Girl Guides show their respects at funeral of teenager

A Dunblane teenager who died in Montrose Royal Infirmary while serving with the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corp was laid to rest 100 years ago this week.

The body of Miss Grace Sharp, 19-year-old daughter of Mr and Mrs Sharp, Millrow, was interred in the graveyard at Dunblane Cathedral.

A detachment of soldiers accompanied her coffin from Montrose to the cemetery, and Miss Sharp’s fellow Girl Guide members attended the funeral in their uniforms.

Detachment of the WAAC and Royal Flying Corp paid their respects at the service which was conducted by Major AJ Campbell, former chaplain, Tay Defences.

A year or so earlier Miss Sharp received an award for saving the life of a child from drowning.

*** Dunblane grocer Mr James Abernethy (38), 27 High Street, appeared before a Perthshire military tribunal in connection with an appeal against call-up.

The basis of Mr Abernethy’s appeal was that his medical category had changed from grade one to grade two.

His solicitor, Mr Walter Anderson, argued it was necessary to have “experienced retail businessmen” operating in the retail sector as losses caused by mistakes were “tremendous”.

Tribunal member Sir George Kinloch said Mr Anderson was seeking to establish a“very dangerous principle”.

It was that a man – whose appeal against call-up had been dismissed – should remain a civilian because his medical category had been subsequently downgraded.

However, he acknowledged a certain amount of leniency had to be shown to those involved in food distribution. That, added Sir George, was the only point in favour of his appeal.

Mr Abernethy was granted conditional exemption.