Memorial unveiled to Falkirk district's Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders

Current members of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regimental Association Grangemouth Branch held a dedication ceremony for the stone in Camelon Cemetery last Saturday.

The unveiling was carried out by Colonel Bobby Steele, regimental president and chairman of the association, with the dedication by the Reverend Aftab Gohar of Abbotsgrange Church in Grangemouth.

Although the Argylls have a long association with this area, there has never been a memorial to those who have served in its ranks.

However, Falkirk undertaker Chris King, of Kings Funeral Directors, after providing services for the funerals of several Argyll veterans believed it was important to have somewhere people could go to pay their respects.

He said: “After speaking to veterans I was surprised to learn that there wasn’t already a memorial and decided it was something I would like to work with them to provide.

"It started out as going to be a small plaque but I decided it was important that we gave them something proper and fitting.”

Thanking Chris for his generosity, John Graham, the chairman of the Grangemouth branch, said: “It was after speaking to Chris as we arranged the funeral for my friend Paddy Hodgkiss, who died two years ago, that he became interested in our regimental traditions, including the flag-draped coffin and the standard bearers.

"He said that he was very touched with the send-off we gave Paddy and mentioned that he would like to support our veterans by donating a memorial stone dedicated to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Falkirk and district.”

The pandemic slowed down the plans but Chris and John, along with others from the branch worked with Falkirk Council’s bereavement services manager Claire Ward and her staff to find a suitable location for the stone.

A reflection bench has also been placed next to the memorial by the local authority.

Signifying the local connection with the regiment, the great-great uncle of Liam Anderson, who designed the memorial, was Private Patrick Starrs of the 10th Battalion the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. He was killed in action on September 10, 1918 and is buried in Enneman Cemetery in France.

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