Special headstone for teenage heroine Grace
Dedication at cathedral
A Dunblane heroine was honoured on Saturday at a dedication ceremony in Dunblane Cathedral.
Miss Grace Sharp, who served in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), died at the age of 19 and finally received a Commonwealth War Graves headstone 101 years after she was first laid to rest.
The dedication ceremony, conducted by Minister Colin Renwick, was well attended by relatives of Miss Sharp including her great niece, and members of the community as well as the Lord Lieutenant of Stirling and Falkirk, Alan Simpson, representing the Queen, as well as representatives from both the Dunblane and Stirling branches of the Royal British Legion, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, area Girl Guides and Dunblane and Bridge of Allan councillor Alastair Majury.
Those at the service heard how the grave had sadly been left unmarked for many years, but the efforts of researcher Mark Duffy allowed the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to erect the headstone.
Miss Sharp, the daughter of Mr and Mrs Sharp of Millrow, had joined the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps prior to conscription applying to women, and she had previously saved the life of a Dunblane child from the river that flows past the cathedral.
She died in Montrose Royal Infirmary while serving in the corp, having believed to have had a heart condition which contributed to her early death in service of her country.
In March 1918, a detachment of soldiers accompanied her coffin from Montrose by train to the cathedral, and Miss Sharp’s fellow Girl Guide members attended the funeral in their uniforms, where she was buried with military honours.
Terry Gallon of the Dunblane Branch of the RBLS said: “When our head office put Patricia Keppie from the CWGC in touch with me it was a honour to invite fellow members from Dunblane to attend this dedication for Grace.
“Patricia also asked me if I could arrange the music so I approached Pipe Major Scott Methven, ex Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, whose last job while still serving was as HM the Queen’s personal piper. He is now the Pipe Major at the Queen Victoria School in Dunblane.
“I would like to thank on behalf of the
Dunblane branch RBLS everyone who attended, particularly the Stirling Branch RBLS.”
Roy McAlister, chair of the Stirling branch of the RBLS, said: “I was very honoured to be invited by the Dunblane Branch to attend this event, and to extend the invite to our branch members. I was pleased that a small detachment from our branch attended with the branch standard. We were all very moved by the story of Miss Grace Sharp and very pleased to see so many turn up for the dedication ceremony. Our thanks to all who worked so hard to make it possible.”
Councillor Majury, speaking after the ceremony, said: “It was a privilege and very humbling being able to attend this moving service of dedication, and learning more about Miss Grace Sharp who had achieved so much in her 19 years.
“I was honoured to have been invited and would like to thank everyone who made this service possible today.”
It was a privilege and very humbling being able to attend this moving service of dedication