West Calder is a village in West Lothian, Scotland. Its War Memorial lies at the junction of the  main A 71 road through the town with the B 7008.

Great War dedication and names:-

Great War names:-

World War 2 dedication and names:-

Captain H J Westlake, Pioneer Corps, 10/7/1943, aged 45 and Captain M E C Steward, Royal Artillery, 12/10/1943, aged 55:-

Gunner J W Howarth, Royal Artillery, 23/6/1942, aged 21 and Gunner G MIller, Royal Artillery, 22/12/1942:-

Serjeant L Porter, RAMC, 24/5/1942 and Major G Hayward, Royal Indian Army Service Corps, 12/6/1941, aged 47:-

Nurse E Petrie, Voluntary Aid Detachment, 4/7/1941, aged 33, her brother Harry, Royal Corps of Signals, 9/12/1942 and Flight Lieutenant G C Challis, RAF, 23/11/1941, aged 53:-

Private C McDaid, Highland Light Infantry 28/12/1940:-

Private J Elliott, Pioneer Corps, 11/1/1941, aged 63:-

Milton of Buchanan is a village in Stirlingshire on the road between Drymen and Balmaha, near Loch Lomond.

On its eastern edge there is a cemetery which contains 19 Commonwealth War Graves. All are from the Second World War.

Rifleman W Clabby, 29/1/1943:-

An MC and DSO recipient, Brigadier F H Witts, Irish Guards, 9/51941, aged 54:-

Captain W S Race, Royal Engineers, 4/2/1945:-

Major E H Williams, REME, 1/11/1945, aged 55 and Gunner F H Searle, Royal Artillery, 27/8/1945 aged 39:-

Private T F Dodd, Pioneer Corps, 29/4/1944 aged 19 and Corporal T Lloyd, Pioneer Corps 27/9/1944:-

Gunner G Jones, Royal Artillery, 11/4/1944, aged 19 and Sergeant W B Graham, Air Gunner, RAF, 23/4/1944, aged 24:-

This cenotaph type memorial is located in Christie Park, Alexandria, Dunbartonshire. It is dedicated to the men of Bonhill Parish. Alexandria, three or so miles from Dumbarton, is the biggest town in the Vale of Leven. (Mail has been said to have been re-directed from Egypt stamped with the words”Try Scotland.”) Bonhill lies over the river Leven from Alexandria.

War Memorial in situ:-

Closer view:-

Names for Great War  above, World War 2 below.

Dedications:-

Names on Reverse of Memorial. Great War above, Second World War below:-

North aspect:-

Great War 100th anniversary bench in Christie Park:-

Rhynie is a village in Aberdeeenshire, south of Huntly. We travelled through it on our way back home from our trip up north in August.

Its War Memorial lies in a wide green space in the middle of the village:-

It depicts a soldier in a great coat, in mourning pose with rifle reversed, surmounting a square pillar and base. There’s a good looking church at the end of the green:-

Dedications and World War 2 Names. “Erected in memory of the men from the parishes of Rhynie and Kearns who served the cause of freedom and right in the Great War 1914-1918 and in grateful memory of those hereon who fell in the great conflict. Their name liveth for evermore.” Below “1939-1945.” Note; Miss Helen D Grant Civilian (Student.)

Great War Names:-

This commemoration is inside the Aberdeen Art Gallery building. The last time I was up there before August 2022 the Gallery was under refurbishment.

As I recall from a previous visit there had been a Roll of Honour on the wall where this inscription, “They gave their lives for their country and for freedom,” and these flags are now:-

More war graves in the Comonwealth War Graves cemetery at St Fergus’s Church, Dyce.

Fl Sgt R C Wood, Pilot ,RAF, 16/11/1941, aged 23, Czech national Vladimir Zaoral, NPOR Let, Flying Officer RAF, 5/11/1915 – 19/11/1941, Por W Śniechowski, 310 Squadron, Polish Forces, 8/12/1941, aged 24:-

Sgt A A Catton, Observer, RAF, 27/8/1941, aged 23, Czech national Alois Dvořák, RT Sergeant, RAF, 23/5/1916 – 24/9/1941, Pilot Officer J G Dunlop, Pilot RCAF, 15/11/1941, aged 21:-

H J Cooper, Pilot, Royal Canadian Air Force, 7/7/1941, aged 29, Sergeant J C Steeves, Wireless Operator/Air Gunner, RCAF, aged 20, Corporal J G Saunders, RAF, 22/7/1941, aged 25:-

Sergeant D W Campbell, Wirless Operator/Air Gunner, RCAF, 16/6/1942, Wing Commander J A Dixon, Pilot, RAF, 13/7/1941, Sergeant J B Elder, Navigator, RAF, 7/12/1942:-

Pilot Officer J V Ensom, RCAF, 7/12/1942, aged 22, An Airman of the Second World War, RAF, Buried 30/12/1942, Flight Sergeant A R Spenser, Royal Australian Air Force, 6/6/1943, aged 22, Flying Officer E W Mitchell, Navigator, RAF, 22/9/1945:-

Pilot Officer J Winning, RAF, 27/5/1940, aged 39, Aircraftman 1st Class, H Buttery, RAF, 1/5/1940, aged 19, Aircraftman 1st Class, F Wallwork, RAF, 6/5/1940, aged 36, Flying Officer K N Gray DFC, RAF, 1/5/1940, aged 25:-

Pilot Officer W F Crockart, Obsever, RAF, 22/3/1941, aged 28, Aircraftman 1st Class J E Mangion, RAF, 3/9/1940 aged 21, Aircraftman 2nd Class D Campbell, RAF, 3/9/1940, aged 30, Aircraftman 1st Class G W Scott, RAF, 31/8/1940:-

Sergeant F A V M Drummond, RAAF, 6/5/1940, aged 19, Flying Officer A R Nivison-Smith of Australia, Pilot, RAF, 6/11/1940 aged 22,Pilot Officer H M Coombs, RAF, 24/10/1940 aged 28. Thsi photo also includes Pilot Officer W F Crockart, Obsever, RAF, as above:-

In the Commonwealth War Graves Commmission cemetery by St Fergus’s Church, Dyce, as well as the graves of Allied combatants there lie the remains of ten Germans who died in World War 2.

Paul Plischke, 5/4/1915 – 12/7/1940, Herman Zeitsch, 17/6/1920 – 5/9/1941, Walter Both, 19/9/1920 – 5/9/1941:-

Herbert Huck, 18/9/1918 – 12/7/1940, Karl Löffler, 23/12/1917 – 5/9/1941, Georg Kerkhoff, 15/7/1919 – 12/7/1940:-

Heinrich A Bieroth, 31/5/1916 – 3/7/1940, August Skokan, 21/12/1915 – 12/7/1940, Werner Drexhage, 30/1/1917 – 5/9/1941, Fritz Rabe, 15/1/1918 – 3/7/1940:-

These are some of the war graves at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery by St Fergus’s Church, Dyce. Most are from World War 2. Two are women who served in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAFs.)

Flight Lieutenant D M Poynter, RAF, 24/12/1941, aged 26, Sgt D A Farmer, Southern Rhodesia, Pilot, RAF, 1/1/1942, aged 21, Sgt H J Kelley, Air Observer Royal Canadian Air Force, buried near this spot, 19/1/1942, aged 23. Note Great War 100^th anniversary bench in background:-

Pilot Officer N Taylor, Royal Canadian Air Force, 5/12/1942, aged 25, Sgt R A Milliken, Royal Australian Air Force, 19/1/1942, aged 22, buried near this spot, Sgt B C Dickson, Royal Australian Air Force, 19/1/1942, aged 22:-

Sgt J B Riley, RAF, 19/1/1942, aged 23, A C W First Class M A Miller, Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, 30/5/1943, Sgt R J Jackson, Pilot, Royal Canadian Air Force, 19/1/1942, aged 21, Flying Officer J W Thomson, DFC, Pilot, Royal New Zealand Air Force, 19/1/1942, aged 28:-

Flight Sergeant, E J Morrow, Royal Canadian Air Force, 23/5/1942, aged 21, Pilot Officer L G D Thomas, Wireless Operator/Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, 23/5/1942, qged 19, Sgt A Walker, Pilot, Royal Canadian Air Force, 27/4/1942, aged 19:-

Sgt D G Allen, Pilot, Royal Canadian Air Force, 28/5/1942, aged 20, Aircraftman First Class W F Dunbar, RAF, 16/6/1942, aged 20:-

Fl Sgt G Braddock, Royal New Zealand Air Force, 29/8/1943, aged 24, Sgt A F Smith, RNZAF, 29/8/1943, aged 24, Fl Lt H L Flynn, Royal Canadian Air Force, 15/12/1944, aged 23:-

The following are of post-war deaths; Corporal M N J Grose, WAAF, 9/9/1945, aged 25, Squadron Leader, A L Carrie, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, 2/8/1950:-

Three more graves of post-Second World War dead are nearer the entrance. Flying Officer W S Leonard, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, 3/4/1955, aged 24, Squadron Leader W M Hallam, RAF, 10/5/1952, aged 33, Pilot Officer D Robertson, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, 17/9/1951, aged 28. These gravestones have an arch missing from the usual headstones:-

In the churchyard at St Fergus’s Church (Old Dyce Parish Church) I found one war grave and a war dedication on another:-

Private J G Wilson, Gordon Highlanders, 24/9/1918, aged 19:-

Dedication to Gunner A Littlejohn, killed in action, 6/5/1917, aged 25:-

In the background to the photo above can be seen a Cross of Sacrifice. This is because over the wall from St Fergus’s Churchyard there is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery with more than enough graves (56 in this case) to be allowed one:-