from the Napoleonic wars, the third perhaps the Indian Mutiny and the remainder look to be of an age for The Great War. If I'm right, the order on the memorial is the order in which they died. Keith So they died in alphabetical order in accordance with their surname? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Strawbridge Posted 12 May , 2009 Share Posted 12 May , 2009 The only clue apart from the names is the bit at the bottom Kevin The crossed torches would normally be associated with a seat of learning such as a school or college. And the initials, perhaps, support this. But I suppose that it could also represent an eternal flame ie forever remembered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonym Posted 12 May , 2009 Share Posted 12 May , 2009 Have you tried "Scottish War Memorials Project" website? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KevinEndon Posted 12 May , 2009 Share Posted 12 May , 2009 Now then David, you have got the answer with Spiers school. I was informed that a memorial was taken to Garnock Academy, Kilbirnie from Spiers School. When I tried to trace that route I got no reply so I am off to phone the school again to see if its there fingers crossed it's still in existance. Give yourself a gold star. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Strawbridge Posted 12 May , 2009 Share Posted 12 May , 2009 1907 William Anderson HLI 1907 Malcolm Bell Canada from Beith died 11/17 aged 24 therefore born 1893 and aged 14 in 1907 1907 William Blackwood A&SH from Beith died 9/16 aged 22 therefore born 1894 and aged 13 in 1907 1888 J.Ritchie Brown R.A.M.C. 1896 Walter S Burns R.E. from Nettlehurst, Beith died 7/15 aged 24 therfore born 1891 and aged 5 in 1896 1908 Hugh A Crawford A.Y. 1907 Alexander Fulton R.S. 1907 Henry H Gibson R.A.M.C. from Glasgow died 5/18 aged 24 therefore born 1894 and aged 13 in 1907 1911 Thomas B Gilmour R.S.F. from Lochwinnoch died 4/17 aged 19 therefore born 1898 and aged 13 in 1911 1889 Robert Hope Gordon K.I.R. 1909 George Graham A&SH 1907 John W Hendry Cam High from Braehead died 4/18 aged 23 therefore born 1895 and aged 12 in 1907 1893 Hugh Higgins A&SH 1911 William Holmes HLI 1908 Hugh F.S. Hunter K.O.S.B. from Edinburgh died 4/16 aged 19 therefore born 1897 and aged 11 in 1908 1888 Arthur L Hyndman Yeo 1891 William Kerr M.G.C. 1910 Bryce Longmuir R.I.R.from Glen Sannox, Corrie died 4/18 aged 18 therefore born 1900 and aged 10 in 1910 1903 Robert A MacNeil N.F. from Beith died 4/17 aged 24 therefore born 1893 and aged 10 in 1903 1901 Angus K McKinven Canada 1905 William McF McLean A&SH from Barrhead died 3/18 aged 25 therefore 1893 and aged 12 in 1905 1806 James McLelland R.S.F. 1895 James McMurtrie Cam High from Saltcoats died 6/16 aged 35 therefore born 1881 and aged 14 in 1895 1897 Joseph T Melville H.L.I. from Beith died 9/16 aged 24 therefore born 1892 and aged 5 in 1897 1907 John Osborne H.L.I. 1899 Max K Pollock R.S.F. from Beith died 9/15 aged 22 therefore born 1893 and aged 6 in 1899 1912 Thomas H Pullar H.L.I. 1904 James K.T. Ritchie Canada 1895 Robert RitchieH.L.I. 1906 James C Robertson H.L.I. from Beith died 7/16 aged 25 therefore born 1891 and aged 15 in 1906 1910 John Sandisland R.N.V.R. from Lugton died 11/16 aged 19 therefore born 1897 and aged 13 in 1910 1893 Andrew Service A.Y. from Saltcoats died 9/14 aged 33 therefore 1881 and aged 12 in 1893 1908 Edward S Short Cam High 1896 Charles T Smith Dgn Grds 1904 Thomas K Stevenson R.S.F. from Beith died 1/17 aged 22 therefore born 1892 and aged 12 in 1904 1909 John Stewart Gordon High 1888 William Stewart R.S.F. 1908 Charles Whitelaw M.G.C. from Kilbirnie died 10/17 aged 22 therefore born 1892 and aged 16 in 1908 1901 Robert Wilson H.L.I. 1909 James C Wright S.Grds. from Kilbirnie died 5/18 aged 21 therefore born 1897 and aged 12 in 1909 This is not a particularly scientific study but what it does show is a very strong Ayrshireshire connection with Beith at the centre. The general ages tie in with a school leaving date with some exceptions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gladys cutajar Posted 14 June , 2010 Share Posted 14 June , 2010 Do you recognise this memorial, it appears to be Scottish, some of the names appear on the Kilbirnie/Glengarnock memorial. It was sent to me by email and the sender knows nothing at all about it, therefore I have turned to the forum for help, fingers crossed. The intitials at the bottom seem to be SBS, goodness knows what the years mean to the left of the names, they are not in numerical order so it doesn't look like a school memorial, it can't be dates of birth as some are 1911. I am as baffled as the sender. Hope you can help Kevin Hello Kevin The George Graham on this memorial might be my great uncle. Argyle & Sutherland Highlander killed in action 4th August 1918 aged 22 years. He would have been 13 in 1909. I'm not sure why he is on this memorial. I have a photo of him at school but I thought it was a Glengarnock school. Only boys in the photo so it could be an all boys school. The Graham family lived at Lochend Farm in Glengarnock and My Great Grandfather had six sons serving in WW1. I have some articles from the Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald regarding the family and the presentation of the Military Medal to George. My family have his medals but do not know what happened to the other medals including my Grandfather James Graham's. I am new to the Great War Forum. I am hoping I can get some help in identifying a shoebox full of old photos a lot of them Scotish soldiers from WW1. If I find any more information on the memorial I'll let you know. Regards Gladys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janecavell Posted 14 June , 2010 Share Posted 14 June , 2010 According to the Wikipedia entry for Spiers School, 'The old War Memorial from Spier's is presently in storage at the North Ayrshire Museum in Saltcoats'. So it sounds as if you should try contacting the North Ayrshire Museum, Manse Street, Saltcoats, North Ayrshire KA21 5AA. Tel: 01294 464174. Fax: 01294 464174. e-mail: namuseum@north-ayrshire.gov.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEW Posted 14 June , 2010 Share Posted 14 June , 2010 Bryce Longmuir & James McMurtrie are on the WWI Saltcoats Boys School Roll of Honour (link Below) although not all names are present. James McMurtrie appears to be the first on the Saltcoats Roll from the memorial. TEW Click Here But this suggests Spiers School is the one. Here 'A quick update about the piece in the Beith local notes in the Herald last week about Private Malcolm Bell, No 463235 of the 29th Battalion, Canadian Infantry who died on 6 November 1917 aged 24 years, who is buried in Beith Cemetery. Further information reveals that this Beith man whose family resided in New Street was a pupil at Spiers School and indeed is listed on the school war memorial. Thank you to Robert F Clark of Beith for that additional information. In the lookback in time which regularly appears in the Beith notes, it is quite humbling and sobering to see the large number of servicemen from the Garnock Valley who made the ultimate sacrifice, with many others sustaining serious injury in the battlefields of the First World War.' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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