War claims another life as Doune man dies

There was anxiety in Doune 100 years ago this week after news that three soldiers from the village had been badly wounded while at the frontline.

One of them, Pte James Blacklock, from Deanston, had since succumbed to his injuries. He went to the Front with the village contingent last summer. His death, only weeks after he was home on leave, was said by the Observer to be “a severe blow to all who knew him”.

Baillie Brown, St Margaret’s, Bridge of Allan, learned that his nephew, Pte William James Tod, Canadian Expeditionary Force, had died from wounds following an operation in a foreign hospital. The 44-year-old had emigrated to Canada 14 years earlier and established a store in Alberta but sold it to join the Army. He was well known in Bridge of Allan where he spent his early days.

The Observer reported that townsfolk were “mystified” 100 years ago this week by an apparently unusual ringing of bells at West Parish Church, Stirling. Some thought the bells were to alert people of an impending air raid. Others speculated that they might have been rung in celebration to mark the relief of 8000 British troops who had been besieged by Ottoman forces for more than four months at Kut, Mesopotamia. Neither was correct. The Established Church of Perth and Stirling’s biannual synod was being held in Stirling at the time and the bells were sounded to call ministers to worship at East Kirk.

Reports of the proceedings of tribunals hearing appeals from men facing call up had been extensively reported in the paper. According to the Observer, one man had asked that the date on which he was due to join up be put back so he could see the finish of The Broken Coin, a 1915 American adventure-mystery film serial directed by Francis Ford which was showing in cinemas at that time. “Appeal dismissed,” said the paper tersely.

Meanwhile, on the homefront, David Craig, 22, Ballgan Cottages, Strathblane, was killed instantly while working at Dunglass Quarry, on the boundary of Campsie and Strathblane. He was adjusting the governor belt on a steam engine when he stumbled and fell against the flywheel as it was in motion. He was struck by the spokes of the wheel and received injuries to his head, body and limbs. Mr Craig was unmarried and lived with his widowed mother.