War Memorial

BERWICK NEWSPAPERS,1923

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BERWICK JOURNAL, 8TH NOVEMBER 1923

BERWICK WAR MEMORIAL

ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE UNVEILING CEREMONY

War Memorial, Castlegate, Berwick-upon-Tweed. © Copyright J Thomas – (cropped image) Creative Commons Licence 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Yesterday we received the following, (with the information that it is “issued to the Press by the Unveiling Committee of Berwick War Memorial, for favour of publication”)- the anniversary of the Armistice will be a red letter day in the history of the Borough, for at 2.30 that afternoon the ceremony of unveiling the Memorial raised to the 480 sons of the Borough, who made the supreme sacrifice in the Great War, will commence.

BERWICK WAR MEMORIAL, REGISTRATION OF NAMES CIRCULAR:
Ref No: BRO 794/39/1/029

It is fortunate that the anniversary falls this year on a Sunday, for this means that the maximum number of inhabitants and others from further afield will be able to witness the ceremony, and also by their presence pay honour to our citizens who fell.

The Committee too have been extremely fortunate in securing the service of the victorious Commander of the British Expeditionary Force-Field Marshal Earl Haig, of Bemersyde,-to perform the unveiling ceremony. His Lordship has since his return from active service, been one of the busiest men in the country, and at this time the demands for his presence elsewhere must have been very insistent. But we are sure he feels it a privilege and a debt he owes to his late countrymen from this part of the Borderland, in whose countryside he has taken up residence, that he should accept the invitation. Certainly, the citizens of the Borough will look upon his presence on such an occasion as a great honour and a recognition of duty nobly done.

AT THE SITE

The unveiling Sub-Committee have been very busy during the last few weeks endeavouring to organise the ceremonial so that dignified in every way, and memorable to those taking part.

Since the garden plot in front of Polwarth House is not to taken into the lay-out the difficulties with regard to the space available have been accentuated and have given a good deal of worry to the members of the Committee. Invitations have been therefore had to be curtailed to a minimum.

There is likewise the difficulty of estimating how many ex-service men will parade-certainly there are sure to be many more than have so far sent in their names to the Legion Secretary.

Naturally the relatives of the fallen have been given the place of honour facing the Memorial, and those, who have written for seats to be reserved, will be present to the number of over 200.

Around the Memorial will be four of the nation’s defenders on guard throughout the ceremony, representing the Navy, Army, Air Force and Territorial Army. They will be in the position of “rest on your arms reversed” till the tablets are unveiled when they will present arms with the guards of honour.

There will be two guards of honour – by per mission of Major C. F. Kennedy, the Depot K.O.S.Borderers will furnish that to Lord Haig, and “D” Company, 7th Northumberland Fusiliers (T.A.), that at the Memorial (by permission of Lieut-Col. N. I. Wright, D.S.O.) the former will receive Lord Haig with the general salute at the Town Hall, and after he has inspected it, will march to the site and face West. The Borderers will be under Capt. R. H. W. Worsley, D.S.O.

The Territorials’ guard of honour will be under the command of Lieut. E. A. Mackay and like the 25th, will be two officers and 50 other ranks strong. It will proceed direct to the Memorial and will face East.

Relatives will be seated facing North and on each side of the garden railings will be the companies of the British Legion and Ex-service men and women in fours under Capt. R. H. Dodds, M.C. On the North side will be the Royal Naval Reserve under Capt. R. E. Carr, R.N., the Northumberland Fusiliers – and K.R.R.C/ (Church Lads’ Brigade) Cadets under cadet Capt. R. D. Harvey, and the Boy Scouts under Scoutmaster B. A. Parkes. In rear of them will be any additional companies of Ex-service men.

Within the railings of St. Mary’s Church will be accommodated the Band of the 1st Battn. K.O.S.Borderers, who are attending by kind permission of Lieut-Col. P. A. V. Stewart, C.B.E., D.S.O. Also, on specially constructed platforms inside the railings will be a choir of about 50 voices, organised by Dr. C.T. gauntlet, and members of the Press. All these bodies will be in position shortly after 2p.m. and relatives must take their seats by that hour.

UNVEILING OF BERWICK WAR MEMORIAL, Ref No: BRO 1555-01

Invited guests – Glergy, magistrates, members of the County and Town Councils, Guardians, etc. will assemble at the Town Hall at 1.45p.m., where they will be received by the Mayor and Sheriff. About 2 p.m. they will be joined by the Lord Lieutenant of the County, the Duke of Northumberland, who will preside, and Field Marshall Earl Haig and Countess Haig.

A procession in column of fours will be formed at the Town Hall at 2.10 p.m. under the direction od Capt. F. B. Cowen, M.C., and will move off at 2.15.

At the Memorial, which the procession will reach just prior to 2.30, the service will be conducted by the Revs S. E. R. Fenning, M.C., H. Maishaman, and W. Jardine, M.C., late Chaplains of the Forces, and Rev. R. W. Hey. Vicar of Berwick. On the call of the Duke of Northumberland, Lord Haig will deliver a short address, and will unveil the Memorial, the guards of honour presenting arms, and the Buglers of the K.O.S.B. sounding the “Last Post.”

THE SILENCE

This will be followed by one minute’s silent tribute, the period being indicated by a “G” sounded by a bugler, and another “G” at its termination. The Band of the 1st K.O.S.B. will next play eight bars of Chopin’s Marche Funebre, after which the memorial will be dedicated, the Mayor will accept its custody on behalf of the Town Council, the Vicar of Berwick will pronounce the Benediction, and a verse of the National Anthem will be sung.

The hymns selected are well known and appropriate, being “Oh God our help in ages past” and “For all the Saints.”

Relatives of the fallen, who desire to place floral tributes at the base of the memorial, will then be formed up and under the direction of stewards. The mayoress will lay the first wreath on behalf of the Borough, and Lord Haig will follow with a tribute from the Berwick Branch of the British Legion.

His Lordship will inspect the troops and Ex-service men, etc., prior to the civil procession returning to the Town Hall, where the Mayor and Mayoress will entertain the guests and members of public bodies to afternoon tea.

The Depot K.O.S.B. and British Legion will march off as soon as Lord Haig commences his inspection of the other troops. The Legion will await His Lordship in Sandgate, where he will inspect the members and headquarters.

Lieut-Col. W. B. Mackay, C.M.G., T.D., is to be in charge of the stewards, who will see to the seating of the relatives of the fallen choir, public bodies, invited guests, etc., also the placing of wreaths round the Memorial at the close. Major Smail has been appointed Director of Ceremonial at the site.

TRAFFIC ARRANGEMENTS

Desiring to have complete silence during the speech of Lord Haig, and also to reserve the whole of Castlegate to those wishing to witness the ceremony, the Committee has arranged with Supt. Halliday to divert all North traffic up Tweed Street, and all going South via the Greenses, Brucegate and Scots Place between 1.30 and 4 p.m.

Motorists can go to any garage in the town, but cars cannot be parked in High Street or Castlegate between those hours. Those from the North car park in the vicinity of Northumberland Avenue, and those from the South on the Parade.

In case of accidents, the L. and N.E. Railway Ambulance Class from Berwick Station and the Queen’s Nurses will be on duty in the porch of St. Mary’s Church.

CHILDRENS’ CEREMONY

Weather permitting, it is hoped to hold a short service round the Memorial on Monday, 12th inst., commencing at 9.10 a.m., when the various schools of the Borough will be represented. The ceremonial pat will be conducted by clergy representing the various denominations. Programme (provisional) is as follows: – Hymn 185, “O Gid our Help,” 9.10 a.m.; short prayer; addresses, about 5 mins.; Kipling’s Recessional sung to tune of Hymn 380 (A. and M.); National Anthem (1st and 3rd verses); Benediction.

It is hoped to hold this on a similar ceremony round the Memorial near Armistice Day or school day nearest to Nov.11th.

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 15TH JULY 1921

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SPITTAL WAR MEMORIAL UNVEILED

STIRRING ADDRESSES BY COLONEL RIDDELL, C.M.G., D.S.O., AND LIEUT.COL. N.I. WRIGHT, D.S.O

Spittal War Memorial shortly after construction 1921. REF: BRO 1895

Unequalled in the district for beauty, simplicity, environment, and chaste design was the memorial unveiled at the Spa Well site, Spittal, on Sunday in commemoration of the sacrifice made by the thirty-seven good men and true who fell during the agonising period of the Great War. The site had, if anything, a sentimental attraction. How many times in the calm and piping days of peace had the children of the township treaded the long path to the Spa well to quench their youthful thirst in the heat of the day. Now, many years afterwards, when the flower of the country’s manhood had been swept away by the devastating tide of modern warfare, on the same old place hallowed in the memory of childhood, a tapering obelisk marks the passing of a land where there is no eventide of many who were daily there in their boyhood days. 

Tropical conditions prevailed during the proceedings, which were characterised by an earnestness which showed that the speakers felt the need for a general resolve to bring the old country into that state of civil and industrial prosperity, so that the ideals for which these men fought and fell might be realised. 

The Mayor of Berwick (Councillor Bolus) attended, and he was accompanied by the Sheriff, (Mr R. Carr), Councillors Hadley and Edminson, Ald. Wilson, Councillor Redpath, Mr Robt. Dickinson, the Town Clerk (Mr D.S. Twigg), and the Revs Fergus Chambers, W. Brown, J. D. Bowman, J. H. Cuthbertson, and Wm. Jardine were also in attendance. Officers present, in addition to those taking part in the ceremony, were; – Col. W. B. Mackay, C.M.G., Major H. R. Smail, Capt. P. W. Maclagan, Capt.D. Hebenton, Capt. E. H. Crow, Lieut. J. P. Huffam, V.C., Lieut. Eric Mackay, and Capt. F. B. Cowen, M.C. 

 A guard of honour was provided by the 7th N.F., and this body, under command of Capt. Cowen, lined up in the street in front of the memorial. They were inspected prior to the ceremony by Col. Commandant Riddell. Crowds lined the street and the high ground behind the memorial, the enclosure being reserved for relatives of the fallen and invited friends. A choir, under Mr John Moffat, led the singing of the fine old hymns chosen, and Mr Nicholson ably presided at the organ. 

LOCAL NEWS

Mr Walter Clarence Holloway, an actor well known in Scottish theatrical circles, is on 2000 miles walking tour through Scotland for a wager. He is expected to arrive in Berwick about the week-end. Mr Holloway set out from Glasgow on 20th April without a copper in his pocket, his only means of subsistence throughout the tour being derived from the sale of water colour paintings, which he executes enroute. He has already covered 1300 miles, passing through the West Highlands, Skye, and John O’Groats, and has only encountered bad weather on one day of his walk, when he walked into a wind and rainstorm at Cape Wrath.

BELFORD DISTRICT COUNCIL

A FIRE ENGINE

Mr James Clark, with a few to ascertaining the feeling of the Council, raised the question of the need for a fire engine in the district. There had been a good many fires in the district and considerable damage had been done to property. He brought forward the subject to have it discussed. He suggested that the Clerk write to the Norham and Islandshires and to the Glendale Councils and ask them to consider the question of a joint fire engine for the three Councils, and that a conference on the question at a future date be held. Sir E. C. Haggerston agreed, and the Council supported the suggestion. 

BELFORD HIGH STREET, 1900S. REF: BRO 1519-007

Mr Johnson thought that as rates were now 200 per cent. Higher than before the war, they should let the mater be, even though there was no doubt a fire engine was needed. If Belford was to faced with a new fire engine as well as a new sewage scheme, the rate would be higher. 

COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS’ VISIT TO WOOLER

Members of the Committee of the North of England Commercial Travellers’ Benevolent association thoroughly enjoyed their visit to Wooler by a char-a-banc on Saturday. The arrangements were carried out by Mr Harry J. Welford and Mr James Laing. The luncheon was presided over by Sir Arthur m. Sutherland, Bart., and the vice-chair was occupied by Mr J. Laws, the vice-president. 

Mr E. Taylor, the chairman of the Executive, proposing the health of the President, expressed hearty congratulations to Sir Arthur Sutherland upon the recent honour conferred upon him by the King. 

Sir Arthur Sutherland, replying, thanked the gathering for the reception they had accorded him. Work, he said, was a grand thing, but some of them could get too much of it and too little recreation. Latterly, however, he was afraid that there had been a tendency to have too much recreation and too little work. He hoped that all would make up their minds to do their duty to the country, which at the present time needed work so much. We had had a tremendous set-back with the coal dispute, and it behoved everyone, commercial magnates included, to do all they could to redeem what we had lost, not only in the war, but since the war. We won the war by sacrifice, and we could not win the peace by selfishness, and he hoped that people would recognise that. 

OTTER HUNTING

The otter hounds, which are at present having good sport on Tweed and its tributaries, met at Cornhill on Saturday. There was a very large following, which included Capt. And Mrs Collingwood, Capt. And Mrs Goodson, Mr G. Henderson, Mr J. Robertson, Mrs J. R. C. Cowan, Capt. Blake, Capt. Brummell, and many others. A fine otter was raised in the mill race on the Lees, which made for the river Leet. He was chased up this stream through part of the Hirsel policies. Just below the mansion house, where the overflow from the lake enters the leet through a built conduit, he gave hounds the slip. 

Norham Castle Ref: BRO 515-181

The Northern Counties’ Hounds had a very fine day’s sport at Norham-on-Tweed. Casting off the master drew up the Tweed for a mile and finding the “sport” of an otter pointing downstream, he returned to the bridge and drew down the river. He soon hit off a catchy drag and the hounds carried it forward and below Norham Castle, where Rallywood and Garlie marked at an old weiring. The otter at once swam off and entered the back-water of the Tweed. After being hunted here for nearly an hour, the pace was too hot for the otter and he swam into the Tweed, and for over an hour a rare swimming hunt took place. The hounds had a fine “wash” on the stream and they gave their quarry no rest whatever, driving him from root to root and hover to hover. Eventually they killed a well spent dog otter of 28lbs, after a splendid Tweed hunt of two hours and a quarter. 

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 6TH MAY 1921

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ORD WAR MEMORIAL

As will be seen from our advertising columns, Ord War Memorial will be unveiled on Sunday, 8th May, at 2.30 by Vice Admiral Sir Dudley R. S. de Chair, K.C.B., M.V.O. The memorial has been erected in the centre of the village green and is 18 feet in height. It is on a concrete base with steps all round, and is of local rock-faced freestone coursers built in block with teethed plinth. A marble tablet with the names of the fallen is set into a framing of Northumberland whinstone. From the whinstone arises an octagonal column finished with a white marble cross. The work has been carried out by Messrs M. Gray & Sons, builders, and W. Wilson & Sons, sculptors, from plans prepared by Mr Lake, Surveyor, East Ord.

The Ord War Memorial  ©  Author: Stafford Little –  Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic — CC BY-SA 2.0

In addition to the contractors’ work a large amount of gratuitous service and labour has been given, and the War Memorial Committee feel deeply indebted to all these who so generously assisted in the carrying out of the work. Sir Dudley de Chair was born in 1854 and was educated on H.M.S., Britannia and entered the Navy in 1878. He served in the Egyptian War and was appointed Naval Attache to U.S. America in 1902. He commanded H.M.S. Bacchante, Cochrane and Colossus from 1905 to 1912 and was appointed Assistant Controller of the Navy in 1910, and Naval Secretary to the First Lord of Admiralty in 1912. In 1914 he was appointed Admiral of the Training Services, being also made a C.B. that year. He commanded the 10th Cruiser Squadron and 3rd Battle Squadron during the war from 1914 to 1916 and went with Mr. A J. Balfour’s Mission to U.S.A. in 1917. 

LOCAL NEWS

For several hours on Wednesday morning snow fell heavily in the hill districts of Berwickshire, where in some quarters it lay as deep as half an inch, much to the concern of the flockmasters, with whom the lambing season is not yet over. Fruit trees were severely blighted by the severity of the weather. 

They say it is very bad luck to turn back. A man who had started out with his wife to the pictures suddenly remembered that he had left his coal shed unlocked. He risked his luck, went back, turned the key in the door, and put it in his pocket. On returning three hours later he found a neighbour in a state of great indignation. “What’s the matter?” he asked innocently. “What’s the matter!” was the retort. “Do you know that you have locked my wife up in your coal shed!” 

BERWICK PETTY SESSIONS

CORPORATION FOREMAN USES VIOLENCE

William Gardiner, Wallace Green, Berwick, was charged with unlawfully assaulting Gordon McLean on the 30th April 1921. Mr Peters prosecuted, and Mr Gregory defended. Gardiner pleaded that he was guilty of gripping McLean, but not with striking him. 

Gordon Mclean said he lived as 6 Hatter’s Lane. On last Saturday night he was standing at the end of Walkergate with other men when two dogs started to fight and came against his legs. He put out his foot to keep the dogs back. He never kicked the dogs, and never knew anything more until Gardiner seized him by the throat from behind and bent him backwards nearly to the ground. Witness was exhausted when Gardiner was called off by the police. 

REF: LB.9.6.24 Hatter’s Lane, Berwick-upon-Tweed

Peter Robson, rabbit-catcher, corroborated, and said McLean, after holding the dogs off with his foot, stepped back. He never kicked the dogs and gave Gardiner no provocation. 

John Flannigan, Hatter’s Lane, gave similar evidence, and this was borne out by William Wilson. 

William Gardiner, on his own behalf, said he was coming up the street with his brother-in-law, who had his terrier with him. Witness’ dog was playing with the terrier, when there was a blue dog ran at them. They chased it, when he saw McLean lift his foot and make a swinging kick at it. He caught McLean as he spun round, but he did not bend him back. 

By Mr Peters-witness admitted that there was a little fight with the three dogs. He was not in a temper when he gripped McLean, only a little excited. The police came on the scene and Sergt. Wilson said “William, go home!” 

The bench found the case proved and imposed the fine of £1 with witnesses and fees, 28s 5d, or 13 days’ imprisonment. 

NATURE NOTE

The first swift arrived in Berwick this year on April 30th. It was first seen at 9 p.m. Fifteen minutes later it joined by another over the town. In 1920 the first swift was also seen on April 30th “hawking” over Church Street. In 1919 the first swift was not seen in Berwick until May 8th; in 1918 the first arrived on May 9th. The first martins were seen on April 21st, 1921 at Canties Bridge. On the 24th the sand martin was seen behind the Pier. On the 24th terns were seen passing over the Pier bound to their more northern nesting grounds. A few remained on Sunday, and there are now several in the river. Several migrants such as the willow-wren and the chiff-chaff have been heard, also on April 24th. A month earlier, the earliest of all migrants, the wheatear was seen on Scremerston banks. Several solan geese have been observed flying quarter of a mile off the end of the Pier, and a few beautiful eider ducks are frequent visitors off the Pier end. They will shortly move to their breeding quarters on the Farne islands. The buds are setting on the hawthorn, promising to burst by the middle of May, which is very early for Northumberland.  

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