Monday, 29 August 2016

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 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.

 
 
 
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.
 
 
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

 
 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.
 
 
 


 
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