Earlston War Memorial

On the 11th day of the 11th month, 1918, 

the Great War of 1914-1918 came to an end.

Two years later on Sunday 13th November 1921, in a service of dedication in the square, Earlston War Memorial was unveiled by Mrs Hope, wife of Colonel Hope of Cowdenknowes, chairman of the War Memorial Committee,

  
The War Memorial was built on the site of the old Pump Well in the Market Square,  "The Southern Reporter" of 17th November 1921 noted that the memorial was designed by Galashiels sculptor Thomas Clapperton, and executed in Creetown granite  by Messrs G. Sutherland and Sons, Galashiels.  at a total cost of £650.  The report also listed  the forty-eight  men whose names were inscribed on the memorial,   the names of the fund raising  committee and details of the  service, including  the  speech by Colonel Hope of Cowdenknowes. . 

Colonel Hope looked back at the campaigns and sacrifices of the Earlston men who never returned home and concluded:

"This Memorial which we are about to unveil, will keep the memories of those brave men always before the minds of those seeing it from day to day , or passing by it from time to time.  We are proud also today to see so  Manny of those salient men who went forth from this parish and have been spared to rturn to their homes.  And now having all pulled together to win the war........ shall we not now all pull together to  win  the true peace and prosperity which  are so much wanted throughout the world after all the devastation of the war."  

           

The memorial inscription reads "To the glory of God and in memory of the 48 men of Earlston Parish who gave their lives for King and Country during the Great War. Their names liveth for evermore".

Names of the fallen, as listed in the Dedication Service Programme (above) 

Aikman, William F.                  Aitchison, Alexander S.        Archibald, James S.          Ballantyne David                     George, Lord Binning            Black, Archibald
Borthwick, David A.                Boyd, John                            Cessford, Alexander
Dickson, John                          Duff, Henry                           Elliot, Henry
Faichney, Thomas                    Fairley, Alexander               Forbes, Henry W.
Gillie, Thomas                         Graham, William                   Hardie, James
Hardie, John T.                       Hewitt, John                        Johnston, George R.
Kerr, William                           Kerr, William G.                   Lees, Robert
Lunam, David                          Milne, Alexnder                    Notman, James
Paterson, David                       Robertson, James W.           Simpson, Alexander
Simpson, George                     Slassor, Walter                      Stirling, William
Thomson, James                     Turnbull, Henry C.                Turnbull, William
Todd, George                          Vallance, Thomas                  Weatherston, James
White Robert R.                      Wilkie, William                      Wilson, Adam
Wilson, Robert                        Wilson, William                     Young, George
Young, John F.                        Young, Robert D.                  Young, William R.


Following the Second World War, a bronze tablet was added, with seven more names of those who lost their lives in the conflict. 

Brown, Robert                         Colville, David                      Donaldson, Walter Scott
Falconer, Edward                    Faulkener, Robert Mason    Johnston, John T. 
Sandilands, David 

 
"LEST WE FORGET"

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The Auld Earlston Group would be pleased  to receive for its collection  any wartime memories or photographs which could be scanned and returned to you.


Please contact auldearlston@aol.com 

THANK YOU