Newsletter No1 - August 2007 - The Royal Highland Fusiliers

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GLASGOW HIGHLANDERSNemo Me Impune LacessitFUNCTIONSFUNCTIONSWe have had two very successful functions since we reformed—one being held in the RHF Home museum in SauchiehallStreet Glasgow in May and the Family BBQ held at Walcheren Barracks Glasgow in June 2007.Up to 60 members and friends attended each of these functions—SO WELL DONE TO ALL THOSE WHO ATTENDEDAGMThe Association will hold it’s Annual General Meeting in the WO’s & Sgt’s Mess at Hotspur Street on a Tuesday evening inOctober 2007 starting at 2000hrs—All members attending must be seated in the mess ready for the meeting to start for2000hrs—Dress Suits—Shirt—Tie. A letter for the meeting has been sent. Anyone wishing to raise any points for the AGMare to submit their points with their return.REUNIONThe reunion will take place in the mess in October 2007—Again a letter has been sent concerning this event—Returns to besent to Robert Woodburn along with payment—Cheques to be made out to“The Glasgow Highlanders Association”Details are in the letterAbout the NewsletterWe intend to issue this and give you the reader the opportunity to put your stories across to other readers—The plan isthat the front page will cover items like history or points that require to be highlighted to members—the centerfolds (??)would be stories from the members ie YOU and the rear page would generally be dedicated to things that can be lookedat using the Web (WWW). The web section will not change much but we will have a small section dedicated to anythingwe discover ie a new site to visit that could be of interest to members. Remember it should be a newsletter for the memberswritten by the members so it is your contribution that is important to keep it going!The Newsletter would be sent out on a four monthly interval—April—August— December. Anyone wanting to put somethingfor the newsletter are asked to submit their stories by 1st March—July—November to give us time to get them intothe next edition.Items can be sent as Emails or Microsoft Word format or indeed can be hand written/typed or we can arrange for anaudio interview and we would then type it up for you. If you had any photographs they can be originals or in any electronicformat—originals photographs would be returned.Items sent by Email can be directed to dinger105@hotmail.comWHERE’S YOUR STORY?As we said this is your chance to put your story into your newsletter—to get us started I have put in a story of the searchfor a memorial that was commissioned to honour the men of a little street which has since been taken off the map—thestreet was called Lyon Street which used to run parallel with Raglan Street. The stones in the playground are all that is leftof this street and have recently been fenced off for two reasons—one to save the local kids from damaging them and tostop any children hurting themselves. The story of the memorial was first brought to me about 5 years ago when I wasserving with the TA at Hotspur Street, I was asked by my adjutant to assist a lady called Liz in her search to track downthe whereabouts of the memorial—it has lead to many different stories being told about the street and it appears that themen of Lyon Street were a hard bunch who worked hard and played hard that even the police were wary of entering thestreet. I have a couple of old newspaper clippings concerning the street and I am wanting to continue to help in the searchfor the memorial—it appears to be about 3 ft by 4 ft in size thought to be carved in wood. Liz who works at St Joseph’sPrimary School would love to find out what happened to it—an outline story is on page three—interesting reading!If you read the story and can help Liz—Give me a call or drop me a line—Dinger105@hotmail.comPage 2
GLASGOW HIGHLANDERSNemo Me Impune LacessitThe Men of Lyon Street—A MemorialIf you travel on the Garscube Road heading towards thetown just as you pass St Georges Road look to your rightyou will see a football pitch—look beyond the pitch andyou will see the playground of St Joseph’s PrimarySchool . In the playground are a small group of masonrystones that have a small fence around them—these areall that remain of what used to be Lyon Street, a longgone street which disappeared as part of the redevelopmentof the area from 1960 to the late 80’s.Lyon Street bred it’s ownhero’s, for during the periodof the first world war mostof the men of enlistment agejoined the forces to fightGermany, it is believed thatthis street suffered morecasualties than any otherduring this period of war.In honour of these men amemorial was made by alocal craftsman– this memorial found it’s home in one ofthe local pubs—Keirens or the Milestone and on ArmisticeDay the memorial would be taken from the pub and paradedalong the street to allow the street to rememberthe actions of their men. Maryhill Barracks would send apiper and bugler along to play the lament at 11 O’clock—Flowers o the Forrest with the bugler playing The LastPost. This parade continued as far as I know up to1939—due to another conflict (WW2) then afterwardsup till the late 1950’s—after the parade the memorialwould be returned to the pub. As would the piper andbugler along with the locals.During the 2 minutes silence the local school kids of StJoseph’s would stop lessons—remain at their seats—puttheir pencils down and rest their heads on their arms ontop of the desk to observe the silence in order that theypay their respects.In the period of the 60’s—80’s the area was underdevelopment and the pub was demolished and thememorial appears to have been moved to St Joseph’sChapel for safety but the chapel too was demolishedand the whereabouts of the memorial is amystery.It was thought that the chapelremoved it into storage butspeaking to the priest atHopehill Road it appearsnot—he recons it was neverput into the chapel, anotherthought is that it was given toeither the Peoples Palace orRegimental Museum of theRoyal Highland Fusiliers—both have been asked butwith no results. The next path to follow was, thatwhen it’s final home was raised to the ground it wastaken by the Brewers and it is said that it may beeither in the foyer or the boardroom of the Breweroffice—But, who were the brewers in the area at thetime?—I believe that there were many small breweriesoperating in the area many of whom have disappearedjust like the memorial.In the search a lady who works at St Joseph’s andhas spent much of her free time including her ownholiday time over the years searching for the originalmemorial has arranged that a plaque be commissionedto remember these men—the plaque wasunveiled two years ago in the school and a smallerversion passed to the locallibrary which is displayed atthe war book section in thelibrary to remind those whovisit the library that the men ofLyon Street made their markon the area. The plaque’s inthe school and library do notcontain the names or the informationcontained on the originalbut lists a poem written tohonour these men in 1917. Thereason is that we do not knowwhat was written on the original,as all we have is a wellworn newspaper photograph clipping shown hereDO YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO CANHELP IN THE SEARCHPage 3
Page 1: GLASGOW HIGHLANDERSASSOCIATIONNEWSL
Page 5 and 6: After leaving the Cloth Building we
Page 7 and 8: All movement to the forward trenche
Page 9 and 10: After our visit it was off again to
Page 11 and 12: Moving on we arrived at Hooge Chape
Page 13 and 14: A WEE HOOSE IN MARYHILL CALLEDTHE H
Page 15 and 16: I hope that you have enjoyed readin

Newsletter No1 - August 2007 - The Royal Highland Fusiliers

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