World War 1 – Starting To Tell Deerness’s Story
Posted on 4th August 2014..
One hundred years ago today, on 4 August 1914, at 11pm, Britain went to war against Germany and World War 1 continued in all its horror until 11am on 11 November 1918.
In those years of fighting, and in the aftermath, Deerness lost 13 young men who had been born in the parish. Their names are on the Deerness War Memorial, in the kirkyard of the Lower Kirk, St Ninian’s.
Thomas Irvine, Sandside, died March 1915 in Kirkwall
James Craigie, Breck, died March 1915 at Loos
Thomas Foubister, Little Grindigar, died September 1915 at Loos
William Craigie, Breck, died August 1916 at the Somme
David Ritch, Free Schoolhouse, September 1916, at Pozieres
John L Mowat, Cellardyke, March 1917, in France
Robert Foubister, Watermoss, August 1917 in France
David Cormack, Delday, September 1917, at Ypres
James Scott, Wood Cottage, November 1917, in France
David Linklater, Upper Braebuster, January 1918 at Salonika
John Wick, Cutpool, April 1918 at Warloy
James Dick, Keigar, September 1919, at Dingwall
James Cromarty, Little Quoys, December 1919, at Edinburgh
Deerness also lost young men who had lived in the parish, or were married to Deerness girls, but were born and are commemorated elsewhere, and few families in Deerness were untouched by death, injury or simply the fearsome worry of a family member called away to serve in World War 1, by land or sea.
Over the next 4 years we will be remembering those who died and those who served and survived. We will do so in various ways, including an exhibition, telling as many as possible of their stories.
We are in touch with the families of many of Deerness’s World War 1 servicemen but there are a lot more out there who we’ve yet to make contact with. If you would like your forebear’s World War 1 service remembered by Deerness, please get in touch with Ernie Skea 01856 741203, Leslie Foubister 01856 861332, Mabel Eunson 01856 741325 or info@deernessorkney.co.uk