The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

DelBoy · Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2011 12:15 am Post subject: Memorial Transcription

James Bathgate
Joseph Coltherd
John Grieve
Robert Grainger
Thomas Gray
Richard S. Litster
William B. Robertson
James Scambler
George A. Scott
Adam T. Skeldon
John Thomson
George Thomson

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2021 7:35 pm Post subject:

I'm way out of my geographical "comfort zone" here but from what I read -
"The most southerly of East Lothian's parishes, Oldhamstocks is a civil parish adjacent to the Scottish Borders and overlooking the North Sea . It is located south-east of Dunbar. Prior to 1891 the parish was also partly in Berwickshire".

JAMES BATHGATE
James Bathgate – age 22 – Private (325542) 1/8th Battalion, Royal Scots.
James of Drylawhill, Prestonkirk, East Lothian enlisted as Private (1849) in the Territorial 8th Royal Scots in November 1915. He joined his battalion in France in May 1916. James was wounded and taken prisoner at Cambrai in March 1918 and died of his wounds.
Born 1896 in Prestonkirk, East Lothian as James Traill Bathgate. Son of Adam and Marion Miller (Hall) Bathgate of Drylawhill, Prestonkirk and of Ferneylea, Oldhamstocks near Cockburnspath.
Died of Wounds on 12 April 1918 and buried in Niederzwehren Cemetery, Kassel, Germany.

JOSEPH COLTHERD
Joseph Coltherd – age 23 – Private (S/5751) 7th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders.
Joseph enlisted at Lauder, Berwickshire and he landed with his battalion at Boulogne in May 1915 but he was killed four months later during the battle of Loos.
Born 1891 in Innerwick, Haddingtonshire/East Lothian. Son of the late John Coltherd (died 1910) and Janet (Stewart) Coltherd of Aikengall, Oldhamstocks.
Missing in Action on 25 September 1915 and named on the Loos Memorial, France.
Also named on the Lauder Parish War Memorial, on the Lauder Parish Church memorial and on the Legerwood Parish War Memorial in Berwickshire.

JOHN GRIEVE
John Skeldon Grieve – age 24 – Private (15004) 12th Battalion, Royal Scots.
John was a gardener on the Dunglass Estate, Cockburnspath when he enlisted. He landed with his battalion in France in May 1915.
Born 1892 in Bilsdean Village, Oldhamstocks. Son of the late Agnes (Skeldon) Grieve (died 1914) and of James Grieve of Dunglass, Oldhamstocks.
Missing in Action on 8 July 1916 and named on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, France.
Also named on the Cockburnspath Parish War Memorial, on the Cockburnspath Parish Church Roll of Honour and on a memorial tablet in Dunglass Gardens.

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2021 4:18 pm Post subject:

ROBERT GRAINGER
Robert Grainger – age 39 – Private (45841) 12th Battalion, Royal Scots.
Robert was a clerk living at 50 Park Road West in Glasgow when he enlisted in December 1915. He was posted to France and joined the 13th Royal Scots in June 1917 but he was wounded at the end of July and after treatment at the 18th General Hospital he was evacuated to Cambuslang War Hospital near Glasgow. He returned to France and joined the 12th Royal Scots in December 1917.
Born 1878 in Oldamstocks as Adam Robert Grainger. Son of of the late Elizabeth Davidson (Bishop) Grainger (died 1913) of the School-house Oldhamstocks and of Adam Grainger of Corrennie Drive, Morningside, Edinburgh.
Missing in Action on 11 April 1918 and named on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium.

THOMAS GRAY
Thomas Gray – age 26 – Private (15345) 13th Battalion, Royal Scots.
Thomas landed with his battalion in France in July 1915. He was captured at Vermelles in May 1916 and died two and a half years later in the Working Camp at Wulkau near Stendel. Thomas was re-interred in Berlin in 1922/23.
Born 1892 in Cockburnspath, Berwickshire. Son of Thomas and Janet (Lyall) Gray of Cove, Cockburnspath.
Died on Service on 23 October 1918 and buried in Berlin South-Western Cemetery, Germany.
Also named on the Innerwick Parish and Cockburnspath Parish War Memorials in East Lothian.

RICHARD S. LITSTER
Richard Litster – age 19 – Gunner (67936) "A" Depot, Royal Garrison Artillery.
Richard was employed as a grocer in Cockburnspath when he enlisted. He was discharged from the army and died of consumption at the family home at Bilsdean, Oldhamstocks.
Born 1897 in Oldhamstocks as Richard Scambler Litster. Son of George and Isabella (Tod) Litster of Bilsdean, Oldhamstocks.
Died on 19 December 1916 and buried in Oldhamstocks Parish Churchyard. (CWG)
Also named on the Cockburnspath Parish War Memorial.

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2021 4:25 pm Post subject:

WILLIAM B. ROBERTSON
William Beaufort Robertson – age 22 – Lance Corporal (1779) 1st Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)
William had been serving with the 2nd Black Watch for five years. In August 1914 they were at Bareilly in India and moved to France, landing at Marseilles on 12 October 1914. William was invalided home in early 1915 and was posted to the 1st Black Watch when he had recovered.
Born 1892 in Newcastle-on-Tyne. Son of George and Hannah Robertson of Bilsdean, Oldhamstocks and of Lawson Place, Dunbar, East Lothian.
Missing in Action on 13 October 1915 and named on the Loos Memorial, France.
Also named on the Dunbar Burgh and Parish War Memorial.

JAMES SCAMBLER
James Scambler – age 34 – Private (9395) 2nd Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
James was a foreman surfaceman with the North British Railway Company when as a reservist he was mobilised in August 1914 and he joined his battalion in France on 21 August.. James was killed during the battle of Loos.
Born 1880 in Innerwick, East Lothian. Son of Richard and Janet (Litster) Scambler of Branxton, Innerwick. Husband of Elizabeth (Manderson) Scambler of Bilsdean, Oldhamstocks near Cockburnspath who he married in 1911 in Olhamstocks.
Killed in Action on 25 September 1915 and buried in Cambrin Churchyard Extension, France.
Also named on the Innerwick Parish and Cockburnspath Parish War Memorials and on the North British Railway Company memorial in Waverley Station, Edinburgh.

GEORGE A. SCOTT
George Archibald Scott – age 40 – Private (45718) 10th (Works) Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers.
George was transferred as Private (175468) to the 258th Area Employment Company, 4th Labour Battalion, Labour Corps when it was formed in April 1917. Sometime after that he went to France but he died in the 14th Stationary Hospital at Wimille.
Born 1878 in Dunbar, Haddingtonshire/East Lothian. Son of George and Jane Bruce (Heugh) Scott of 97 High Street, Dunbar. Husband of Ellen Elizabeth (Elliot) Scott, of Oldhamstocks who he married in 1901 in Edinburgh.
Died on Active Service on 19 August 1918 and buried in Terlincthun British Cemetery, Wimille, France.
Also named on the Dunbar Burgh and Parish War Memorial.

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2021 4:32 pm Post subject:

ADAM T. SKELDON
Adam Tulloch Skeldon – age 33 – Private (235338) 4th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders.
In November 1915 Adam was a gardener, living at High Street, Lauder, Berwickshire when he was injured in a car accident. He enlisted and served as Private (4756 & 302222) in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders but he was transferred to the Seaforths in France.
Born 1883 in Oldhamstocks. Son of the late Isabella (McKenzie) Skeldon (died 1887) and of David Skeldon of Oldhamstocks. Husband of Helen or Nellie (Preston) Skeldon of East Pinkerton, Dunbar, East Lothian who he married in 1910 in Oldhamstocks.
Missing in Action on 20 September 1917 and named on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium.
Also named on the Lauder Parish War Memorial and on the Lauder Parish Church memorial.

JOHN THOMSON
John Thomson – age 23 – Private (325412) 1/8th Battalion, Royal Scots.
John as Private (1530) and his brother George (1529) enlisted in the Territorial 8th Royal Scots in November 1914. (see below)
Born 1893 in Oldhamstocks. Son of George and Euphemia (Hendrie) Thomson of Oldhamstocks.
Missing in Action on 1 August 1916 and named on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, France.

and his brother

GEORGE THOMSON
George Thomson – age 22 – Private (43687) 16th Battalion, Royal Scots.
George of Olhamstocks Mill enlisted as Private (1529) in the Territorial 8th Royal Scots in November 1914. He went to France in July 1916 and was posted to the 16th Royal Scots in October but due to illness he was evacuated home. George rejoined his battalion in France in March 1917 but he was fatally wounded a month later.
Born 1895 in Oldhamstocks. Son of George and Euphemia (Hendrie) Thomson of Oldhamstocks.
Died of Wounds on 25 April 1917 and buried in Haute-Avesnes British Cemetery, France.
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Ken