Dunblane man promoted in the Royal Flying Corps
Dunblane man James Maxwell, whose parents lived at Glassingall, was promoted to First Air Mechanic in the Royal Flying Corps.
He joined up two years earlier at the age of only 17 and had been a year on the Western Front. Awarded the Military Medal There was also news that a Military Medal had been awarded to Company Sergeant Major D Thomson, A&SH, for bravery during the latest big push in France.
He had been stationed at Stirling Castle for many years and occasionally turned out for King’s Park FC.
His wife and family lived in Edinburgh. Doing her bit Miss Mary Kinross, Park Terrace, Stirling, who served for some time with the French Red Cross, had for the previous six months been acting as assistant commissioner in the Women’s Royal Auxiliary Corp. Fined for selling over-priced butter On the home front, Stirling Sheriff Court considered the case of farmer William Ross, Durishill, Denny.
He was fined £2 for selling to eight people at Plean and two at Cowie butter priced at three shillings and sixpence a pound when the legal price was two shillings and six pence a pound.
An agent said Mr Ross only sold butter to oblige his customers and would have saved himself trouble and expense if he had concentrated on selling milk.
Price limits were placed on certain staples as shortages caused by the war became acute. “Hooligan’ behaviour A man travelling on the “conveyance” between Stirling and Alva the previous weekend complained bitterly about the behaviour of young men who were among his fellow passengers.
“These hooligans spent time on the journey shouting, swearing and singing comic songs of worse-than-questionable taste to the utter disgust of those who had to travel with them, including a number of soldiers,”said the man, from Tullibody.
The Observer said there was a certain class of young man who had long since ceased to have respect for the Sabbath, adding: “These yahoos are mostly pitworkers earning high wages.
“Perhaps the ‘comb out’ among the miners, which is to happen shortly, will send them to military service where they will get the discipline they are badly in need of. Bridge proposal put on hold Careful consideration was given by Cowane’s Committee to a proposal by a Councillor Derrick for the construction of a bridge over the Forth to Cambuskenneth with the object of opening up the feuing ground there for housing the working classes.
Members also addressed the question of the advisability of applying for an extension to the burgh to include Cambuskenneth.
While sympathetic, the committee felt the proposal was a non-starter in wartime and suggested the matter should be reconsidered when circumstances were more favourable.