Pentland Road - 2

Today is Memorial Day in the USA, when the Fallen from that country are remembered. Two of them in the First World War originated from the Isle of Lewis. In place of today's Stornoway Memorial entry, I list their names JOHN FERGUSON "Iain Dhomhnaill Gobha" Son of Donald and Margaret Ferguson Last address in Lewis: 6 Crulivig Service unit: US Army Date of death: 18 July 1918 at the age of 30 Killed in action in France Mentioned on family gravestone in Bosta Cemetery, Great Bernera (see below) Local memorial: Great Bernera, Breaclet Sergeant JOHN SMITH Last address in Lewis: 2 Maciver's Buildings, Stornoway Son of Alexander Smith, brother of Neil Smith Service unit: 16th Ambulance Company, 2nd Divison US Army Enlisted from Montana Date of death: 15 September 1918 at the age of 35 Died in France Interred: St. Mihiel American Cemetery, Thiaucourt, France, Plot D Row 8 Grave 22 Local memorial: Lewis War Memorial; Nicolson WW1 memorial, right panel

A reader left a message on the guestbook for the Iolaire Disaster 1919 site, which I would like to copy. As the contact email was not valid, I have been unable to elicit further details. My Granpa was due to sail home on the Iolaire but as it was pretty chaotic, he went home on the Sheila. He had served in France and was supposed to got to Gallipoli, however as he he was skilled tradesman he was sent to the Clyde to assist in building ships. He served in the Ross Mountain Battery. On arrival in Stornoway on the 1st January 1919 he was met by his four daughters and two sons, his wife had died whilst he was serving and he didn't get home to arrange her funeral.