And remembering the Big Yin....
Showing posts with label Glasgow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Glasgow. Show all posts
Monday, 12 September 2016
Friday, 9 September 2016
Glasgow - Central Station
The main entrance to the Glasgow Central Station is on Gordon Street in Glasgow.
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| Glasgow Central Station |
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| Caledonian Railway Memorial Glasgow Central Station |
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| Caledonian Railway Memorial Glasgow Central Station |
The Caledonian Railway was formed on 31 July 1845, its main objective being to provide main line links to the English rail network. In 1848 the first main lines opened. The Caledonia Railway (CR) connected with the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) at Carlisle, proceeding north to Carstairs. The line then split, north west to Glasgow and north east to
Edinburgh.
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| Dining Car Express c.1914 |
In 1865 the Caledonian absorbed the Scottish Central Railway (SCR), in doing so it extended to Stirling, Perth, Callander and Crieff. Another absorption in 1865, the Scottish Central railway, extended the CR to Dundee and Aberdeen. The absorption of SCR also brought with it a link to Oban.
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| Caledonian Locomotive & Train near Oban |
The CR operated the Greenock and Wemys Bay Railway which provided connections to steamers on the Clyde which prided links to Scottish Islands and Argyll. It became part of the Caledonian in 1893. In 1889, the nominally independent Caledonian Steam Packet Company was formed to operate ferries from the Clyde, eventually providing a service from Gourock to Rothesay, Largs and Millport. In 1890 a service from Androssan to Arran was established.
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| Caledonian Railway 1913 Map |
Glasgow Central station was extended between 1901 and 1906 and another railway bridge constructed. The Glasgow Central Hotel, originally built in 1813 was also extended as part of the construction.
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| Caledonian Railway Glasgow Central Station and Hotel |
Caledonian Railway in World War One
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| Caledonian Railway Perth Railway Station |
On the outbreak if
WW1 the Caledonian Railway had traffic from thirty large engineering works,
forty three iron and steel works, thirty five shipyards and many smaller
enterprises. The necessities of war saw large increases in output from these
industrial locations. To supply the Royal Navy there was a requirement to move
Welsh Coal to Scapa Flow. The West Coast Main Line provided better security
(the East coast main line running along the coastal areas north of Newcastle),
so large volume of coal trains and return empties increased traffic on the
Caledonian. Over the course of the war traffic at Carlisle increased 91% north
bound and 162% southbound.
The demand for
munitions led to the establishment of National Filling Factories. On the CR
this included the NFF Grangetown , near Glasgow (prodution commenced January
1916) and NFF
Gretna (which started production in April 1916). Six timber camps were
established on the CR network, new military camps, airbases added more goods to
move, and in some cases necessitated new works to handle the volumes.
Passenger traffic
increased due to movement of military personnel, over 7,600,000 additional
passengers were carried throughout the war. Troop trains moved soldiers from
barracks in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and other large towns. One movement
resulted in the worst railway disaster in British history at Quintinshill,
near Gretna, May 2nd 1915.
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| Gretna Railway Station World War One |
As with many other
Railway Companies, the CR locomotive and carriage works included ammunition,
guns, horse drawn vehicles and defence stores.
Four paddle steamers from the Caledonian Steam Packet Company were requisitioned by the Admiralty to operate as auxiliary minesweepers, two being sunk by mines whilst in service.
Four paddle steamers from the Caledonian Steam Packet Company were requisitioned by the Admiralty to operate as auxiliary minesweepers, two being sunk by mines whilst in service.
The Caledonia
Railway released 5,229 staff to join Her Majesty's forces, representing 22% of
the total staff employed on 4th August 1914.
Friday, 2 September 2016
Glasgow - Kelvingove Art Gallery & Museum
Spitfire LA198 flew with 602 (City of Glasgow) Auxiliary
Squadron RAF between 1947 and 1949. LA198 is a mark F21 developed towards the
end of 1944. In May 1939, 602 had been the first auxiliary squadron to be
equipped with Spitfires. At the end of the Second World War the squadron was
disbanded, only to be reformed a year later. They continued to fly Spitfires
for the next 12 years.
LA198 crashed on landing at RAF Horsham St Faith in Norfolk
on 22nd July 1949. It became a ‘gate guard’ , firstly at RAF Locking
then RAF Lechars. It went into storage in 1989, being restored in 1998. After restoration
it initially went on display at The Museum of Transport, Glasgow. In July 2006
it was moved to its current location, The Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum.
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| Spitfire LA198 Kelivingrove Art Gallery & Museum |
The Kelvingrove opened in 1901, as the Palace of Fine Arts for the Glasgow International Exhibition held in that year.
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| Kelvingrove Glasgow International Exhibition 1901 |
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| Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum |
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| Kelvingrove Art Gallery Museum |
The museum contains a collection of arms and armour. It includes unique armour for man and horse made for William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke, c1550.
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| Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum Armour Collection |
Monday, 29 August 2016
Glasgow - Necropolis
The Glasgow Necropolis is a Victorian cemetery on a prominent hill East of Glasgow Cathedral.
The main entrance to the Necropolis is through ornate gates near the Cathedral, where a number of memorials are located.
The Victoria Cross Memorial commemorates the 29 Glaswegians who have won the nations highest decoration.
Nearby is the Royal Highland Fusiliers (RHF) memorial. The RHF were formed in 1959 by the amalgamation of the Royal Scots Fusiliers and the Highland Light Infantry, the latter originating form the 74th Foot - City of Glasgow. The RHF became 2nd Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland in March 2006.
There is a memorial to remember the Korean War which lasted from 25th June 1950 to 27th July 1953. The war arose when North Korea invaded South Korea. The United Nations came to the aid of the South Koreans, with a force which was mainly American. The UN troops included the 1st Commonwealth Division. Aiding North Korea were China and the Soviet Union.
Serving with the 1st Commonwealth Division at various times during the War were a number of Scottish Regiments:
1st Battalion, The King's Own Scottish Borderers, July 1951 – August 1952
1st Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers, August 1952 – July 1953
1st Battalion, The Black Watch, June 1952 – July 1953
1st Battalion, The Royal Scots, July 1953
The Glasgow Necropolis was opened in 1832. It covers an area of 15 hectares (37 hectares) and contains 50,000 burials.
The main cemetery is reached by crossing the Molendinar Bridge which leads to the Façade.
The Necropolis contains 19 Commonwealth War Graves.
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| Glasgow Necropolis |
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| Glasgow Cathedral from the Necropolis |
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| Glasgow Necropolis Entrance Gates |
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| Glasgow VC Memorial |
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| Glasgow Royal Highland Fusiliers Memorial |
Serving with the 1st Commonwealth Division at various times during the War were a number of Scottish Regiments:
1st Battalion, The King's Own Scottish Borderers, July 1951 – August 1952
1st Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers, August 1952 – July 1953
1st Battalion, The Black Watch, June 1952 – July 1953
1st Battalion, The Royal Scots, July 1953
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| Glasgow Korean War Memorial |
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| Glasgow Necropolis Plan |
The main cemetery is reached by crossing the Molendinar Bridge which leads to the Façade.
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| Glasgow Necropolis Molendinar Bridge |
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| Glasgow Necropolis The Façade |
The most notable casualty is Lieutenant General Sir James Moncrieff Grierson who died of heart failure 17th August 1914 whilst commanding II Corps of the British Expeditionary Force. Grierson was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1877 and saw action in during the Anglo-Egyptian War (1882) and the Sudan Expedition (1885). He served as Brigade Major Royal Artillery from 1895 to 1896. His next appointment was a Military Attaché to Berlin allowing him to gain a good knowledge of the German Army. Active Service followed in the Boxer Rebellion (China 1901) and the Second Boer War (1899-1902). After series of staff appointments, he was appointed GOC 1st Division in 1906, and GOC-in-C Eastern Command in 1912.
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| Lt.Gen. Sir JM Grierson |
On mobilisation of the British Expeditionary Force on 4th August 1914 Grierson was commanding II Corps (3rd &; 5th Divisions). He deployed to the continent, but died of a heart attack on a train near Amiens on the evening of 17th August 1914 before the BEF had engaged German troops.
His body was repatriated and buried in a family grave in Glasgow Necropolis Primus 38.
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| James Moncrieff Grierson Glasgow Necropolis Primus 38 |
Another casualty interned in the Glasgow Necropolis is Major Norman Macleod Adam MC Royal Field Artillery. He was killed in action 28th August 1918 near Fontaines-les-Croisilles, Arras, in France.
He was buried in France in line with the Imperial War Graves Commission principles. His CWGC record details the body was secretly exhumed 20th June 1922, brought to Glasgow and interned in a family vault in the Necropolis Omega 248, 4th July 1922.
Glasgow - Cathedral
The Glasgow Cathedral was built before the Reformation and developed from the 12th Century onwards. Within the Cathedral are many memorials which reflect British military history.
The period following the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 was one of colonial expansion and lead to the establishment of garrisons throughout the Empire. The loss of life in the colonies resulted from disease and small wars.
The only involvement of the British Army in an European conflict was in the Crimea in 1854 when French and British forces fought the Russia Army.
In 1881 the Childers reforms continued the earlier Cardwell reforms with the formation of multi-battalion regiments. The Highland Light Infantry were formed from the 71st and 74th of Foot, the 74th becoming the 2nd Battalion HLI, the City Regiment of Glasgow
The 2nd Battalion HLI saw action at the Battle of Tel el-Kebir in September 1882 during the Anglo-Egyptian War.
Another memorial commemorates the actions of the HLI on the North West Frontier in 1895.
In 1899 War broke out in South Africa between the Boers and the British, the conflict would last two years.
During the First World War the Highland Infantry fielded twenty three battalions. The 2nd Battalion was part of the original British Expeditionary Force, landing at Boulogne 14th August 1914, (2nd Division, 5th Brigade). The 1st Battalion served mainly in the Middle East, as did many of the Territorial first line Battalions. The second line Battalions served in Ireland. The HLI raised eight New Army Battalions and another three Reserve Battalions.
The Cathedral also contains other memorials form the First World War. These include the Cameronian Rifles, the Cathedral Congregation and a memorial to 4 brothers Anderson lost in the war.
Modern day conflicts are also remembered at the Cathedral with a memorial to those lost during the Falklands War and the Gulf Conflict.
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| Glasgow Cathedral |
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| Lieutenant Donald Campbell Died in Walwan East Indies 26-Feb-1836 |
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| Major William Middleton Scots Dragoon Guards Died India 18th April 1859 |
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| Major Alexander Dunlop Anderson 75th Punjab Pioneers Died Afghanistan 3rd December 1875 |
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| Captain George Lyon Walker Grierson Royal Horse Anderson Died Cholera Lucknow 19th October 1892 |
The only involvement of the British Army in an European conflict was in the Crimea in 1854 when French and British forces fought the Russia Army.
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| 3rd Sutherland Highlanders Crimean War 1854 |
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| Highland Light Infantry |
The 2nd Battalion HLI saw action at the Battle of Tel el-Kebir in September 1882 during the Anglo-Egyptian War.
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| 74th Highlanders Egypt 1882 Tel El Kabir |
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| 74th Highlanders Egypt 1882 Tel El Kabir |
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| HLI Memorial North West Frontier 1895 |
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| HLI Boer War Memorial |
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| HLI Memorial to those lost from 23 Battalions during WW1 |
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| Scottish Cameronian Rifles Great War |
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| Glasgow Cathedral Congregation Great War |
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| Anderson Brothers Great War |
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| Glasgow Cathedral Falkland's & Gulf Memorial |
Saturday, 20 August 2016
Glasgow - Cenotaph George Square
The Glasgow Cenotaph is situated in George Square in the heart of the city located in front of the City Chambers.
The Cenotaph was unveiled on 31st May 1924 by Earl Haig, Commander of the British Expeditionary Force from 1915 to 1918.
An inscription on the memorial records that Glasgow raised over 200,000 troops (a fifth of it's population) Nearly 18,000 lost their lives, and a further 35,000 were injured.
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| George Square Glasgow |
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| Glasgow Cenotaph unveiling 31st May 1924 |
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| Glasgow Cenotaph |
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| Glasgow Cenotaph |
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