Fintry Past
Fintry Roll of Honour
Fintry’s Memorial is a window in Fintry Kirk
When the Great War broke out on 4th August 1914 the population of Fintry was 280. Over the next four years 56 men and boys from the community volunteered. Forty-four survived – but twelve did not return to Fintry.
Roll of Honour WW1
The list of men of Fintry who made the ultimate sacrifice. 1914 to 1919
Lance Corporal DUNCAN BROWN
Duncan was brought up by his parents Duncan and Jeannie at Sunnyview Cottage on the east side of the entrance to Quarry Road in the Main Street. He enlisted in the 7th Seaforth Highlanders at the outbreak of the War aged 21. Two years later he was killed at the Battle of the Somme on 15th October 1916 and is buried in the Dernancourt War Cemetery in northern France.
Lieutenant JOHN DRUMMOND
John was brought up in the Lernock Toll Cottage on the Kippen Road and his father Malcolm was the Fintry to Kippen roadman. As a young man he emigrated to Australia. At the outbreak of the War he joined the army in Australia. He was 25-years-old when he was killed on 16th October 1917. He has no known grave but is remembered on the Australian Infantry Memorial at the Menin Gate at Ypres in Belguim.
2nd Lieutenant JAMES EDMOND
James was born and brought up at Balafark Farm where he worked as a ploughman. He joined the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry in 1905. Riding his Balafark horse he regularly trained his men in the field at the foot of Dunmore, now known as Cavalry Green. At Gallipoli James fought alongside Robert Miller of the Scottish Horse, the grandfather of Bruce Crawford, MSP.
His full story is the in the framed display and cabinet alongside.
Sergeant LEWIS GRANT
Lewis was named after his father, the Fintry policeman. With his mother Jessie and sisters Clementine and Jessie he was brought up in the Main Street. He was 23 when he joined up and fought alongside his friend from Fintry, James Edmond. He was killed on 2nd September 1915 at the Dardanelles. Lewis has no known grave.
Sergeant DONALD GRANT
The second son of Lewis and Jessie Grant’s two sons. Before the War Donald set up the Fintry Scout Group which continued for more than fifty years. At the outbreak of War, Donald joined the Seaforth Highlanders and was killed in action in the Persian Gulf Campaign on 18th July 1916. He has no known grave.
Private JAMES GOW
James was brought up in the Main Street by his father Archie, mother Jane and his five brothers and sisters. James joined the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. He was killed on September 15th 1916 aged 24 and is buried in Thiepval Memorial Cemetery for victims of the Battle of the Somme.
Private DAVID HUTTON
David was the son of Sarah and Andrew Hutton the Fintry Blacksmith. He was brought up at Strathview in the Main Street. David emigrated to Australia and at the outbreak of War joined the 13th Battalion Australian Infantry. The Battalion came to Britain and was shipped out to Ypres, Belgium for the start of the Passchendaele offensive. Aged 25 he was killed in action at Ypres on 25th September 1917 and has no known grave but is remembered on the Menin Gate.
Private JOHN JOHNSTON
John was brought up at Clockburn Cottage by his mother Mary and father James, a cloth happer. He was one of eight children and, with his other friends in Fintry, joined the local Fife and Forfar Yeomanry before being called up in 1915. He was killed in the Egypt Campaign just two years later aged 20. He has no known grave.
Private ARCHIE McDOUGAL
Archie was the Fintry postman and his father Robert was gardener to Lady Menzies at Culcreuch Castle. The family lived in the Main Street, opposite where the Menzies Hall is now. He served in the 3rd Battalion Gordon Highlanders alongside his brother James who survived the War. He was killed in action at Flanders, aged 22, on the 18th July 1916 and buried by German soldiers in the German War Cemetery in Beaulencourt Church Yard. In July 1924 his remains were taken to Faureuil British War Cemetery, near Calais, France where he was re-buried with full military honours.
Private JOHN McEWAN.
John was brought up by his father, also called John, and mother Christine at Mill of Glenboig. As a young man he emigrated to New Zealand. When he was 27 years old war was declared and he joined the Otago Regiment of the New Zealand Army. The Regiment was sent to fight in France where he was seriously injured. John died of his wounds on 8th October 1918, aged 31. He is buried in the Beaulencourt War Cemetery, near Calais, France.
Sergeant ALEC McEWAN
Alec was brought up in the Main Street. His father James was a ploughman. He was a Sapper in the Royal Engineers. His death was reported to his mother Agnes, sisters Maggie and Nancy and brothers William and John on 17th February 1919. Brothers William and John survived the War but Alec has no known grave and was 26 years-old when he died. He is remembered by his family on a Memorial Stone in Fintry Kirk grave-yard.
Gunner JOHN SCOTT.
John was also brought up in the Main Street and his father was the head forester at Culcreuch Castle Estate. Other members of the family including Archie and Margaret farmed at the Mill of Glenboig.
John enlisted at Falkirk in the Royal Field Horse Artillery, C Battalion as a gunner and fought in all the major campaigns. In the closing days of the conflict he was injured in battle in northern France and died on 14th November 1918 – just three days after the Armistice was signed. John is buried in Caudry War cemetery near Nord.
The Men Who Returned to Fintry from WW1
Corporal David Borland
Private John Blair
Private Alex “Sandy” Bennett
Private Robert Bennett
Private William Bennett
Private Hugh Cameron
Private James Cameron MM
Private George Dow
Corporal John Dougall
Private Andrew Dougall
Driver Robert Dougall
Corporal Allan Fleming
Observer Cecil Ford
Brigadier General Evan Gibb DSO
Lieutenant Oscar Gibb
Captain Cecil Gibb
Gunner Frank Hale
Driver James King
Sergeant James Leitch MM
Gunner James Leitch
Private Alex Leckie
Sergeant William McEwan
Private John McEwan
Corporal John McLachlan
Corporal James McDougal
Lieutenant James Menzies
Lieutenant William Menzies
Private John Mackay
Private Frank Mackay
Private Thomas Meffen
Private John Napier
Private George Norrie
Private Robert Norrie
Private John Quinn
Private George Reid
Private Andrew Scott
Private William Smith
Sapper William Stuart
Sapper John Sinclair
Sergeant David Ure
Private Thomas Welsh
Private Peter Watson MM
Private James Wilson
The List of Men Who Died in the Second World War. 1939 - 1945
Sergeant JAMES BAXTER
James was brought up in the village by his parents Tom and Elizabeth. He joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and was killed in action on 8th September 1943. His parents moved to St Helens, Lancashire. James is remembered at the Air Force Memorial at Runneymede in Surrey. The memorial records the names of 20,456 men and women from the Air Forces of the British Empire who were lost in air operations during World War 2 and have no known grave.
Lieutenant DONALD JAMES MENZIES
The elder son of James and Ruth Menzies of Culcreuch Castle who joined the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders . He died on 19th February 1941 aged 21 and is remembered on the family stone in Fintry Kirk grave yard.
Lieutenant DUNCAN JAMES MENZIES
Donald’s younger brother also joined the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Duncan was killed in action on 18th July 1944 and is buried in Ranville British War Cemetery in France.
Private ROBERT NORRIE.
Was brought up by his parents Robert and Mary in the Main Street and joined the Gordon Highlanders. He was killed in action on 18th October 1943 and is remembered on the family gravestone in the Kirk grave yard.