Moving further away from St Deiniol’s itself, slightly downhill, we found scattered among other graves the distinctive shape of Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstones. Usually Commonwealth War Graves Commission graves are well kept – even those in “normal” cemeteries. The ones here were a bit overgrown though.

The lower portion of the above stone commemorates Sub-Lieutenant Parish’s brother, David, Pilot Officer, RAF, lost on operations from Malta, February, 1942:-

Signalman J Dutton, Royal Signals, 14/12/1916, aged 29:-

In St Deiniol’s churchyard, Hawarden, I noticed a sign pointing to a Crimean War grave. Naturally I made my way to it.

Not only was Thomas Ryan, “a native of Kilkenny and late Troop Sergeant Major in HM XVIII Lancers,” present at the Battles of Alma, Inkerman and Sevastopol* he was at Balaklava* and was no less than a survivor of the Charge of the Light Brigade!

Whom – as his gravestone has it – “God’s high grace saved from death in the memorable light cavalry charge at Balaklava.”

Strictly speaking this is not a war grave as Ryan came back from Crimea and, “took his final discharge on October 20^th 1908, aged 88 years.”

A wonderful thing to come on out of the blue, though.

*As the spellings were then.

Hawarden War Memorial stands at the junction of the B 5125 and the A 550 (Gladstone Way) hard by Gladstone’s Library.

It is in the form of a stone column with crucifix in a recess towards the apex:-

Closer view:-

Dedication, “To the praise of God and the glorious memory of the men of Hawarden who gave their lives for their country in the cause of righteousness and freedom AD 1914-1919. Their name liveth for evermore.” Click photo to zoom in on lower dedication:-

The names for the dead of the Great War are mostly on stone panels behind the memorial. Left side:-

Right side:-

Further names are inscribed below the dedication panels:-

More Great War names on left side pillar, World War 2 names beyond:-

Names for 1939-1945, left side:-

Another name (on the extreme left of the Memorial):-

Right hand pillar, World War 2 names beyond:-

Names for 1939-1945, right side:-

Across Gladstone Way there is a Great War 100^th Anniversary Commemoration. The perspex silhouette represents a dead soldier:-

Aberdeen’s main War Memorial is located at the end wall of Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums. I believe Aberdeen’s Roll of Honour is housed inside the museum.

The Memorial comprises the wall and a stone lion. The wall is inscribed, “MCMXIV – MCMXIX, To Our Glorious Dead, MCMXXXIX – MCMXLV.”

Unfortunately in August last year there were refurbishment works going on.

Wider view. Refurbishment works in evidence:-

Closer view:-

Tweedmouth’s War Memorial stands at the southern end of Berwick Bridge almost in the shadow of the newer Royal Tweed Bridge.

From Berwick Bridge (Royal Tweed Bridge in background):-

The Memorial’s inscriptions are, “In ever grateful and proud remembrance of the brave men of Tweedmouth who fell in the Great World War 1914-1918 and of the men and women of Tweedmouth who lost their lives in the Second World War. They were a wall unto us both by night and day.” “Erected by the inhabitants of Tweedmouth and other friends.” There is also a dedication to 2nd engineering officer Paul A Henry GM, 8/6/1982, aboard RFA Sir Galahad, at Bluff Cove – Falkland Islands. Below are the dates “1914-1919” and “1939-1945” and “To the memory of the men and women of Tweedmouth who have fallen since 1945.”

Memorial from west:-

Reverse of memorial:-

Behind the Memorial on the wall bordering the River Tweed are some shields installed to remember those whose names were not included on the Memorial itself. From left to right: Civilian Personnnel, Royal Air Force, The youth of today remember the youth of yesterday. This last has the furtehr information, “These shields were requested by the children of the area In Memory of the Fallen.” “We do not forget.” (Royal Tweed Bridge and Berwick Bridge in background.)

There are two more shields to the right of Youth of today; Royal Navy and British Army:-

Tweedmouth War Memorial and Berwick Bridge from Royal Tweed Bridge:-

The last major act in Scotland of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms – still known to some as the (English) Civil War – was the Battle of Dunbar in 1650.

We’ve been to Dunbar many times and I had spotted a signpost pointing to the battlefield but at the time had an appointment elsewhere so couldn’t stop.

Last year the good lady and a friend had signed up to FutureLearn history course on the battle, their interest triggered by the discovery at Durham Cathedral of human remains which turned out to be those of Scottish soldiers captured during the battle, and taken to Durham to be kept imprisoned (under atrocious conditions) in the Cathedral, where some died.

So it was that last summer we made a concerted effort to find the battlefield. Yes, there was that signpost but there’s not much in the way of information boards at the battlefield itself or on the road the signpost pointed along. This very recently erected stone was set back from the road and commmemorates those taken prisoner at the Battle of Dunbar, 1650.

However, I am not sure if the two pictures below are of the battlefield or not. (North Sea in background.) After we came home I read up a bit and found the site of the battlefield straddles the main A1 road but does lead down towards the sea.

Once back at the road from which the signpost points we discovered this memorial. On it is an inscription, “3rd September 1650,” and a quotation from Thomas Carlyle, “Here took place the brunt or essential agony of the Battle of Dunbar.” (In the background is a modern cement works – and a horse):-

Close-up:-

A museum in Dunbar had a display about the battle including a piece of tapestry commemorating the Battles of Dunbar 1650, and Worcester 1651:-

Strathmiglo’s War Memorial is in the churchyard and takes the form of a wooden cross. Unusually, the names of the dead are inscribed on copper strips attached to the cross. There are also three VC symbols attached.

The plaque below the cross is inscribed, “Nihil melius patria quam pro mori” (there is nothing better to die for rather then the country) and, “In honoured memory of fallen heroes.”

In the graveyard I also found two war dedications.

David John Campbell Ireland, 2nd Battalion, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. Killed in action on the Somme in France, 31/10/1916, aged 36 years:-

William Syme, Royal Scots, who died of wounds in France, 10/4/1917, aged 20 years:-

I thought I had featured this War Memorial a long time ago – I photographed it in 2011 – but it seems I haven’t – maybe because that photograph is not the best. The War Memorial is situated in such a position it’s difficult to get a closer in shot without the risk of being run down.

Last year we stopped in the village and I noticed, close by the Memorial itself, a new War Memorial bench round a tree, probably for the Great War 100^th anniversary:-

Not only that but there was a War Memorial bin too!

I notice to the left here is a ‘normal’ War Memorial bench. (Or is it two?) I didn’t take a photo of those because I thought I might have done so already. Again it seems I haven’t.

Next time we’re there I’ll need to remember to get better photos of the Memorial itself; and of the bench.

This chapel was built by Prisoners of War at Hallmuir near Lockerbie in Dumfries and Galloway.

These prisoners had been in the Wehrmacht units recruited from locals after the Germans invaded Ukraine (perhaps thinking that Ukraine would be better treated by the Nazis than the Soviets) and who subsequently surrendered to the Western Allies in 1945 in Austria.

Like the Italian Chapel on Orkney the interior is sumptuous – see Undiscovered Scotland’s website page on the chapel here.

The Ukrainian Chapel didn’t seem to be open when we dropped in on our way back home from Annan but it was worth seeing.

Near it there is a memorial cross. The stone to the bottom has, “Precious memories of a dearly loved husband always in my heart,” inscribed on it:-

Beside it there is a dedication stone, inscribed, “This cross is dedicated to those who gave their lives for freedom,” then some Cyrillic script, “Поляглим За україну,” which means, “Fallen for Ukraine,” then 27th May 1947-2007.”

For some odd reason, in the same grounds as the chapel there is a relic of Halcrow Greyhound Stadium:-

Brydekirk is a small village in Dumfries and Galloway, north of Annan.

The War Memorial is a granite cross with an embossed sword and inscribed, “Their Name Liveth for Evermore.” Below is, “1914-1918,” plus names from the Great War, “Our Heroic Dead” and, “France, Salonika, Dardanelles.”

From east. Inscribed, “They died that we might live,” names for the Great War and, “Italy, Egypt, Mesopotamia.”

From west. World War 2 names:-