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Arthur Russell St.John Moubray

Arthur Russell St.John Moubray

Royal Navy

200th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery
He is remembered with honour on Elizabeth College Roll of Honour, Guernsey, and Helensburgh and Park Church Rolls of Honour.

The family home was at c/o Col. Marshall, 32 Lancaster Road, South Norwood
The son of Louisa Anna and the late Arthur Rolland Moubray RNR.

Arthur Mowbray was born in Lake County, Florida to British parents, Louisa and Arthur Mowbray, where his father had been a ‘grower’. The family then moved to Guernsey where he was educated at the Elizabeth College. In 1911, he was working as a clerk for the Caledonian Railway in Helensburgh, where he had relatives living at Hawthorn Bank.
He moved to India in 1913 to work on the Bombay Baroda and Central India Railway. He returned at the outbreak of war and joined the Clyde Royal Garrison Artillery and was stationed at Portkil.
Arthur went to France with the RGA Siege Battery on 18 May, 1916. He was mentioned in despatches, and awarded the Military Cross in 1917. He was gazetted to Acting Captain in September 1917 and promoted to Major in November 1917 at the Battle of Cambrai. He died from wounds received in battle on 2 July, 1918, aged 27. His brother Cyril was also killed in France in October 2018 and was also awarded the Military Cross.
His gravestone inscription reads: ‘Not lost but gone before’.

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WW2 recording details form

The team do not have any immediate plans to undertake the same research for our WW2 fallen. We would also need to raise money to pay for the internet searches, web hosting and publication costs. However, we do already have quite a bit of information and would welcome completed copies of the recording form and photographs from relatives of the fallen. We will keep this information on file for when the day comes that we, or someone else, is ready to take the project forward.

Please download and complete the recording form and return to us by email or by post to Hillcroft, Station Road, Rhu, by Helensburgh, G84 8LW. Don’t worry if you do not have all of the information, some is a good starting point. If you have very little information we would recommend starting your own research at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website.

Thank you.

Download pdf WMFP recording form WW2

Download MS word doc WMFP recording form WW2

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MacDonald, William Paterson

William Paterson MacDonald

Royal Sussex Regiment

16th Batt. Royal Sussex Regiment
He is remembered with honour on the Helensburgh War Memorial, Column 4 Line 9.

The family home was at 19, Maitland Street, Helensburgh.
The son of Lachlan and Mary MacDonald.
Siblings: William had two younger brothers, Lachlan and James, and two younger sisters, Lizzie and Flora.

William MacDonald was the eldest son of Lachlan and Mary McDonald, born and brought up in Helensburgh, where his father was a carter.
He served in the Royal Sussex Regiment and was killed in action at the age of 21.
His remains were recovered from Herlies British Cemetery in March 1920 by the 84th Labour Company and he was reburied in the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery at Aubers Ridge.

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Fraser, John

John Fraser

Royal Navy

Royal Navy, Merchant Marine Reserve.
He is remembered with honour on the Old Parish Church Roll of Honour, the Plymouth Naval Memorial and Helensburgh War Memorial, Column 3 Line 49.

The family home was at 4, Sinclair Street, Helensburgh.
The son of Alexander and Elsie Fraser, Leathers, Morayshire.

John Fraser was born in Morayshire. He was employed with the Allan Line of Steamers as a steward before being called up.

John was married to Flora McAllister Fraser and had one son, Ainsworth, who was born in England before the family moved to Helensburgh.

On 19th March 1918, the 'Monagua', an armed merchant cruiser, en route from Dakar to a 'Special Rendezvous' was in collision with U.S. destroyer 'Manley'. A heavy explosion followed wrecking the wireless cabin and aerial. John was one of 17 men killed.

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Ferguson, William Pettigrew

William Pettigrew Ferguson

Royal Artillery Garrison

110th Seige Batt. Royal Garrison Artillery.
He is remembered with honour on St. Bride’s Church Roll of Honour and Helensburgh War Memorial, Column 3 Line 48.

The family home was at 42, East Princes Street, Helensburgh.
The son of Duncan and Euphemia Pettigrew Ferguson.
Siblings: William had three brothers, Duncan, Donald and Robert and two sisters, Effie and Catherine. Duncan also served with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, he was killed in March, 1918.

William Ferguson was born at 178, East Princes Street and grew up in the town.

He enlisted in the Royal Garrison Artillery.

William died from being gassed at the clearing station in France. He was 24 years old.

His parents had his gravestone inscribed: ‘For liberty and truth he sacrificed his glorious youth he died for us’.

His brother Duncan was also killed in action two months earlier.

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Ferguson, Duncan

Duncan Ferguson

Argylls

9th Batt. Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
He is remembered with honour on the Scottish National War Memorial, St Bride’s Church Roll of Honour and Helensburgh War Memorial, Column 3, Line 47.

he family home was at 42, East Princes Street, Helensburgh.
The son of Duncan and Euphemia Pettigrew Ferguson.
Siblings: Duncan had three brothers, William, Donald and Robert and two sisters, Effie and Catherine. William also served with the Royal Garrison Artillery and died in May, 1918.

Duncan Ferguson was born at 178, East Princes Street, where his father was a carter. He grew up in Helensburgh and was employed as a painter with Robert Carson, decorators, before joining up.

He enlisted at Dumbarton in January 1915 joining the local 9th Batt. Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, later fighting with the 8th and then 10th Battalions.

Duncan was killed in action at Ypres. He was 20 years old. His family had the inscription: 'He died for us', engraved on his headstone.

His brother William died, from wounds received in battle, two months later.

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Leitch, John Duncan

John Duncan Leitch

Highland Light Infantry

15th Batt. Highland Light Infantry
He is remembered with honour on the Nieuport Memorial, St Bride’s Church Memorial and Helensburgh War Memorial, Column 2 Line 53.

The family home was at 14, West Clyde Street, Helensburgh.The son of John Leitch.
Siblings: Not Known
christina leitchJohn Leitch was born and brought up in Helensburgh, where his father was a potato merchant.
John married Christina Catherine Murray, a domestic servant in Portobello, in 1906. He was employed as a painter/journeyman before enlisting in 1914. Both his parents were deceased before that date.
John was firstly reported as missing in action on the 27th August 1917 before being confirmed as killed in action on 28th June 1918. John died on the Belgian Coast. He was 35 years of age.
Forces War Records show his next of kin as living at Inversnaid but the Commonwealth War Graves Commission have an address for his wife as 1, Culloden Cres, Arbroath.
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Duncan, Harold Forrester

Harold Forrester Duncan

Royal Flying corps

Royal Flying Corps
He is remembered with honour on the St. Michael’s Church Roll of Honour, Larchfield School Memorial, Sedbergh School Cloisters, the Scottish National War Memorial and the Helensburgh War Memorial, Column 2 Line 40.

The family home was at Polkemmet, 6, Upper Colquhoun Street, Helensburgh
The son of Major John Forrester and Mrs Stella Sinclair Duncan (nee Mellish), who owned a tobacconists locally. His father was later to become Provost of Helensburgh.
Siblings: Lieutenant Alan M. Duncan served with the Highland Light Infantry in France.
Sopworth

Harold Duncan was born in Helensburgh, where his family owned Mellish Tobacconists. His father had a military background and was later to be Provost of the town. Harold attended Miss Johnston's school, Larchfield and Sedbergh School in Cumbria. Training as an accountant, he was employed by Messrs Bannatyne and Guthrie C.A., Glasgow.

He joined the Highland Light Infantry (3rd/5th Batt), then transferred to the Royal Flying Corps (70 Squadron). He was badly wounded in a dog fight over the Somme, dying a few days later. He had just been awarded the Military Cross for ‘Conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during an aerial combat.’

Only a short time before his death, whilst on leave, he had become engaged to Miss Young of Dunalwyn, 2, West Abercromby Street.

His gravestone reads: ‘Love than death itself more strong’.

 

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Halsey, Hilton Roderick

Roderick Hilton Halsey

Argylls

9th Batt. Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
He is remembered with honour on the Congregational Church Memorial and Helensburgh War Memorial, Column 2 Line 4.

The family home was at Park House, 72 East King Street, Helensburgh.
The son of Mr John Halsey (butcher) and Mary Jane Halsey (nee McCrone).
Siblings: Older brother, John, was a butcher, which was a protected profession, and did not serve.

 

Roderick Halsey was born at Ardgowan Place, 77 East Princes Street in Helensburgh and brought up in the town where his father had a butchers shop at 32 East Princes Street.
He was employed as an apprentice with his brother as a flesher before joining up at the outbreak of war.
Roderick died, killed in action, at Ypres. He was 27 years old.
It was reported that he was resident in Glasgow and the time of his death.

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Hamilton. Arthur

Arthur Leslie Hamilton

Highland Light Infantry

3rd Batt. Highland Light Infantry
He is remembered with honour on the Basra Memorial, Larchfield School Memorial, Glasgow School of Art and Glasgow University Rolls of Honour, St. Bride’s Church Roll of Honour and Helensburgh War Memorial, Column 3 Line 52.

The family home was at 'The Grange', Helensburgh
The son of Mr James Whitelaw Hamilton, RSA and Mrs Lilian Millar Hamilton (nee Paterson).
Siblings: Arthur had one sister, Hilda.
Arthur Hamilton was born and brought up in Helensburgh, where his father was a member of the Glasgow Boys group of artists and local councillor. He was educated at Larchfield Academy before entering Glasgow University School of Architecture, where he was a member of the University training corps.
He was employed by his uncle, A.N. Paterson, as an apprentice draughtsman before being commissioned into the army in 1914. Paterson also designed the Helensburgh War Memorial. A painting was commissioned from ‘Glasgow Boy’ James Guthrie, which now hangs in the Kelvingrove Museum.
Arthur died, killed in action, in Mesopotamia at the age of 26.
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