Bearsden War Memorial

Douglas Davidson was b orn on 4th April 1922 on the Drums Estate, which is between Langbank and Bishopton in Renfrewshire. I think you can only appreciate the situation with the Google Earth view looking north over Drums House, however: From the House there are views of the River Clyde and of Ben Lomond.  The red ring shows the cottages for estate workers, very probably where the Davidsons lived and where Douglas was born - the main house is just to the left of the 'circle' His father, Alexander (Alec) Leslie Davidson was a gardener on the estate.  His mother was Elizabeth Train Hunter and they married in 1908.  Douglas was the youngest of their seven children. In the 1921 Census taken ten months before Douglas was born, three-roomed Drums Gardens was home to Alexander (36), Elizabeth (40), Alexander (12), Robert (11), Jean (9), Ellen (7), James (6), Gordon (5), as well as Elizabeth's parents, Robert aged 68 and a blacksmith working in in Kinning Park Saw Mill in Glasgow,...

  Thomas Daye Graham was born on 17 May 1922 at West Chapelton House, Bearsden.  His father, John Graham, has his occupation recorded as "painter (master)".  His mother was Elizabeth Lyall Daye and had married John in 1909.  Thomas was the fifth child of seven. West Chapelton House can be seen in this 1896 map: Drymen Road runs from top left to bottom centre, the station on the extreme left.  The words "West Chapelton" are just to the left of centre.  Milngavie Road runs through the centre-right of the map, with Buchanan Retreat (now Boclair House Hotel) and East Chapelton Reformatory (the site of Asda). The 1950 view looks a lot more like the modern view: The short road to West Chapelton House in 1896 has now become the western end of West Chapelton Avenue, but number 6 retains its orientation quite distinct from anything else on the street.  Incidentally, the cottage at West Chapelton House featured in my profile of George Alan Hulley (link) as the 1...

Thanks to Margaret for supplying the photo of the Currie brothers Gilbert Heron Currie, 2nd Lieutenant in the 10th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, was killed on 12th October 1916 within a few yards of Second Lieutenant William Buchan of the 7th Seaforth Highlanders.  William's home was Mindffordd, 34 Roman Road, Bearsden, and Gilbert's was Lochiel, 20 Thorn Road, Bearsden.  We don't know if they knew each other in Bearsden. I have described what happened on 12th October here  but in brief a hurriedly prepared attack was made uphill against a German defensive position with an inadequate prior artillery barrage.  William's battalion, the 7th Seaforths, formed the first four waves in the advance, while Gilbert's battalion provided two companies for a fifth and sixth wave.  They were met by intense machine gun and rifle fire and by the end of the day 70% of the Seaforths were killed, wounded or missing. With 37 dead the A&SH fared slightly better than the Sea...

  Many thanks to Margaret for the photo. George Walker Moir was 23 when he died during a phase of the Battle of The Somme.  He was a Lance-Corporal with the 5th Battalion of the Scottish Rifles (known as the Cameronians).  Having been spared the horrors of the first day of the battle on 1st July, the 33rd Division was transferred to the Somme as part of a subsequent attack.  On 15th July, George's brigade, the 91st, deployed by Mametz Wood and listened to the sounds of the first wave going in.  John Duvoisin, whose home was Cairnbank on Roman Road, was killed less than a mile away as his platoon tried to provide protection against fire coming from the flank of his battalion.  You can read his story by clicking here . George was described as thorough and thoughtful, and a fine example to his men. When George's battalion went into the front line on 16th July it was just to the east of the village of Bazentin (Bazentin-le-Petit as it was known at the time): Ma...