Remembering those who fell in 1943
John (Iain) Clark, Merchant Navy, pictured, was born on September 30, 1913 at 25 High Street to John, a labourer, and his wife Catherine MacLean, of Glencruitten Drive. The family had three younger siblings for Iain, brothers Donald and Robert and a sister, Agnes. Before the war, Iain was a joiner with MacDonald and Coulson and was a prominent shinty player. He was a member of the Oban Celtic Shinty Club which won the Camanachd Cup at Roybridge in 1937. He married Hughina Faulds of Ruaig, Tiree and they had a son, Gavin. During the war, Iain worked as a carpenter on SS Stockport, which served as a convoy rescue ship. At considerable risk, due to the Kriegsmarine now being under orders to attack rescue vessels, the Stockport rescued 413 survivors from sunken ships while sailing with 16 convoys. On February 21, 1943, she went to the assistance of the Empire Trader and had rescued 106 crew but was torpedoed by U604 before she could regain the convoy. She sank north of the Azores, with the loss of all on board, including the survivors she had previously rescued and Iain Clark, who went down with the ship on February 25, 1943. Carpenter Iain Clark was 29 years old and is commemorated on Panel 101 at Tower Hill Memorial, London. Second Officer Alastair Neill MacTavish, Merchant Navy, was born in the King’s Arms Hotel, George Street on March 10, 1909 to James Matthew, the hotel keeper, and his wife Agnes Buchanan Munro. He had a younger brother and sister, and attended Oban High School. He joined the Merchant Navy on leaving school and served as second officer on board SS Gogra, a
cargo steamer. On April 2, 1943, when in convoy en route from Glasgow to Capetown, Karachi and Bombay, carrying a cargo of 6,000 tons of military stores and 1,000 tons of munitions, she was torpedoed by U124 and sunk. Eighty two souls were lost from a complement of 90, including Alastair, aged 34. He is commemorated on Panel 52 at Tower Hill Memorial, London.
Cook Alexander Paterson, Merchant Navy, right, was born in 1877 in Glasgow to Alexander, a ship’s cook, and his wife Margaret Twigg. He married
Joan MacFarlane in 1913, and at that time was serving on the Royal Mail Steamer, Lochinvar, based at Tobermory. They had three sons, Alexander, Donnie, who served in East Africa Command in Kenya during the war, and John, who served in the RAF. John was a stone mason and returned to that trade after the war. A daughter, Flo, completed the family.
By 1921 the family lived in Glasgow, though John was brought up on Luing and only spoke Gaelic till he was six, when the family all moved to Oban. The younger Alexander served as head postmaster in Oban for a period. Flo married an RAF. pilot and moved south, as did Donnie. Alexander snr. served with the Anchor Line Shipping Company on board SS California, an ocean liner. The ship was requisitioned by the Royal Navy in 1939 as an armed merchant cruiser and later as HMS California, a troopship. Alexander became ill while in South Africa on what turned out to be California’s final voyage and died in hospital in Capetown on March 3, 1943. Cook Alexander Paterson was 66 years of age.
Sergeant Alexander John MacKenzie (Sandy), s/n 1367442, Royal Air Force, was born on December 21, 1920 at the Butt of Lewis Lighthouse to Duncan, the lighthouse keeper, and his wife Annie McPetrie. The couple already had three daughters, Margaret and twins Annie and Mary, all born when the family lived on the Isle of Man. By 1921 Sandy lived at Barvas, Lewis and was educated there. Duncan was also keeper at Tarbat Ness lighthouse, Tain and Hyskeir, between Canna and Rum. By 1940 Sandy had moved to Oban and possibly lived in 29 High Street while his parents moved to Glasgow. He enlisted with the RAF Volunteer Reserve and served as a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner in Bomber Command. He died in action on June 17, 1943 aged 22 and is buried at New Kilpatrick (Hillfoot) Cemetery, Section D, Grave
747, Dunbartonshire.
Flight Sergeant Dugald MacColl Morton, s/n 1021514, Royal Air Force, was born on March 11, 1920 at Craigallan, Duror to William James, a quarry manager, and his wife Christine MacColl. The couple already had threeyear-old twins - a son and a daughter. By 1921 the family had moved to Craigard Road, Oban, and Dugald attended school in the town. They then moved to Royal Bank Buildings, Stevenson Street. When war broke out, Dugald joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve and was promoted to Flight Sergeant. He served as a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner but succumbed to Blackwater Fever while on active service in Nigeria on August 26, 1943. Flight Sergeant Dugald Morton was 23 years old and is buried within the European Section, Grave 4 of Maiduguri Cemetery, Bornu Province. Maiduguri airfield was one of a chain of staging posts used during the war by allied air forces on the convoy routes from the
USA to Cairo. Sergeant William John Beggs (MacInnes), s/n 552516, Royal Air Force, was born on May 5, 1922 at 17 Quarry Road to William, a labourer born in Ireland, and his wife Catherine MacInnes, of Oban. Both his parents died when he was very young and he was brought up, firstly, by his grandmother and aunt, then by his uncle Tom and his wife of Greengarden, Soroba Road, taking their surname. He joined the RAF and became a Sergeant Air Gunner with 44 Squadron Bomber Command, operating Avro Lancasters. His aircraft was shot down over Germany on September 1, 1943. Sergeant William Beggs is buried at Berlin 1939-45 Cemetery (Heerstrasse), Section 8.H.4.
He was 21 years old. Private Alexander (Sandy) MacCallum, s/n 2763651, 8th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, was born on August 12, 1914 at 7 Glenshellach Terrace to John, a painter, and his wife Mary MacLean, from Mull. Sandy had an older sister, Sarah (Morag), a younger sister, Catherine, and two younger brothers, Jackie and Archie. Their father had served in the Royal West Surrey Regiment during the First World War. Sandy joined the Argylls (8th Battalion) and served with them in many theatres of war.
After the fall of France and the 51st Highland Division’s capture at St. Valery, the Argylls were reorganised and they sailed for Algiers late in 1942. Exhausting marches across the northern Sahara followed, with the destination
being Tabarka in Tunisia. After successfully holding hill Mergueb Chaoucha, Major Anderson conducted a clever reconnaissance patrol down the valley on their right and later led a company attack. It was not his fault that it was unsuccessful and that he had to withdraw. He wrote “German infantry in position will never open fire until the attacking force is too far committed to withdraw without casualties.”
Private Sandy MacCallum died during this attack on the April 17, 1943, aged 29. He is buried at Medjez-El-Bab War Cemetery in Tunisia, Grave 13.H.20.
Bombardier John MacDonald Fairley, s/n 1093683, 53 Regiment, Royal Artillery, was born on March 6, 1911 in The Manse, Larbert to Rev John Fairley, a Church of Scotland minister and his wife, Janet Muir. He had an older brother, Donald, and by 1921 both were pupils at Dreghorn Castle School, Edinburgh. John moved to Oban as a bank clerk and met and married Hilda Simpson, a school teacher, in 1938. He later became a Fellow of the Institute of Banking. They lived at ‘Ailort’, Ardconnel Road, later ‘Duncraig,’ and had two children, Mary
MacDonald and John Douglas, both born in the early years of the war. Bombardier John Fairley died in an accident in Syria on September 4, 1943, aged 32. He is buried within Damascus Commonwealth War Cemetery, Q.30.
Bombardier Duncan Black, s/n 792765, 2nd Air Landing Anti-Tank Battery, Royal Artillery, was born on December 9, 1912 at 10 Tweedale Street to Duncan, a labourer, and his wife Georgina MacDonald. By 1921 the family lived at Burnside Street and consisted of three daughters and two sons, with Dochie being the second oldest child. When he left school, he moved at some point to England, where he met and married Lilian Jessie, whose home was in Sussex. Bombardier Duncan Black was killed at Monte Cassino, Italy on September 10, 1943, aged 32, and is commemorated on the Cassino Memorial, Panel 2.
Bombardier Dugald James MacArthur (Doulie), s/n 1455539, 2nd Air Landing Anti-Tank Battery, Royal Artillery, was born at 13 Soroba Road in June 1920 to Dugald, a baker, and his wife Mary Watt. His father was employed by Alexander Wright, who ran a baker’s shop in Soroba Road. His sister, Isabella, was born four years later. By 1932 the family had moved to 5 Glencruitten Drive and Doulie’s father had died. He served with the 2 Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery (Oban) of the Royal Artillery (1455539) and died at sea through enemy action in Italy with the Central Mediterranean Forces on September 10, 1943. Bombardier Dugald MacArthur was 23 and is commemorated on Panel 2 of the Cassino Memorial, Italy. Sergeant Robert MacCulloch, s/n 873231, 2nd Air Landing Anti-Tank Battery, Royal Artillery, was born on February 23, 1918 in Partick, Glasgow, to Hugh MacCulloch, a tailor and his wife, Annabella MacIntosh of Glenmorvern, Oban. His parents’ usual address was 25 High Street. Two sisters, Mary and Catherine, were born when the family had moved to Lorn Buildings, 47 Stevenson Street and Hugh was employed as a stationer. Bobbie served his time as a plumber and when war broke out, joined the 2 Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery. As a sergeant, he married Martha McCallion in Glasgow in 1942. He was killed at sea off south-east Italy on
September 10, 1943, aged 25, and is buried within Bari War Cemetery, Italy, Coll. Grave XV. E. 6-35.
Private John MacLeod MacDonald, s/n 2987267, The Black Watch, was born on February 28, 1916 at 33 Combie Street to Peter, a stillman in the distillery, and his wife Catherine (Katie) MacLeod. Peter’s father had been a farmer and Katie’s had been a mason. By the census of 1921, the family was still living in Combie Street and Johnnie had three older sisters, Annie, Mary and Sarah. At the outbreak of war, he joined the Black Watch and was killed in action at Salerno, Italy on September 23, 1943 aged 27. Private John MacDonald is buried within Salerno War Cemetery, Grave VI. A. 46.
Sapper Peter Forbes MacLaren, s/n 2014450, 629 Field Squadron, Royal Engineers, was born on February 15, 1920 in Bellshill to Peter Forbes MacLaren, a railway worker and his wife, Alice Foster. Peter had two younger brothers, Tommy and Alistair. The family moved to railway houses at the Falls of Cruachan before setting up home at the Railway Cottages, Glencruitten and were still there in 1940. Peter’s wife was Barbara Rutt from Berkshire in England. He served with 629 Field Squadron and died from wounds received in southern Italy on 9th October, 1943. Sapper Peter MacLaren was 23 and is buried at Caserta War Cemetery, Grave V.E.2.
Sergeant Andrew Macintyre, s/n 1558318, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, was born on August 20, 1921 at 17 Combie Street to Dugald, a stone mason, and his wife Mary MacDonald. He was the fifth of seven children born to the couple having two older sisters, Isabella (Isa) and Mary Jane, two older brothers, Iain and Hugh and two younger sisters, Elizabeth (Lizzie) and Flora.
Dugald had been a Gunner with the Argyll Mountain Battery during the First World War. The family moved to 7 Mossfield Avenue then 34 Soroba Road, with Dugald working with John MacDougall the builder of Craigard Road. Andrew was, for some years, employed by Messrs. Black and Skinner drapers and was a keen member of Oban Boys’ Brigade in which he held the rank of Staff Sergeant. He joined the RAF in November 1941 and had taken part in various operational duties. He had been promoted to the rank of Sergeant Wireless Operator/Air Gunner but was involved in a flying accident while stationed in England and died on November 25, 1943. Sergeant Andrew MacIntyre was brought home and laid to rest at Pennyfuir Cemetery, Grave Sec.1. 3. He was 22.