251 August 2015 - Gryffe Advertizer

www.advertizer.co.uk august 2015
Memorial - Bridge of Weir and
the First World War
31 31
100 years ago this month – August 1915
Andrew Gardiner, Canterbury Battalion
Robert Milroy, Wellington Regiment
John MacDougall, 6th HLI
August 1915 was the worst
month of the war to date
for Bridge of Weir, and all
three fatalities were in the
spectacularly unsuccessful
Gallipoli campaign. Two
of those who died were
ANZACS. The Gardiner
family lived in Lairds Land,
Main Street for about 11
years before moving to
Carluke in 1900 where the
father became a mining
contractor. By 1911 young Andrew had followed his father down the mine. But
the lure of a new life took him to New Zealand and he was labouring near
Canterbury when war broke out. Within a week he had volunteered. After time
spent defending the Suez Canal, he was sent to Gallipoli in April 1915. The
ANZACS fought in the Battle of Sari Bair in August 1915, taking the Chunuk Bair
ridge, but only for a few days.
Robert Milroy was born in 1888, son of a journeyman mason from Kirkinner,
Wigtownshire, who built a number of properties in Mill Brae (hence Kirkinner
Place). Young Robert worked for a time in William Shanks thread mill but
emigrated to New Zealand in 1911. He volunteered in March 1915, joining
the Wellington Regiment. He also fought at Gallipoli in the same draft of
reinforcements as Andrew Gardiner, and was killed on 8th August, one day
after Andrew. Both are recorded on the Chunuk Bair memorial with 850 of their
colleagues whose bodies were never recovered.
John MacDougall was born in Greenock in 1882, one of eleven of a family
born to Doctor John MacDougall and Martha Park. After Doctor John died,
sometime before 1911, Martha bought ‘Locksley’, a substantial villa recently
built in Ranfurly. John joined the 6th battalion (City of Glasgow) HLI which sailed
with the 52nd Division to Suez in May 1915, also guarding the Suez Canal
for a time before landing at Cape Helles, Gallipoli in early July. He was killed
six weeks later in an attack on G12 trench, infamous for the hopelessness
of the task. At one point, one company refused to go forward in the face of
almost certain death, resulting in an inquiry. No punitive action was taken. John
MacDougall was posted missing presumed dead, only his name enduring on
the Cape Helles memorial alongside 21,000 others who fell at Gallipoli and
have no known grave.
In January 1916, all troops were withdrawn from Gallipoli, one of the Allies’
most costly failures in the entire war.
Read more about Andrew, Robert and John’s life and untimely death at http://
www.bridgeofweirmemorial.co.uk
Gordon Masterton
Work to begin on Livery Walk
Car Park, Bridge of Weir
Works to resurface the car park in Livery Walk, Bridge of Weir
will take place on 9 August, with works due to last 5 days.
During this time the car park is likely to be closed, but
works will be carried out as quickly as possible to minimise
disruption.
BoW Festival
Blackpool Trip
Fabulous Offer - Blackpool Weekend
Bridge of Weir Festival committee are delighted to
announce that the Blackpool trip this year is to go
ahead from Friday 23 to Monday 26 October (not
as misprinted in the Gala Programme) at a cost of
£135.
For further details please contact B Lethorn on 01505
615992 to arrange payment of the non-returnable £20 deposit to book your
place on the bus. The balance can be paid up in instalments or in full no later
by the 1st October.
Pigs, Porkies and
Lies Damn Lies
John Henry Bennett (from Bridge of Weir) is the
pseudonym of the author.
He spent his early years
serving in the British
Army in the Middle
East, followed by a
commercial career
in the UK, France,
Middle East and
Gulf.
From his various bases he travelled extensively,
including Eastern Europe, Hungary, Russia, North
America, Africa, Asia, including India and Pakistan;
SE Asia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore
and Malaysia.
PIGS, his first book of a trilogy, opens with the
Buncefield Oil Terminal disaster of Sunday, the
11th December 2005, the largest explosion on mainland Britain since WWII.
Was this an accident, or a terrorist attack?
His second book PORKIES has just been released, and the third books of the
trilogy, LIES, DAMN LIES, will be released in December 2015.
Books can be purchased at www.amazon.co.uk in paperback, hardback and
Kindle.
Erskine Festival Week 2015
Erskine Town Centre
Join us this August to celebrate the biggest event ever held in Erskine! Erskine
Festival will take place from 10-16 August, with events happening all week, all
over town.
From Art Exhibitions to Junior and Adult Fun Runs, Writers Events to Treasure
Hunts there’s something for everyone. A fun filled Gala Day complete with
Vintage/Sports Car Display, the infamous Quack Commandos and more food
and music than T in the Park is set to round off this exciting week.
For more information on times and venues, see the festival website at http://
erskinefestival.co.uk/