Victoria Cross recipient home in Plean for father’s funeral
The death was announced 100 years ago this week of the father ofPleanVictoria Crosswinner JohnMcAulay. Sixty-year-old miner Mr John McAulay passed awaysuddenly whilehissonwas making his way back to the fighting in France. Sgt McAulay, Scots Guards, was granted leave to return to Plean for the funeral. He was awarded theVC for his bravery during the Battle of Cambrai in November, 1917, and received a hero’s welcome when hereturnedhome forfourweeks’ leave a short time later.
*** PeopleinBannockburn were mourning the death in action of PteWalter McQue, younger surviving son ofthelateMr Walter McQue, and Mrs McQue, West Murrayfield. Before joining the Royal Scots (Highlanders) early in the war, Pte McQue worked in the office at Plean Colliery and was also a clerk at the Alloa Coal Company. He suffered aseverelegwound whileserving in France in 1916 but returned to the fighting in June, 1917, and was killed in action on September 20.TheObserversaid:“Abright andmanlyyouthcutoffearly ina career of promise, we can understand the grief at home.” Pte McQue’s only surviving brother was still serving with Scottish Horse.
*** Rumours were sweeping Stirling 100yearsagothisweek that the Public Hall in the town’s Dumbarton Road was to be taken overby theNationalService Department whose registration staff had up until then been in Viewforth House. The Observer said although the hall had been `measured up’in anticipation of a possible move, nothing had so far happened. There was, though, expectation that the hall would be commandeered asViewforth was too small for the number of staff there.
*** On the home front, the brother of the writer GK Chesterton, gave a lecture at St Mary’s school room, Irvine Place, Stirling. Pte Chesterton, a London journalist before joining up, was stationed at Cornton Camp. His talk on `first impressions of a visit to America’ was greatly enjoyed, said the paper. GK Chesterton was author of the Father Brown detective novels.
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Bannockburn woman Mary Gow or Richardson (63), wife of retired pit worker Mr Alexander Richardson, Bentheads, Bannockburn, suffered fatal head injuries when she was blown over by a powerful gust of wind. She was in Station Road, near The Cross, when it happened. Mrs Richardson sustained a severe wound to the back of her head from which she contracted blood poisoning.