Glasgow - Necropolis

The Glasgow Necropolis is a Victorian cemetery on a prominent hill East of Glasgow Cathedral.

Glasgow Necropolis

Glasgow Cathedral from the Necropolis

The main entrance to the Necropolis is through ornate gates near the Cathedral, where a number of memorials are located.

Glasgow Necropolis Entrance Gates

The Victoria Cross Memorial commemorates the 29 Glaswegians who have won the nations highest decoration.

Glasgow Victoria Cross Memorial

 

Glasgow VC Memorial

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.

Glasgow Royal Highland Fusiliers Memorial

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

Glasgow Korean War Memorial

The Glasgow Necropolis was opened in 1832. It covers an area of 15 hectares (37 hectares) and contains 50,000 burials.

Glasgow Necropolis Plan

The main cemetery is reached by crossing the Molendinar Bridge which leads to the Façade.



Glasgow Necropolis
Molendinar Bridge

Glasgow Necropolis
The Façade

The Necropolis contains 19 Commonwealth War Graves.

CWGC Glasgow Necropolis

 

Glasgow Necropolis WW1 Roll of Honour

 

 

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.

 

Lieutenant-General Sir James Moncrieff Grierson KCB CMG CVO ADC(P)

 

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.

 

James Moncrieff Grierson
Glasgow Necropolis Primus 38



 CWGC GRIERSON, Sir JAMES MONCRIEFF

 

 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.

 

Norman Macleod Adam, MC

 

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.

 

 

CWGC ADAM, NORMAN MACLEOD 

 





 

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.

Glasgow Cathedral

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.



Lieutenant Donald Campbell
Died in Walwan East Indies 26-Feb-1836

Major William Middleton
Scots Dragoon Guards
Died India 18th April 1859

Major Alexander Dunlop Anderson
75th Punjab Pioneers
Died Afghanistan 3rd December 1875

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.

3rd Sutherland Highlanders
Crimean War 1854

Highland Light Infantry

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.

74th Highlanders
Egypt 1882 Tel El Kabir

74th Highlanders
Egypt 1882 Tel El Kabir

Another memorial commemorates the actions of the HLI on the North West Frontier in 1895.

HLI Memorial
North West Frontier 1895

In 1899 War broke out in South Africa between the Boers and the British, the conflict would last two years.

HLI
Boer War Memorial

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.

HLI
Memorial to those lost from 23 Battalions
during WW1

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.

Scottish Cameronian Rifles
Great War

Glasgow Cathedral Congregation
Great War

Anderson Brothers
Great War

Modern day conflicts are also remembered at the Cathedral with a memorial to those lost during the Falklands War and the Gulf Conflict.

Glasgow Cathedral
Falkland's & Gulf Memorial

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.



George Square Glasgow

The Cenotaph was unveiled on 31st May 1924 by Earl Haig, Commander of the British Expeditionary Force from 1915 to 1918.

Glasgow Cenotaph unveiling
31st May 1924

Glasgow Cenotaph

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. 

Glasgow Cenotaph