Pentland Road - 2

My involvement with the First World War history of Lewis stems from a feeling that I, coming from one of the European countries occupied by Nazi Germany between 1940 and '45, owe a debt of gratitude towards British (and other) forces who were instrumental in lifting the yoke of national-socialism. I would like to think that digitising this aspect of Lewis history will serve to repay a minute portion of that debt. I have no personal connection to the island, nor to any of the men whose story is told in these posts. Maybe this makes it easier for me to work through this history, as I am not emotionally involved. I can however empathise with the pain, felt by relatives and friends, who suffered bereavements in the Great War. But it is not possible to imagine what the aftermath of the Iolaire Disaster must have felt like, when more than 200 were lost at a stroke in the early hours of New Year's Day 1919. My work, as displayed in my Internet output, is dedicated to...

A memorial statue to the Black Watch regiment, and the sacrifices made by its servicemen, is to be unveiled in Belgium. The Isle of Lewis lost 6 of its sons who served in that regiment during the Great War. These are their details. Private MALCOLM MACLEOD Last address in Lewis: 8 Tong, Service unit: 1st Black Watch Service number: 5881 Date of death: 9 May 1915 Killed in action Memorial: Le Touret, panel 24 to 26 Local memorial: Back Wounded at Ypres Sergeant JOHN MACLEOD Last address in Lewis: 7 Kirivick, Son of John Macleod Service unit: 12th Black Watch (Royal Highlanders), Labour Corps transf. to (Serjt. 2404). 5th Coy. Service number: 4274 Date of death: 2 June 1917 Killed in action in France Interred: Trois Arbres Cemetery, Steenwerck; grave I. M. 11 Local memorial: Carloway Private JOHN MACLEOD Last address in Lewis: 5 Broker, Service unit: Black Watch Date of death: 1918 at the age of 21 Killed in action in France Local memorial: Point (Garrabost) ...