Others
During our research we came across others with a Fairlie connection who served in the Great War, but who aren’t named on the Village Hall plaque:-
Robert Guy Incledon CHICHESTER (Highland Light Infantry, 2nd Btn)
Captain
Born 28 Jan 1873, Devon ; Died 13 Nov 1914, Belgium
A career soldier, he entered theatre of war in Aug 1914 and was killed in action three months later near Ypres. He is commemorated on the Menin Memorial Gate.
He married Alys Edith Parker of The Gondola in Largs in 1911, and there is a plaque to his memory in Fairlie Parish Church. He is the brother-in-law of Alfred Ernest Parker.
James COOPER (Cameron Highlanders)
A/Corporal 7271
Born (unknown); Died (unknown)
He was named in the Fairlie Roll of Honour printed in local papers in Nov and Dec 1914. Enlisted Oct 1905 and entered theatre of war Aug 1914. Reported wounded at the Aisne and hospitalised in Aberdeen Sep 1914, he was discharged physically unfit Dec 1915.
Samuel COTTON (Royal Navy)
Petty Officer 291887
Born 23 Nov 1878, Huddersfield; Died 16 July 1915, North Sea
Enlisted Apr 1899; joined H.M.S. Lance in July 1914. On 5 Aug 1914, the Lance fired the first British shot of the war, when she shelled German ship Königin Luise. He was lost overboard while serving on H.M.S. Lance, and is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial, Kent
He married Christine Stalker of Railway Buildings in Glasgow in July 1915, barely two weeks before his death. He is the brother-in-law of Archibald and Daniel Stalker and William Wilson.
Alfred Thomas DAVIS (Royal Scots Fusiliers, 7th Btn)
Sergeant, 51402 & 12457
Born 1890, Staffordshire; Died 31 Aug 1960, Greenock
He was named in the Fairlie Roll of Honour printed in local papers in Nov and Dec 1914. Enlisted Sep 1914; posted France July 1915; wounded in action Sep 1915 and gassed Oct 1918.
Prior to the war he was butler to the Earl of Glasgow and lived at Fairlie Craig. He married Elizabeth Orr Crawford in Largs in 1914, and at the time of his death he was a retired bus inspector living in Largs.
McEwan DOWNIE (Royal Garrison Artillery)
Gunner 95782
Born 15 Feb 1890, Straiton; Died 1969, Greenock
Reported to have been wounded in France and hospitalised in Dundee Jan 1918; and in May 1918 to have been wounded again and hospitalised in Kent just two weeks after his return to the front.
In 1911 he lived at Glenside Cottages and was a gamekeeper. He married Christine Burden of Glenside in Glasgow in July 1911. He is the brother-in-law of Alfred, George, Hugh, James and John Burden.
Daniel DUNCAN (Royal Engineers, IWT)
Sapper WR/355344 (formerly Seaforth Highlanders)
Born 2 Aug 1879, Rutherglen; Died 26 Feb 1918, lost at sea
Enlisted Dec 1915; transferred RE Sep 1917; departed for Mesopotamia Jan 1918 but was reported missing believed drowned after being lost overboard en route. He is commemorated on the Basra Memorial, Iraq.
Prior to the war he served in the Royal Navy for twenty years before being discharged through ill health. His parents lived at Alpha Cottage, and there is a plaque to his memory in Fairlie Parish Church. He is the brother of Peter Duncan.
Peter DUNCAN (Australian Infantry, 56th Btn)
Private 2646
Born 31 Mar 1892, Rutherglen; Died 2 Apr 1917, France
Enlisted July 1915; embarked to training camp in Egypt Nov 1915; joined Expeditionary Force in France June 1916. He reportedly had a premonition of coming death before he was killed in action at Louverval, France. He is buried at Vaulx Hill Cemetery, France.
A grocer, he emigrated to Australia in 1913. His parents lived at Alpha Cottage, and there is a plaque to his memory in Fairlie Parish Church. He is the brother of Daniel Duncan.
Robert GARDNER
Born (unknown); Died (unknown)
He was named in the Fairlie Roll of Honour printed in local papers in Nov and Dec 1914.
Alexander GEMMILL (Highland Light Infantry, 18th Btn)
Lieutenant (formerly Royal Scots Fusiliers)
Born 30 May 1893, West Kilbride; Died 28 Apr 1954, West Kilbride
Member of the territorials Aug 1914; Lance Corporal RSF Apr 1915; commissioned HLI Jun 1915; entered theatre of war in France Jan 1916.
A joiner, he was the organist at Fairlie United Free Church where, in 1921, he married Janet Barbour Thomson of Tarbet Cottage. He is the brother-in-law of Allan, David and William Thomson.
Henry GORMAN (Royal Scots Fusiliers, 1st Btn)
Private 6617
Born 1883, Sorn; Died 28 Feb 1942, Catrine
Enlisted Aug 1914; posted France Aug 1914 and reported wounded and missing ten days later; reported prisoner of war Oct 1914; repatriated to hospital in London Dec 1918.
He married Jessie Stalker of Railway Buildings in Fairlie in 1906. Prior to the war he was a signalman (in Fairlie for a time), and when he died his occupation was bleachworker. He is the brother-in-law of Archibald and Daniel Stalker and William Wilson.
Charles GRANT (Royal Scots Fusiliers, 1/4th Btn)
Lance Corporal 7344 & 34874
Born (unknown); Died (unknown)
He was named in the Fairlie Roll of Honour printed in local papers in Nov and Dec 1914. Reported promoted Nov 1914 and invalided home from Gallipoli suffering from dysentery Oct 1915.
Prior to the war he was a footman at Southannan House.
John James GRAY (King’s Own Scottish Borderers, 1st Btn)
Private 19185
Born 29 Aug 1885, Fairlie; Died 1 Jul 1916, France
Entered theatre of war in the Balkans Sep 1915; he was killed in action at the Somme, and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France.
He was born and lived at Alpha Cottage, although the family moved to Glasgow sometime before 1901.
George LIVESEY (2nd Dragoons, Scots Greys)
Private 5844
Born (unknown); Died (unknown)
He was named in the Fairlie Roll of Honour printed in local papers in Nov and Dec 1914 (Trooper Geo Livesley, Glenside, Fairlie, Scots Greys).
T. MACLACHLAN (Royal Scots Fusiliers)
Born (unknown; Died (unknown)
He was named in the Fairlie Roll of Honour printed in local papers in Nov and Dec 1914 (Maclachlan, Pte. T., Railway Buildings, Fairlie, RSF).
Elizabeth McLACHLAN (Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps)
Assistant Cook 23666
Born 23 Sep 1895, Fairlie ; Died 8 Nov 1964, Largs
Joined QMAAC Jan 1918 and worked as assistant cook at Hamilton Barracks; discharged Dec 1919.
Known as Lily, she was born at Fairlie Lodge Gatehouse, where her father was gardener. Prior to enlisting, she worked as an assistant children’s nurse in private homes in Glasgow. After the war she emigrated to Canada to join her family, but returned to Largs to marry James McKay in 1926. She is the sister of Duncan, Ian and Robert McLachlan.
Edward MENZIES (Royal Scots, Lothian Regiment)
Private 4371 & 201197
Born 1 Oct 1898, Newington; Died 30 Dec 1917, Palestine
Enlisted Jan 1916; posted Palestine Dec 1916; he died of malaria and is buried in Ramleh War Cemetery, Palestine.
His father lived at Govan Bank during the war, before moving to Largs.
James MILLER (Royal Scots Fusiliers)
Born (unknown); Died (unknown)
He was named in the Fairlie Roll of Honour printed in local papers in Nov and Dec 1914 (Miller, Pte. James, Kelburn, RSF; Royal Infirmary, Stirling).
Watson MILLER (Highland Light Infantry, 9th Btn)
Private 3086 & 330846
Born 21 May 1896,Glasgow; Died 15 Jul 1916, France
Entered theatre of war in France Jun 1915. He was reported missing in Jul 1916, and was later presumed to have died on that date. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France.
His parents lived at Clyde View and in Glasgow.
John MOAN (Royal Scots Fusiliers)
Born (unknown); Died (unknown)
He was named in the Fairlie Roll of Honour printed in local papers in Nov and Dec 1914 (Moon, Pte. John, Bourtree Bank, Fairlie, RSF; wounded, now in Cardiff Hospital). In Jan 1915 he was reported to be back in the village, making a good recovery, and expecting to return to the front soon.
George Victor MUIR (Royal Air Force, B Sqn)
2nd Lieutenant
Born 28 Jan 1900, Edinburgh ; Died 18 Oct 1918, Wiltshire
A cadet in the Edinburgh University O.T.C., he enlisted as an Officer Cadet in the R.A.F in Jan 1918. Promoted 2nd Lieutenant Oct 1918, he was killed in an aeroplane accident during training and is buried in Edinburgh.
He was a student at Edinburgh University, and the family lived in Edinburgh and at Rockhaven (his father was brought up at Underbank).
John Ross NELSON (Cameron Highlanders, 4th Btn)
Private 2453 & 200435
Born 20 Feb 1895, Carluke; Died 1970, Carluke
Enlisted Oct 1914; posted France Apr 1915; wounded in action with severe head wound May 1915. In Nov 1915 he was released fit for light duty at home, and in Mar 1916 transferred to munition work. His service record includes a pension application in respect of the loss of his left eye in May 1915.
Prior to the war he was a forester and he lived at Estate Bothy, Kelburn; after the war his address is North Stables, Kelburn Estate.
John Davidson SMITH (King’s Own Scottish Borderers, 2nd Btn)
Private 41241 (formerly Scottish Rifles)
Born 20 Nov 1889, Dundonald; Died 26 Oct 1917, Belgium
Initially reported missing in action at Ypres Oct 1917, he was reported killed on that date nearly a year later. He is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium.
A confectioner, he married Mary Messenger of Larbert Cottage in Largs in 1915. He is the brother-in-law of Thomas Messenger.
David William Laird YOUNG (Royal Flying Corps, 53 Sqn)
2nd Lieutenant
Born 18 Feb 1897, Skelmorlie; Died 6 Jan 1917, France
Enlisted Nov 1915; commissioned Sep 1916. He died of a fractured skull sustained as a result of an accident while flying on duty, and is buried at Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension, France.
His parents lived at Beach House during the war, and in Jan 1918 a memorial tablet was dedicated in his memory in Fairlie Parish Church.
Thomas YOUNG
Born (unknown); Died (unknown)
He was named in the Fairlie Roll of Honour printed in local papers in Nov and Dec 1914 (Young, Pte. Thos, Kelburn, RSF).
John Wilson YUILL (Canadian Infantry, 42nd Btn )
Private 103318
Born 16 Dec 1888, Largs; Died 2 Mar 1980, Massachusetts
Enlisted Aug 1917; reported to have been hospitalised in France with a bullet wound in the thigh Aug 1918, and to have visited his parents in Fairlie Oct 1918.
Originally from Largs, his parents moved to Kelburn Terrace during the war. He married Jemima Black in Edinburgh in 1912, and they emigrated to America later that year.