Bearsden War Memorial

I'm indebted to the RAF Commands website ( link ) for this photo and much valuable information here and elsewhere. Andrew Rankin was born on 27 th  April 1922 at 12 Maxwell Avenue, Westerton.  His father and mother were Robert and Mary Dickson Watson who were married in 1919.  Robert was a property agent. By 1935 the family had moved to 79 Drymen Road.   Modern street view looking north up Drymen Road, by the junction with North Erskine Park, 79 on the left. Around that time, Andrew is briefly mentioned in a set of school results for Bearsden Public School published in the Milngavie and Bearsden Herald of 28th June 1935 - he's in Junior II and commended for Drawing: Andrew joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve.  He achieved the rank of Pilot Officer and in 1943 was with 75 Squadron, a squadron with a strong New Zealand representation among the crew.   Studying the squadron records, Andrew a nd the crew flew the following missions Flying from ...

Barry Martin Smyth Henderson was born on 18 th   November 1919 at 28 Wilkie Street, Glasgow. Wilkie Street was in the east end of Glasgow, by what is now The Forge Shopping Centre: His father, who had the same name, was from County Antrim, and worked as a compositor for the Daily Record.  He married  Sadly, we know nothing specific about Barry’s life after this.  His parents moved to 207 Milngavie Road, Bearsden, in the early 1930s and given his age he very probably lived there. Modern street view of Milngavie Road, 207 on the left. Barry joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve in the Second World War.  He was posted to 142 Squadron on 1 st  October 1941 as a f light sergeant.  In the aircraft his role was wireless operator/air gunner. In early 1942 the squadron was based at RAF Grimsby and flying Wellington bombers. Looking at the Squadron’s records suggests the missions Barry flew in these months were as follows 6 th  January – Brest (France) 8 th ...

There are 148 names on the Bearsden War Memorial.  In terms of a single cemetery or memorial, the most frequent is New Kilpatrick with 14.  First World War memorials to those with no known grave at Thiepval (eight) and Arras (six) are next, together with the memorial to Merchant Navy men with no known grave on Tower Hill in London - this has seven names and has already featured in posts on John Gibbeson ( link ), James Craig ( link ), and Thomas Robertson ( link ).  This post commemorates the other four 'Bearsden names'. Much of the information about the ships and their fate comes from the comprehensive website uboat.net ( link ). Thomas Niven Rennie  Thomas was  Chief Engineering Officer on the  SS Maritima in 1942. On 2nd November 1942 the ship was in convoy SC-107 crossing the Atlantic to Glasgow, carrying a general cargo including explosives.  At 08.07 the German submarine, U-522, fired four torpedoes and achieved four hits.  Maritim...

Andrew Maxwell was born on 2 nd March 1914 at 50 Lauderdale Gardens, in Hyndland just off of Clarence Drive. His father, also Andrew, was a cashier and had married his mother, Christina Mary Bremner, in 1907.  They already had a daughter, Dorothy, who was six years older By the 1921 Census the family lived at 3 Albany Street, in Kelvinside, parallel to Queen Margaret Drive.   This street has since been r enamed as Mingarry Street. Here is roughly the equivalent modern Google Street View: His father's occupation was still as a cashier, but this Census asked for the person's employer so we know he worked for Farquhar and Pearson, Grain Merchants. Between 1930 and 1935, the Maxwells moved to a house called Ardmore on Rubislaw Drive in Bearsden, now number 8. Andrew became a chartered accountant, presumably in the mid to late 1930s and when the war started he joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve. He was a Pilot Officer with 106 Squadron, stationed at RAF Coningsby.  At this ...

  For this and lots of information I am indebted to the aircrewremembered.com website (link  here ) William Clark Hamilton enlisted in the RAF Volunteer Reserve on 14th April 1939, being called up full-time from 1st September as a Leading Aircraftsman.  On his paperwork he is described as 5 feet and 7 inches tall (170cm), fair hair, blue eyes and pale complexion. He seems to have been in various training units for a year, mainly at RAF Abbotsinch (now Glasgow Airport) finishing by being promoted to sergeant on 21st August 1940.  On 3rd September 1940, he was posted to 304 Squadron. This Squadron had only been established a few weeks before and was based in Nottinghamshire at RAF Syerston.  It was mainly made up of Polish airman who had made their way to Britain, but all squadrons of this type included a few British crews.  It entered a period of training and together with poor weather, the squadron's first operational mission was not until 2nd May 1941. On ...

I had originally intended to include this man under my post on those who died of disease but his story is interesting (and a little complex). James Ingram Russell is difficult to track on the Scotland’s People website – there is no obvious record of him in the births, censuses or deaths.   From documents we know for certain where James was on three specific dates. The first date is 15 th June 1928 by which time he was 28 years old, suggesting he was born in either 1899 or 1900.   He was a marine engineer and gave his address as onboard the SS Woodarra, a cargo ship belonging to the British India Steam Navigation Company ( link ).   (By this time this had been taken over by Peninsular and Oriental (P&O) but was still trading as a separate company.) He was getting married, the bride being Lilian Rose Lowe who was aged 24 and worked as a clerk.   She gave her address as Willowbank, Mill Road, Yoker but checking against the Valuation Roll this was the home of Jame...