249 June 2015 - Gryffe Advertizer

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Black Guillemot by
Langbank Camera Club
Bridge of Weir
Community
Council
Meeting
Meetings are held in the Cargill Hall,
Bridge of Weir at 7pm
Next meeting Tuesday 2nd June.
Well Done
Everybody
RagBag
Recycle Bin -
Langbank
There is now a permanent RagBag
Recycle bin sited in the school car
park of Langbank Primary School
for any of your unwanted textiles
(no duvets or pillows). Any money
raised from this will go to Langbank
Playgroup. If anyone has any items
and is unable to get to the recycle
bin please call Jacqueline on 01475
540728. Thank you in advance.
On Saturday 25th April members of St Machar’s Ranfurly Church entertained
the community with a play, skits and songs, all of which were thoroughly
enjoyed by everyone present. Money raised went to both St Vincent’s Hospice
and church funds.
Memorial - Bridge of Weir and
the First World War
100 years ago this month – June 1915
Peter Houston, Mercantile Marine and James
Reston, 6th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
Bridge of Weir had no fatalities in May 1915 but
June brought more bad news. Peter Houston was
the youngest of six born to James Houston, a
master joiner in Burngill, Bridge of Weir and Jane
Whitehill. But James died young and the family
moved to Gryffe View and took in lodgers to make
ends meet. By 1901 there were five wage-earners
in the family, including Peter, an apprentice tanner.
By 1911, Peter (26) was a student marine engineer,
improving his prospects in life, and was living in
Morton Terrace with a brother and sister.
In 1915 Peter was third engineer on the SS
Strathnairn, in the Burrell & Son line. It was en route
from Penarth to Archangel with a cargo of coal for
our Russian allies. By then, Germany had declared
the seas around Britain a war zone and that allied ships would be sunk without
warning. It was no empty threat. The Lusitania had been torpedoed in May.
Unescorted merchant ships were highly vulnerable, but supplies had to be
transported. The Strathnairn was spotted by U-boat U22 on 15th June and
torpedoed off the Scilly Isles. Peter got into a lifeboat but it was swamped as
the ship went down. He was 30 years old.
James Reston was born in Buenos Aires. Argentina had close economic links with
Great Britain then. By 1911 the Reston family of eight had moved to 1 Windsor
Place, Bridge of Weir and James (20) was an iron moulder. He volunteered for
the 6th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, a popular Renfrewshire battalion, with
at least seven others from Bridge of Weir. The 6th Argylls arrived in France on
1st May, and was sent to the front line near Festubert. Aside from occasional
raiding parties, the battalion was engaged in repairing and strengthening
the trenches. James was promoted to lance sergeant, standing out from his
colleagues as a leader.
A great deal of hard work, many rehearsals and much fun & laughter went into
the production. This is the third year the Masqueraders have been on show and
we fully intend to be back next year so keep your eyes open in the New Year
for information. We thank everyone who helped behind the scenes and all who
attended. See you next year.
The process of relieving 1,000 strong battalions was high risk, with the
clustering and movement of men presenting a tempting target if the enemy
knew. James Reston was killed by a sniper on 20th June as he was leaving the
firing lines, barely seven weeks after he arrived in France. A poem by a comrade
appeared in the Gazette soon after, beginning;
Swift as a lightning flash the bullet sped,
A treacherous shot, it pierced his head;
We mourn his loss, yet soon may meet,
For death is stalking in our beat.
Read more about Peter and James’s life and untimely death at http://www.
bridgeofweirmemorial.co.uk
Gordon Masterton