Cpl Donald McGilvray 27 Singapore Volunteer Rifles

[Doug Lewis]

Remembering today

Cpl Donald McGilvray Singapore Volunteer Rifles.

Name: McGILVRAY, DONALD

Initials: D

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Corporal

Regiment: Singapore Volunteer Rifles

Age: 25

Date of Death: 15/02/1915

Service No: 27

Additional information: Son of Donald and Jean McGilvray, of "Craigowan," Northampton Rd., Croydon. Born at Greenock.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: 37. G. 3.

Cemetery: KRANJI WAR CEMETERY

Cemetery: KRANJI WAR CEMETERY

Country: Singapore

Locality: unspecified

Location Information: Kranji War Cemetery is 22 kilometres north of the city of Singapore, on the north side of Singapore Island overlooking the Straits of Johore. It is just off the Singapore-Johore road (Woodlands Road) at the milestone 13 1/2, and there is a short approach road from the main road. The Cemetery is known locally as Kranji Memorial and one must be sure of the address before boarding a taxi as most taxi drivers do not know the Cemetery. There are also bus stops on the main road facing the Cemetery. An MRT terminal will be found a short distance from the Cemetery.

Historical Information: Before 1939 the Kranji area was a military camp and at the time of the Japanese invasion of Malaya, it was the site of a large ammunition magazine. On 8 February 1942, the Japanese crossed the Johore Straits in strength, landing at the mouth of the Kranji River within two miles of the place where the war cemetery now stands. On the evening of 9 February, they launched an attack between the river and the causeway. During the next few days fierce fighting ensued, in many cases hand to hand, until their greatly superior numbers and air strength necessitated a withdrawal. After the fall of the island, the Japanese established a prisoner of war camp at Kranji and eventually a hospital was organised nearby at Woodlands. After the reoccupation of Singapore, the small cemetery started by the prisoners at Kranji was developed into a permanent war cemetery by the Army Graves Service when it became evident that a larger cemetery at Changi could not remain undisturbed. Changi had been the site of the main prisoner of war camp in Singapore and a large hospital had been set up there by the Australian Infantry Force. In 1946, the graves were moved from Changi to Kranji, as were those from the Buona Vista prisoner of war camp. Many other graves from all parts of the island were transferred to Kranji together with all Second World War graves from Saigon Military Cemetery in French Indo-China (now Vietnam), another site where permanent maintenance could not be assured. The Commission later brought in graves of both World Wars from Bidadari Christian Cemetery, Singapore, where again permanent maintenance was not possible. There are now 4,461 Commonwealth casualties of the Second World War buried or commemorated at KRANJI WAR CEMETERY. More than 850 of the burials are unidentified. The Chinese Memorial in Plot 44 marks a collective grave for 69 Chinese servicemen, all members of the Commonwealth forces, who were killed by the Japanese during the occupation in February 1942. First World War burials and commemorations number 64, including special memorials to three casualties known to have been buried in civil cemeteries in Saigon and Singapore, but whose graves could not be located. Within Kranji War Cemetery stands the SINGAPORE MEMORIAL, bearing the names of over 24,000 casualties of the Commonwealth land and air forces who have no known grave. The land forces commemorated by the memorial died during the campaigns in Malaya and Indonesia or in subsequent captivity, many of them during the construction of the Burma-Thailand railway, or at sea while being transported into imprisonment elsewhere. The memorial also commemorates airmen who died during operations over the whole of southern and eastern Asia and the surrounding seas and oceans. The SINGAPORE (UNMAINTAINABLE GRAVES) MEMORIAL, which stands at the western end of the Singapore Memorial, commemorates more than 250 casualties who died in campaigns in Singapore and Malaya, whose known graves in civil cemeteries could not be assured maintenance and on religious grounds could not be moved to a war cemetery. The SINGAPORE CREMATION MEMORIAL, which stands immediately behind the Singapore Memorial, commemorates almost 800 casualties, mostly of the Indian forces, whose remains were cremated in accordance with their religious beliefs. The SINGAPORE CIVIL HOSPITAL GRAVE MEMORIAL stands at the eastern end of the Singapore Memorial. During the last hours of the Battle of Singapore, wounded civilians and servicemen taken prisoner by the Japanese were brought to the hospital in their hundreds. The number of fatalities was such that burial in the normal manner was impossible. Before the war, an emergency water tank had been dug in the grounds of the hospital and this was used as a grave for more than 400 civilians and Commonwealth servicemen. After the war, it was decided that as individual identification of the dead would be impossible, the grave should be left undisturbed. The grave was suitably enclosed, consecrated by the Bishop of Singapore, and a cross in memory of all of those buried there was erected over it by the military authorities. The 107 Commonwealth casualties buried in the grave are commemorated on the Singapore Civil Hospital Grave Memorial. Kranji War Cemetery and the Singapore Memorial were designed by Colin St Clair Oakes. Adjoining Kranji War Cemetery is KRANJI MILITARY CEMETERY, a substantial non-world war site of 1,378 burials, created in 1975 when it was found necessary to remove the graves of servicemen and their families from Pasir Panjang and Ulu Pandan cemeteries.

No. of Identified Casualties: 3712

Regards Doug

[Glosters]

An interesting and not widely known story to this casualty.

Men of the 5th (Indian) Native Light Infantry mutinied at Singapore on 15th February 1915. After murdering 3 Officers they moved into the town, killing any Europeans they found, including several off-duty Singapore Volunteers. A force made up of all available men (including sailors from Japanese and Russian naval vessels) was gathered to put down the mutiny. The mutineers were court martialed and executed.

There is a memorial in St. Andrew's Cathedral, Singapore:

"To the glory of God and in sacred memory of the undermentioned Officers, Non-commissioned Officers and Men of the Singapore Volunteer Corps, who lost their lives during the mutiny of the 5th Native Light Infantry in February 1915

15th February

2nd Lieut. J. Love-Montgomerie, Rifles

Sergeant G. Wald, (Reserve) Engineers

Corporal D. McGilvray, Rifles

Corporal G.O. Lawson, Cyclist Scouts

Lce Corporal J.G.E. Harper, Rifles

Private B.C. Cameron, Rifles

Private F.S. Drysdale, Rifles

Private A.J.G. Holt, Rifles

16th February

Lieut. A.F. Legge, Field Ambulance

18th February

Gunner P. Walton, Artillery

19th February

Civilian F. Geddes, Armed Civililan

This memorial is erected by their Comrades in the Singapore Volunteer Corps."

Also -

"In memory of Stoker C.F. Anscombe of HMS Cadmus who was killed in action during the mutiny of the 5th Light Infantry 16th February 1915. Erected by the Association of Engineers, Singapore."

"To the glory of God and in memory of

Major R.H. Galway

Captain F.V. Izard

Captain M.F.A. Maclean

Corporal R.V. Beagley

Gunner J. Barry

All of the Royal Garrison Artillery

who were killed in the mutiny at Singapore in February 1915

This tablet is erected by their comrades of the Royal Garrison Artillery, Singapore."

The 38 Christians killed by the mutineers were buried at Bidadari Cemetery, but later their bodies were moved to Kranji War Cemetery.

[Terry Denham]

There is another thread about the mutiny including a photo of the plaque mentioned above.

http://www.1914-1918.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=3475&hl=

[stevem]

The following is from "Singapore Mutiny" by RWE Harper & Harry Miller, published by Oxford in Asia Paperbacks, 1984.

"Three Englishmen, Mr D. McGilvray, Mr E.O. Butterworth and Mr J. E. Dunn, assistants in the firm of Guthrie and Company, were having tea in their bachelors' mess on Pasir Panjang Road when armed Indians burst into the garden. The three men angrily shouted at them to get out. McGilvray, says a report, insisted on knowing what they were doing, saying that his reason for asking them was that he was "a Volunteer". Butterworth was shot immediately. The other two tried to escape. McGilvray was killed in the garden and Dunn was cornered at the back of the house and murdered".

Donald McGilvray is shown as a civilian in the Roll of Honour published in the book

Steve

[westkent78]

Were medals awarded for service in the Singapore Volunteers?

[Andre Chissel]

I would love to know the answer to this too - did they receive the BWM ?

[Guest]

On 21/05/2004 at 22:00, westkent78 said:

Were medals awarded for service in the Singapore Volunteers?

 

    Yes and No.  "Discovery" at The National Archives lists 24 medal index cards  under a search for "Singapore" + "Volunteer" + "medal"-   Results come with various nomenclature- Singapore Volunteer Rifles/Infantry/Artillery/Corps-and one for Cyclist.  MacGilvray is not one of them.

[Robin Garrett]

1/4 KSLI, under command of a distant relative of mine (Lt Col Arthur Garrett) were involved in putting down the mutiny. The battalion found the firing squads. One hundred mutineers were executed, 15 at a time, over a period of several weeks. Arthur Garrett said he was extremely glad when that task was over.