War graves
There are 26 Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) graves at Dalry, 24 from the First World War and two from the Second.
James Wright McDonald
Service No. 330
Gunner, 4th Lowland Brigade, Royal Garrison Artillery
James McDonald was born on 7 April 1895 at 148 Rose Street in Edinburgh – the son of Robert McDonald – a tailor - and his wife Isabella (nee Spence). Prior to his enlistment, James worked as a law clerk. He enlisted in the Territorial Force in March 1913 and was called up immediately at the outbreak of war in August 1914.
He died on 22 October 1914 aged 19 at Stobhill Hospital in Glasgow - two days after surgery to repair an intestinal injury sustained as a result of a kick from a horse. He was unmarried and was usually resident at his family home at 38 Earl Grey Street, Edinburgh.
Magnus Charles McLean
Service No. 1063
Lance Corporal, 6th Battalion, The Royal Scots
Magnus McLean was born on 13 October 1892 in Portsea, Hampshire, England to Magnus McLean – at that time a Sapper with the Royal Engineers - and his wife Catherine (nee Runcey). Because his father’s military career sometimes took him overseas, Magnus and his siblings sometimes lived with relatives in Edinburgh but his parents settled back in Edinburgh when his father left the armed forces. Prior to the outbreak of war, Magnus worked for the General Post Office as a postman.
Although he was assigned to the 6th Royal Scots, this battalion was attached to the 8th Royal Scots and was deployed in France. He was injured at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle and was invalided back to Ireland. He died, age 22, on 20 March 1915 in Dr Steeven’s Hospital in Dublin, as a result of toxaemia arising from a gangrenous wound on his thigh. He was 22 years old and unmarried. His family home was at 1 West End Place, in Edinburgh.
Philip Carlin
Service No. 9254
Private, 2nd Battalion, Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders
Philip Brady Carlin was born on 16 August 1891 at 29 West Port, Edinburgh to James Carlin – a mason’s labourer - and his wife Mary (nee Craney). Both of his parents had died before he was 10 years old. On the 1911 Census, Philip was working as a van driver for the Caledonian Railway. He appears to have joined the army as a regular soldier sometime after 1911. Prior to the outbreak of war, he had been stationed in India.
Philip died on 15 May 1915, as a result of wounds received in France. He was 23 years old and unmarried. He is also commemorated on an adjacent family headstone – which is severely damaged – but which includes a memorial to his older brother Patrick Carlin. Patrick was killed in action four weeks after Philip and he is commemorated on the Menin Gate (Ypres) Memorial in Belgium.
Alex Taylor
Service No. 3755
Private, 11th Battalion, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
Alexander Taylor, known as Alex, was born on 8 February 1890 at 3 Tobago Place in Edinburgh - the eldest son of Peter Taylor – a coal carter - and his wife Margaret (nee Brown). He was married to Mary Wynn on 26 June 1912, in Edinburgh.
He enlisted with the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders in September 1914, shortly before the birth of their second child. Prior to the outbreak of war, he had been working as a scavenger, employed by Edinburgh Corporation.
Alex died on 30 Jul 1915 in RIE aged 25, as a result of a recurrence of a rare form of sarcoma, for which he had undergone surgery in July 1914 before enlisting for war service. He was the father of three sons, the youngest of whom was born after he had died and was named Alexander in memory of him. The family lived at 17 Kings’ Stables Road, in Edinburgh.
George McAlpine Fraser
Service No. 18800
Private, 3rd Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers
George Fraser was born on 6 February 1892 at 12 Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh to Simon Fraser – a cooper - and his wife Mary (nee Sinclair). Prior to the war, George worked as a Law Clerk. He attested in December 1915 - probably under the Derby Scheme - and was called up to serve on 10 April 1916, whereupon he was sent to Fort Matilda in Greenock - a training camp for the Royal Scots Fusiliers.
George died on 23 April 1916 in the Royal Infirmary in Greenock from peritonitis, caused by appendicitis. He was 24 years old and was unmarried.
James McLaren
Service No. 4217
Serjeant, 3rd Battalion, The Royal Scots
James Edwin McLaren, was born on 4 November 1873 in Whitburn, then in the county of Linlithgowshire. He was the son of Lawrence McLaren - a butler - and his wife Mary (nee McReadie.
He had previously served with the Royal Scots, including active service during the Boer War, but had been invalided out in 1909. Prior to the outbreak of World War 1, he had been employed as a clerk. He re-enlisted with the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion in September 1914 and was promoted to Lance Corporal soon afterwards, then progressed to Lance Sergeant and by October 1915, he had reached the rank of Sergeant. In November 1915, he was released from his unit in order to undertake munitions work at a factory in Polmont in Stirlingshire.
On Monday 1 May 1916, James was returning by train from a weekend spent with his brother-in-law in Musselburgh. He got off the train at Polmont in order to walk along the Union Canal towpath to his lodgings in Redding village. When he reached the village, he called in at the Cross Roads public house, where he ordered and drank a pint of beer. After leaving the pub an hour later, he resumed his journey home along the towpath but a short time later, his body was seen in the canal. He was pulled from the water but attempts made to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. The report from the Procurator Fiscal returned a verdict of accidental drowning. He was 42 years old and unmarried.
John Jude Sutherland
Service No. 3/8896
Private, 1st Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment
John Jude Sutherland was born on 6 November 1895 at 2 Chessel’s Court, Canongate, in Edinburgh. He was the eldest son of Robert Sutherland – a shoemaker - and his wife Charlotte (nee McKay). He enlisted with the Royal Regiment of Artillery in September 1914, before transferring to the Dorsetshire Regiment in March 1915. Prior to enlistment he had worked as an engineer’s labourer and had also served in the 3rd Special Reserve Battalion, the Gordon Highlanders. His battalion was deployed to France in May 1915.
John sustained gunshot wounds on 1 July 1916 – the first day of the Battle of the Somme – but he did not reach a field hospital until the following day. He was admitted to the Base Hospital at Etaples on 5 July and from there he was invalided back to England on 6 July. He was admitted to Brook War Hospital in Woolwich, London, where he died on 11 July 1916. He was 19 years old and unmarried. His family home at the time of his death was 96 Morrison Street, Edinburgh.
Andrew Kyles McVey
Service No. 1471
Lance Corporal, 2nd/4th Battalion, The Royal Scots
Andrew McVey was born on 23 Mar 1876 at 54 Bristo Street in Edinburgh to John Walter Taylor McVey – a watchmaker - and his wife Jessie (nee Kyles). He was married to his cousin, Catherine Ritchie Kyles, on 22 December 1899 in Edinburgh. They had four children. Prior to the outbreak of war, Andrew McVey worked as a lithographic artist. He was also a member of the Territorial Army from 1913 and served in the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Scots until October 1915, when he was discharged on grounds of insanity.
He died on 24 August 1916 in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, at the age of 40. His family home at that time was at 3 Castle Wynd, close to Edinburgh Castle. The cause of his death was rectal carcinoma, perforation of the caecum and peritonitis. The army accepted that his condition may have been aggravated by his military service.
Alexander Buchan
Service No. T4/246423
Driver, Royal Army Service Corps
Alexander Buchan was born on 5 July 1883 at 9 Newton Street in Edinburgh - the son of Thomas Buchan – a railway guard - and his wife Agnes (nee Muirhead). Previously a labourer, Alexander enlisted and served as a driver in the Royal Army Territorial Force and subsequently transferred to the regular Army Service Corps. He was married to Marion Scott on 23 June 1911 in Edinburgh.
Alexander died on 29 Oct 1916 in the military hospital in Edinburgh Castle, aged 33 years. The cause of his death was stated as pneumonia and cardiac failure. Although he was latterly stationed in Chelmsford in Essex, his marital home was at 150 Dundee Street in Edinburgh.
Frederick Ramsey Walker, M.C.
Service No. 5849
2nd Lieutenant, 2nd Battalion, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
Frederick Walker was born on 27 July 1882 at the military barracks in Tipperary, in Ireland. He was the son of Thomas Walker – an army Staff Sergeant - and his wife, Mary (nee Lawson).
He joined the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders and was based at Fort George in Inverness-shire. He had a distinguished military career, including active service in France during the first two years of the Great War at a number of notable battles. He sustained wounds on two occasions, was mentioned in despatches and received medals for gallantry and merit.
Frederick was found dead, early on the morning of 6 January 1917, age 34, at Dreghorn Camp in Colinton, Edinburgh. As a sudden death, the cause was initially stated to be syncope and dilatation of the heart – later revised to catarrhal pneumonia and congestion of the lungs due to cardiac valvular incompetence. He had been married to Josephine Margaret (nee Maxwell) for four years and their home was at 107 Donegall Street in Belfast.
James Wilson
Service No. 21960
Private, 17th Battalion, The Royal Scots
James Wilson was born on 4 April 1875 at 4 Brandfield Street in Edinburgh to George Wilson – a carter - and his wife Jane (nee Caldwell). At the time of his enlistment in March 1915, James was a hairdresser. He was married to Margaret Hendry Watson on 30 June 1900 in Edinburgh. They had 10 children together.
After a year of military service, James was discharged on 26 Apr 1916. He was deemed no longer fit for military service on account of a congenital double hernia of which he was previously unaware. He had been advised to undergo surgery to correct the issue but having refused to do so, he was discharged from service. He died on 4 November 1917 at home at 84 High Riggs, Edinburgh, at the age of 42. The cause of his death was stated to be pulmonary tuberculosis.
David Goodlet
Service No. 13578
Lance Corporal 12th Battalion, The Royal Scots
David Goodlet was born on 1 May 1884 at 1 West Fountain Place in Edinburgh to John Goodlet – an engine driver - and his wife, Margaret (nee Thom). He had previous military service although at the time of his enlistment in 1914, he was working as a labourer.
He served for over 2 years in France between 1915 and 1917, during which time he began to display signs of depression. He attempted to take his own life on more than one occasion and suffered an epileptic seizure. It was determined that asylum treatment was required for him as his condition was such that he needed the constant attention of another person with him.
David was treated at Murthly War Hospital in Perthshire before being transferred to the Royal Asylum in Edinburgh. He was discharged from the armed forces on 13 Feb 1918 due to melancholia, attributed to the stress of his military service. David died in the Royal Asylum in Edinburgh on 13 Nov 1918 - 2 days after the Armistice was signed. The cause of his death was influenza and bronchopneumonia. He was 34 years old and unmarried. His family home was located at 93 Slateford Road in Edinburgh.
James Allan
Service No. 65248
Private, 3rd Battalion, The Royal Scots
James Morland Allan was born on 6 August 1889 at 5 Gilmore Park in Edinburgh. He was the son of John Allan – a coal carter - and his wife Margaret (nee Morland). James was married to Isabella Williamson on 10 Jun 1910 in Edinburgh. He had previously been a brewery worker but at the time of his attestation in 1916, he was a foreman carter, working for Edinburgh & District Tramways. He lived with his wife and family at 36 Caledonian Crescent in Edinburgh. Although he had attested for military service in February 1916, he was not mobilised until July 1918.
On 11 December 1918, James was admitted to the military hospital at the barracks in Mullingar, in County Westmeath in Ireland. He died 11 days later on 22 Dec 1918, aged 29 years. The cause of his death was stated as influenza and pneumonia. He was the father of 6 children - his youngest son being born two months after his death.
Jessie Smith Jamieson
Staff Nurse, Territorial Army Nursing Service (CWGC, IWM)
Jessie Jamieson was born on 13 Jun 1888 at 7 Cathcart Place, Edinburgh. She was the eldest daughter of John Jamieson – a house painter - and Elizabeth (nee Whitton). The 1911 Census shows that Jessie was then 22 years old and worked as a dressmaker, as did her two younger sisters.
She enlisted and served in the Territorial Army Nursing Service during WW1 and died on 30 Dec 1918 at Craigleith Military Hospital (now the Western General Hospital) in Edinburgh. The cause of her death was stated to be pneumonia and influenza. She was 30. Her family home was at 21 Murieston Crescent.
James Thomson
Service No. 19938
Private, 16th Battalion, The Royal Scots
& Service No. 579287
Private, Labour Corps
James Thomson was born on 28 November 1866 in Monzievaird, near Crieff in Perthshire. He was the son of William Thomson and his wife Elizabeth (nee Campbell) and James followed in his father’s occupation as a grain miller. He was married to Agnes Wood Forrester on 29 December 1893 in Glasgow. He enlisted for military service with the 16th Battalion, the Royal Scots in November 1914 but appears not to have served overseas during the conflict.
James transferred to the Labour Corps in April 1918, following hospital treatment for myalgia. At the end of October 1918, he contracted influenza and was invalided home in November 1918, a few days after the Armistice had been signed. He was admitted to Murthly War Hospital in Perthshire on 6 January 1919, in an unconscious but agitated state and with unequal pupils. He died on 14 Jan 1919, without regaining consciousness. The cause of his death was stated to be a cerebral tumour. He was 52 years old and had been the father of ten children. The family home was at 197 Dalry Road in Edinburgh.
David George Allan
Service No. 37114
Private, 10th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry
David George Smeaton Allan was born on 13 December 1888 at 19 Springwell Place, Edinburgh to Alexander Allan – a plumber - and his wife Christina (nee Smeaton). It appears that he was usually called George. Prior to the outbreak of war, he had worked as a confectioner.
He served with the Highland Light Infantry and survived the duration of the World War One conflict but he died on 3 February 1919 in the Military Hospital within Edinburgh Castle. The cause of his death was influenza and bronchopneumonia – presumably a victim of the flu pandemic. He was 29 years old, unmarried and his family home was located at 9 Downfield Place, Edinburgh.
Alexander Bruce
Service No. 246674
Driver, 317 Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
Alexander Bruce was born on 3 February 1890 at 33 Dean Path, Edinburgh to Alexander Bruce – a coal carter - and his wife Elizabeth (nee Brodie). Prior to enlistment on 13 Feb 1915 as a Driver with the Royal Field Artillery, he was employed as a railway carter with the Caledonian Railway. On 25 August 1918, he was admitted to a military hospital with a serious wound and fracture to his right upper arm. During a prolonged period of treatment in various military hospitals, Alexander was found to be suffering from diabetes, which had a profound effect on his general health and the ability of his wound to heal. He lost a vast amount of weight and was seriously ill for several months.
Alexander was discharged from the armed forces on 10 February 1919 and he died on 16 February 1919 at home at 16 Dundee Terrace, Edinburgh. He was 29 years old and unmarried. The stated cause of his death was diabetes, only five months after being diagnosed.
Alexander Grant McKenzie
Service No. 21671
Private, 18th Battalion, The Royal Scots
Alexander Grant McKenzie was born on 21 September 1887 at 188 Lauriston Place in Edinburgh, to John McKenzie – at that time employed as a general merchant but later as a joiner - and his wife Elizabeth (nee Grant). Prior to the outbreak of war, Alexander had also been a joiner - following in the footsteps of his father and an older brother.
He enlisted for war service on 7 March 1915 but was discharged from the armed forces on 25 May 1916 on medical grounds. He was deemed no longer physically fit for service, due to chest pain and breathlessness, likely to have originally been caused by an illness in childhood, such as rheumatic fever but which was aggravated by his military service.
Alexander died on 20 February 1919 in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh – aged 31 years. He was unmarried and was described on his death record as “Army Pensioner”. He lived nearby in the family home at 84 Lady Lawson Street, in Edinburgh. The cause of his death was stated as pneumonia - lasting 16 days duration – most likely another victim of the 1918/1919 flu pandemic.
Alex Nelson Dawson
Service No. RTS/4848
Private (Rough Rider), Royal Army Service Corps
Alexander was born on 17 December 1886 at Sunbury Place in Edinburgh to Edward Dawson – a lemonade bottler - and his wife, Isabella (nee Nelson). He was married to Agnes Stewart on 3 March 1905 in Edinburgh and they had five children together.
At enlistment in December 1914, Alexander’s occupation was stated as Coachman. His work with horses would have made him well suited for his service with the Royal Army Service Corps Remounts Service. The Remount Service was the body responsible for the purchase and training of horses and mules for use in military service and Alexander served as a “Rough Rider”, responsible for breaking in young and inexperienced animals. He served for over a year in France with the British Expeditionary Force but was discharged in May 1916 as he was no longer physically fit for service.
Alexander died on 24 Feb 1919 at the City Hospital in Edinburgh, at the age of 32. The causes of his death were stated as influenza, pneumonia and cardiac disease. His usual residence was Sunbury House, Belford Road in Edinburgh.
Ernest Alexander Reilly
Service No. 1171
Lance Corporal, 5th Battalion, The Royal Scots
Ernest Reilly was born on 14 October 1895 at 3 Buccleuch Terrace, Edinburgh - the son of John Reilly – a plasterer - and his wife Mary (nee Mason). He joined the Territorial Army on 16 February 1911 and was called up for service in September 1914. He was sent to the Dardanelles in 1915, where he was wounded and invalided back to Britain in June of that year. It appears that he was eligible to be discharged from the army at his own request on 16 February 1916, having completed the full 5 years of his engagement with the Territorial Force.
Although it is not confirmed, Ernest may have returned to his pre-war career as an engineer, after being discharged from the army in 1916. He died on 11 Mar 1919 aged 23 years at the Royal Asylum in Edinburgh. The cause of his death was stated to be “Acute exhaustive, infective, confusional insanity”. He was unmarried and his home address was 8 Murieston Terrace, Edinburgh.
David Collins
Service No. 115543
Private, Royal Air Force
(previous Service No S/10929, Gordon Highlanders)
David Collins was born on 11 Nov 1871 at 5 Brandfield Place, Edinburgh to David Collins – a master slater - and his wife Janet (nee Greig). David had worked in the rubber industry and later followed his father’s career as a slater.
He went on to follow a varied military career during the Great War, having attested in June 1915. He first served with the Gordon Highlanders, then transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in August 1917 and was posted to France. The Royal Flying Corps merged with the Royal Naval Air Service to form the Royal Air Force in April 1918.
David married Elizabeth Manderson in Edinburgh on 1 November 1889. Their family home was at 13 Murdoch Terrace, also in Edinburgh. They had a large family together but lost three children in early childhood and two of their sons died during the 1914-18 conflict.
David was discharged from service on 13 Nov 1918. He died on 27 July 1919 at 51 Dundee Terrace, in Edinburgh, at the age of 47. The stated cause of death was cardiac syncope.
James Manson
Service No. 120584
Private, 3/1st Lothians and Borders Horse
James Manson was born on 1 May 1892 at 38 Academy Street in Dumfries. He was the son of William Manson - a butler - and his wife Isabella (nee Rehren). Prior to his enlistment, in May 1915, to serve in the 3/1st Lothians and Borders Horse – a Reservist yeomanry regiment - he had been a schoolmaster at Kilmaurs School Board in Kilmarnock.
James served in France between March and November 1916 and then in Macedonia from January 1917 until Oct 1918. He had been hospitalised on more than one occasion suffering from the effects of malaria and rheumatism, causing a heart murmur which indicated incompetence in his heart valves. Sadly, this condition resulted in his death on 1 Aug 1919 at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. He was 27 years old, unmarried and lived at 22 Brougham Street in Edinburgh.
Alexander Fraser
Service No. 58468
Private, Royal Welsh Fusiliers
& Service No 614018
Corporal, Labour Corps
Alexander Fraser was born on 2 June 1891 in Forres - then in the county of Elgin - the son of Alexander Fraser – a gardener - and his wife Elizabeth (nee McKenzie). Prior to enlistment, he was working as a pharmaceutical chemist. He enlisted in Nottingham in December 1915 – in the first instance with the North Staffordshire Regiment but he was later transferred to a training battalion and then to the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, where he served in France. He was compulsorily transferred to the Labour Corps on medical grounds as his eyesight was considered to be defective and not adequate for active service.
He died on 7 August 1919 at Longmore Hospital in Edinburgh, age 28. The cause of his death was stated to be a malignant epithelioma of his tongue. He was unmarried and his usual residence was the family home at 7 Northcote Street, in Edinburgh.
John Black
Service No. 40875
Private, 1st Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers
(previous Service No. 34110
Private, 1st Battalion, The Royal Scots)
John Black was born on 28 Dec 1884 at 24 Cathcart Place in Edinburgh – the son of Hugh Black – a law clerk - and his wife Catherine (nee Gray). John’s mother died four weeks after his birth. Prior to the outbreak of war, he was employed as the Estate Clerk at the Cally Estate in Gatehouse of Fleet, Kirkcudbrightshire. He originally served with the 1st Battalion, The Royal Scots but was later transferred to the 1st Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers. He was injured in France in April 1917.
John died on 9 Sep 1920 at the Edinburgh War Hospital – later known as Bangour Hospital, in West Lothian - at the age of 35. The cause of his death was acute heart disease. He was unmarried at the time of his death but in his will, he left all of his personal effects and money to a Miss Thomasina Annie Ireland Walker, who may have been his fiancée at the time of his death. As a consequence of his connection to the Cally Estate, he is also commemorated on the World War 1 Roll of Honour in Gatehouse of Fleet.
David Ronald Kerr
Service No. 3057512 (CWGC)
Gunner, 405th Battery, 52 Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery
(previously 4th/5th Battalion, Searchlight Regiment, The Royal Scots)
David Kerr was born on 29 September 1909 at 23 Cathcart Place in Edinburgh. He was the son of David Strachan Kerr – a monumental sculptor - and his wife Agnes Crombie. He followed in his family’s long-established career and trained as a monumental sculptor.
He enlisted with the 4th/5th Royal Scots anti-aircraft brigade. Previously an infantry brigade, in August 1940, it became the 52nd (Queen’s Edinburgh, Royal Scots) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery and formed part of the River Forth defences.
Whilst operating as a despatch rider, David was involved in a motor cycle accident in Haddingtonshire – now East Lothian. He died on 17 October 1940 at Vert Memorial Hospital in Haddington as a result of shock and haemorrhage from a deep lacerated wound. He was 31 years old, unmarried and his family home at the time of his death was at “Waldene” in Uphall, West Lothian.
Alexander Weir Campbell
Service Number 1602825
Corporal, Army Catering Corps
(previously with the Royal Regiment of Artillery)
Alexander Campbell was born on 14 January 1912 at 5 Forbes Street in Edinburgh to Jessie Jane Campbell – a domestic servant.
He enlisted with the Royal Regiment of Artillery in 1940 but transferred to the Royal Army Ordnance Corps on 21 August 1942. The RAOC was responsible for the supply of weapons, ammunition and equipment to the British Army and, during World War Two, that role also included responsibility for bomb disposal. Until 1942, it was also responsible for repair and maintenance of army vehicles.
Alexander died on 13 May 1944, probably in the UK but not able to be confirmed from available resources. He was 32 years at the time of his death, unmarried and had been resident in Berkshire in England.