Town honours brave VC hero
Stone is lasting legacy
A special ceremony was held in Paisley yesterday to remember a Paisley-born soldier who was awarded the Victoria Cross during World War I.
Second Lieutenant ( Acting Captain) Arthur Henderson was awarded the high honour for his efforts in leading his company of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders through the enemy front line, despite being wounded almost immediately.
A commemorative stone was unveiled in the grounds of Renfrewshire House as part of a national campaign to honour the bravery of VC recipients from World War I and provide a lasting legacy of local heroes within their communities.
A short service was led by Provost Anne Hall who joined Officer Commanding Balaklava Company Major C M Wood, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland and Colonel DG Ross, chairman of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regimental Association.
Mrs Hall said: “Arthur Henderson gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country and all of Paisley, and Renfrewshire, should be proud of his roots in the area.
“He battled through the most difficult of adversity to ensure the safety of his fellow soldiers and fully deserves the recognition that has been bestowed upon on him.
“The commemorative stone will allow residents in the area to gain a greater understanding of how Paisley was a part of the First World War and ensure soldiers like Arthur are always remembered.”
Acting Captain Henderson was born in 1893 in Paisley and was educated at John Neilston Institute before moving into employment as an apprentice accountant in Glasgow.
Before the war, he was a wellknown cricketer and played for Ferguslie Cricket Club, where his VC medal ribbons and portrait hung in the clubhouse before being moved to Stirling Castle in the late 1980s.
He enlisted with Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, where he attained the rank of 2nd Lieutenant before becoming Acting Captain of the 4th Battalion.
His act of bravery took place on April 23, 1917, near Fontaineles-Croisilles in France, and he is buried in Cojeul British Cemetery, Saint-Martin-sur-Cojeul.
He is remembered at both Paisley Abbey and the War Memorial in Gordon, Berwickshire, in the Scottish Borders.
Colonel R L Steele, of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, said: “Sadly, we were unable to locate any of Arthur’s blood relatives , so it was only fitting that he was surrounded by members of The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regimental Association, who are his present-day regimental family and brothers-in-arms.
“Speaking for The Royal Regiment of Scotland and as a veteran of The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, we are all immensely proud of Captain Arthur Henderson VC MC and salute his memory. His cheerful courage and outstanding leadership is a splendid example to all who have served and will serve in the future.”
Acting Captain Henderson’s VC medal is now at The Lord Ashcroft Gallery: Extraordinary Heroes exhibition, in the Imperial War Museum, London.