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Thomas Cameron

argylls

10th Batt. Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
He is remembered with honour on the Scottish National War Memorial and the Helensburgh War Memorial, Column 3 Line 40.

The family home was at 65 West Princes Street before moving to Duntocher.
The son of Hugh Cameron (gardener) and his wife Ann (nee Morrison).
Siblings: Thomas had one older brother, John, who was described as not employed.

Thomas Cameron was born at 65, West Princes Street in Helensburgh. His father Hugh was a gardener. In the 1911 census, his mother Ann was described as head of household and was working as a washerwoman. She also let out rooms, having 3 boarders.

Thomas was resident in Duntocher, where he worked as a baker, before he enlisted.

Thomas was wounded at the Somme in 1918 and later died of his injuries. He was 30 years old.

William Cameron

camerons

5th Batt. Queens Own Cameron Highlanders.
He is remembered with honour on the Scottish National War Memorial, Old Parish Church Memorial. Helensburgh War Memorial Column 3 - line 39

The son of Mr William and Mrs Margaret Cameron and brought up in the family home at 23 Royal Street, Gourock.
His connection to the town was through his work with the Bank of Scotland in Helensburgh.
The regiment of the Cameron Highlanders expanded to 13 battalions at the beginning of WW1, 9 of which served in battle. It received 10 battle honours and lost 5,930 men.
Their Motto: Pro rege patria (for King and Country).

Robert Blaney 

Argylls

6th Batt. Seaforth Highlanders. He is remembered with honour on the Loos Memorial, the Scottish National War Memorial, St Joseph's Church Roll of Honour and the Helensburgh War Memorial Column 3 Line 38.

The family home was at 33, East King Street, Helensburgh. The son of Mr Charles and Mrs Alice Blaney.
Siblings: Robert had one older brother, Joseph, who served with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and also perished. Other siblings Unknown.
 Robert Blaney was born in Glasgow, moving to Helensburgh with his family.
Robert joined the Seaforth Highlanders and served in France. He died, killed in action, at Loos aged 18 years. His remains were not recovered.

Joseph Blaney 

Argylls

14th Batt. Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. He is remembered with honour on the Scottish National War Memorial, Helensburgh Post Office Roll of Honour, St Joseph's Church Roll of Honour and Helensburgh War Memorial Column 3 Line 37.

The family home was at 33, East King Street, Helensburgh.The son of Mr Charles and Mrs Alice Blaney.
Siblings: Joseph had a younger brother, Robert, who served with the Seaforth Highlanders and also perished. Other siblings are unknown. 

Joseph Blaney was a postman on the Rosneath run before he joined the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders at the age of 18 and served for three years.
He died from wounds at the Canadian Casualty Clearing Station aged 21 years. 
His parents chose the inscription for his headstone at Lijssenthoek which reads: 'He died that we might live. Thy will be done'

George Meiklejohn Allan

Argylls

1st/9th Batt. Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
He is remembered with honour on the Scottish National War Memorial, Helensburgh Baptist Church memorial and Helensburgh War Memorial, Column 1, Line 7.

The family home was at 18, West Clyde Street, Helensburgh. The son of Robert Allan (upholsterer) and his wife Helen.
Siblings: George had one older sister, Mary and one younger sister, Helen (known as Nellie).


George Allan was born in Stirling and later moved to Helensburgh where his father was an upholsterer.
On leaving school George became an errand boy before joining up.
George died of wounds on Flanders fields aged 19 years. His family had the inscription 'O How Blest Are You Whose Toil is Ended' placed on his headstone.

John B. Allan

Royal marine light infantry

Royal Marine Light Infantry. Cycle Scout Company.
He is remembered with honour on the Old Parish Church Roll of Honour, Helensburgh and Gareloch Unionist Association Roll of Honour and Helensburgh War Memorial, Column 1, Line 8.

The family home was at Millerslea Terrace, 8 William Street, Helensburgh.
The son of John and Jane Combs Allan
Siblings: John had one older sister, Henrietta.

John Allen was employed as an office clerk to Mr Kyle, Temperance Lawyer in Glasgow before joining up. He was an enthusiastic rower and was secretary of the Scottish Rowing Society.
John was an ex-Clyde Ordinary Seaman, service no. Z1383 as part of the RNVR. He enlisted in the Royal Marines Light Infantry on the 23rd of October, 1914 and was transferred to the Cycle Scout Company in December of that year.
He was removed from the trenches in the Dardanelles to a hospital ship suffering from dysentery and enteric fever, dying in hospital on Malta aged 24.

James Crawford Bonnar

Argylls

9th Batt. Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
He is remembered with honour on the Scottish National War Memorial, St Columba’s Roll of Honour, Larchfield School memorial and Helensburgh War Memorial
Column 1 Line 9.

The family home was Cairnsmore, 16 Queen Street, Helensburgh
The son of Provost, James Dick Bonnar and Isabella Crawford Bonnar.
Siblings: James had two sisters, Helen and Florence.
bonnar funeralJames Bonnar was brought up in Helensburgh, son of the Provost of the town. He attended Larchfield School before training as a stockbroker with his uncle, Fred G. Cook, in Glasgow.
James had been home on leave after the horrors of the Battle of Ypres and was returning by rail when the train was involved in an accident at Quintinshill, near Gretna. Fifteen of the carriages on the troop train caught fire. He died at the scene along with 226 others and with 246 injured. It is, to this day, the country's worst rail disaster.
His body was brought home and his funeral was held in St Columba Church, Helensburgh and he was buried in Helensburgh Cemetery with full military honours. James was only 27 years of age.

James Don

Seaforth Highlanders

5th Batt. Seaforth Highlanders
He is remembered with honour on the Scottish National War Memorial, the Arras Memorial, the Helensburgh Post Office Memorial. The Helensburgh and Gareloch Unionist Association Roll of Honour and Helensburgh War Memorial, Column 3 Line 46.

The family home was at 6, William Street, Helensburgh
The son of John Gilchrist Don and Helen Don (nee Laing)
Siblings: James had two sisters, Helen and Jessie and three brothers who all fought in the war. Charles and David survived but John died in 1917.
James Don was born In West Wemyss, Fife and moved to Helensburgh with his parents. His father owned a gardening business. James was employed as a postman before he enlisted.
He first joined the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (service no. 4486) before being transferred to the Seaforth Highlanders.
All four brothers served. Charles and David surviving the war but John was killed in action the year before James.
James was killed in action aged 40 years.

John Gilchrist Don

Royal field artillery

 

7th Batt. Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
He is remembered with honour on the Scottish National War Memorial and the Helensburgh War Memorial, Column 3 Line 46.

The family home was at Millerslea Terrace, 6, William Street, Helensburgh
The son of John Gilchrist Don and Helen Don (nee Laing)
Siblings: John had two sisters, Helen and Jessie and three brothers who all fought in the war. Charles and David survived but James died in 1918.
John Don was born at 29, West King Street, Helensburgh, where his father owned a gardening business. John was employed as a gardener in his father's business before he enlisted.
He joined the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in early 1916 and went to France in July of that year. All four brothers served. Charles and David surviving the war but James was killed in action the year after John.
John married Isabella Gove, a domestic servant on the 27th June, 1916, before leaving for France.
John was reported at wounded on the 4th of September 1917, dying on the 15th of that month, aged 32 years.

John Eugene Havelock Currie

nurse

1st Batt. Royal Scots Fusiliers
He is remembered with honour on the Scottish National War Memorial, Glasgow University Roll of Honour, the Le Touret Memorial and the Helensburgh War Memorial, Column 1 Line 15. John was awarded the D.C.M. for 'great gallantry and devotion to duty'

The family home was at 84 Springkell Avenue, Pollockshields, Glasgow
The son of Cecil Charles David Currie (wine merchant) and Mary Jane Watson Currie.
Siblings: Two younger sisters, Alice and Marion.

John Currie was born at Burnside Cottage, Helensburgh and later moved with the family to Glasgow, where his father was a wine merchant. He came from a military family. He was educated at The High School of Glasgow and studied Chemistry at the Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College (later Strathclyde University). He was a member of the Cadet Corps at school and the O.T.C. at university. He worked as an analytical chemist with Messrs Alex Ferguson and Co. in Maryhill.

At the outbreak of war, he was offered a commission but due to delay he enlisted as a private with the 5th Cameron Highlanders and was then gazetted to the Royal Scots Fusiliers. He served with the 8th, 3rd and 1st Battalions and deployed to France in July 1915.

John was shot whilst leading a working party attempting to cut a path through the woods to the enemy lines. He was buried at Sanctuary Wood, but this cemetery was later damaged during fighting. He is commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial. John was awarded the D.C.M. for 'great gallantry and devotion to duty'.

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