Rugby international among new names to be added to university war memorial

New names are to be added to Glasgow University’s First World War memorial after a research project uncovered their stories.

Among the 19 names is a successful rugby player who was capped for Scotland.

Researchers identified the 19 additional names through digital resources and confirmed their connection to the university using student records held by the University of Glasgow Archives.

One of those being honoured is Captain William Campbell Church who played rugby for Scotland against Wales in 1906.

He was 32 when he was killed at Gallipoli in 1913.

Captain William Turner, a doctor in Saltcoats, was not recorded originally because he died in a hospital in England rather than being killed in action.

Private Archibald James Shanks Morrison from Whithorn, Wigtonshire, was the son of a grocer who matriculated in 1916 aged 17. He was killed in action in May 1918.

Katie Mcdonald from the university said: “In 1929, when the university originally called for names to be inscribed in the Memorial Chapel, the university widely advertised in newspapers, asking families to come forward with names of the fallen.

“Some people may not have seen the advertisements, or they could have assumed their son or brother or father’s name was already on record.

“Many families found it terribly hard to talk about their losses and may have found it too painful to come forward.”

Three of the fallen whose names will finally be remembered on the Glasgow University war memorial – Captain William Turner, Private Archibald Morrison and Captain William Church.

Glasgow University war memorial.