Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Family pride
Three generations display war hero’s prestigious medals
Proud descendants of a Coatbridge war hero displayed his prestigious medals and a special family treasure at Sunday’s Remembrance service in the town.
Corporal Robert McLachlan served at the Somme with the 409th Field Company of the Royal Engineers and was awarded both the military medal and a further bar to the medal a century ago.
His distinguished service was also recognised with the presentation of an inscribed gold pocket watch “from the town council and citizens of Coatbridge” in honour of his wartime deeds.
Three generations of his family honoured his memory at the Remembrance Day ceremony, with his greatgrandson Jack Cooper and great- great- grandsons Harris and Struan Gallagher carr ying the special mementoes.
Robert’s grandson, Bobby Cooper, was inspired to begin researching his ancestor’s service by this year’s centenary of the Armistice ending World War I.
Glenmavis resident Bobby told the Advertiser: “We found an Advertiser report from December 18, 1918, about my grandfather receiving the bar to the military medal, which he’d earned in March that year.
“He was leading a group of Royal Engineers at the crossing of the SommeOise canal on November 4, a week before the Armistice.
“They had to build a bridge so the troops could get over and managed to do so – the report explains how he’d gone to within 20 yards of the enemy posts on reconnaisance.”
In the Advertiser report of his award citation, it noted: “The information gained was most useful in the preparations and his previous knowledge of the ground was of the greatest assistance during the assembly of the advance.”
Bobby continued: “My grandfather was wounded during the operation and spent quite a bit of time in hospital afterwards.
“He later worked his way up to Sergeant and then to Company Sergeant Major. He was in the Home Guard and in the Territorial Army.
“All the members of the extended family are feeling very proud of our grandfather, especially with the more we find out about his wartime experience, and we’re very grateful to the Coatbridge council and people for recognising his achievement.
“My grandfather died when I was 16 but I can always remember him polishing his belt buckles.
“As a child I can remember sitting at his knee and he’d sing The Black Bear, which was his favourite on the pipes as it meant the soldiers were returning to barracks.”
Robert was born in 1893 and lived at West George Street in the town. He was working at Sun foundry in Calder Street when he enlisted for service at the beginning of World War I, aged 21.
After the war, Robert married Minnie Aird, with their wedding taking place in Coatbridge on August 27, 1920. The couple had seven children – daughters Peggy, Minnie and Agnes, and sons John, Andrew, Tom and baby George, who sadly died in infancy.
They went on to live at Cumberland Place and Marshall Street in Kirkwood, and at Monkland Lane in Old Monkland.
Robert worked as a furnaceman at RB Tennent in his home town.
He and Minnie attended Maxwell Church on Muiryhall Street and were married for more than 50 years. Robert died in 1970 at the age of 77. He and Minnie are both buried at Old Monkland cemetery.
With his watch medals having been given respectively to grandsons Bobby and his brother John – whose mum Peggy was Robert’s eldest daughter – they have now handed them on to the next generations of the family to treasure.
Bobby said: “They’ll continue being in the family further down the line and we wanted to take them out and display them this Remembrance Sunday as it’s 100 years.
“We’re very proud of him and his recognition by the council and people of Coatbridge.”