Special packages will reveal lives of heroes
Residents in the Perth area will receive packages bringing to life stories of World War casualties who once lived on their streets.
The story of local man James Gowans, born and raised in Perth, will be among those whose memories will live in his former neighbourhood.
James was a private but sadly died of wounds he received in France during the First World War.
However, his story lives on in the community from which he came – from King’s Place the street where his family lived, to Perth (Jeansfield and Wellshill) Cemetery where his grave continues to be tended by Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) to this day.
The commemorative project marks the first ever War Graves Week by CWGC which is taking place until the end of this week.
The national awareness campaign is all about helping communities to rediscover the CWGC’s World War heritage on their doorstep.
A new online tool will also enable locals to search by postcode to discover former heroes who lived in their area who died in the First and Second World Wars – ensuring their memory lives on.
A very early student of Strathallan School, in 1914 James Gowans became the first in his family to go to university where he excelled in all his classes at King’s College London, reading engineering.
After completing his first year at university, James volunteered to fight in the First World War in 1915.
He served as a private in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, fighting on the Western Front.
In 1917 James was wounded in action and returned to London for medical care but sadly died from his wounds on June 6, 1917 aged just 20 years old.
James was laid to rest by his family in Perth (Jeansfield and Wellshill) Cemetery where his grave continues to be cared for, less than a mile from their home at King’s Place.
By entering a postcode into www.cwgc.org/ wargravesweek residents can find out about the other men and women connected to their local community who gave their all in battle.
They could be buried far away on the former battlefields, or as close as a local churchyard, but one thing unites them all: their stories can live on in Perth and Kinross communities today.
Director general of the CWGC Claire Horton CBE said: “We are delighted to be launching our first ever War Graves Week.
“For us at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, remembrance and the sharing and caring for World War heritage is a daily duty.
“We wanted to take a chance to help people to see that work in action and make a local discovery.
“Many people already know about their family’s links to the World Wars, but all of us have somewhere we call home today, and those places have their own stories too.
“By simply entering your postcode on our website you can take the first step towards making a new connection.
“We want people to share the stories they find and download a tribute for the men and women from their communities and display it in their window for War Graves Week.
“Behind every name on a war grave or memorial is a human story, just like James’s waiting to be discovered, and War Graves Week is the perfect opportunity to do just that.”
For the duration of War Graves Week the CWGC will be hosting a series of live broadcasts, on Facebook and other social media channels, showcasing its work around the world and here in the UK.
See www.cwgc.org/wargravesweek for more information