Memorial details

Memorial type
Cairn
District
Stewartry
Town
Carsphairn
County
Dumfries And Galloway
Country
Scotland
Commemoration
First World War (1914-1918), Second World War (1939-1945)
Maker
Messers Dods and Son (Designer)
Ceremony
  • Unveiled
    Date: 8 April 1923
    Attended by: Colonel William H Clark Kennedy VC
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
5879

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Current location

On a raised grassed area at the junction of B729 and A713
Carsphairn
Stewartry
Dumfries And Galloway
DG7 3TF
Scotland

OS Grid Ref: NX 56859 93086
Denomination: Undefined

View location on Google Maps
Description
Stone cairn surmounted by Stone of Remembrance. On 27 August 2018 the government memorial stone to Lt Colonel William Hew Clark Kennedy VC was added to this memorial.
Inscription
PRO / PATRIA / 1914 1918 / CARSPHAIRN / ERECTS THIS / IN GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE / OF/ (names) / WHO / IN THE GREAT WAR FOR THE LOVE OF GOD AND MAN, / LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES; / ALSO / IN HONOUR OF ALL WHO SERVED. / GLORY BE TO GOD / 1939 - 1945/ (names) This plaque was unveiled / to commemorate the centenary of / Lieutenant Colonel / William Hew Clark Kennedy VC / 24th Battalion (Victoria Rifles of Canada), Canadian Expeditionary Force / being awarded the Victoria Cross / for most conspicuous bravery, initiative and skilful leading / The VC is held by the Family (image of Victoria Cross) / LIEUTENANT COLONEL / WILLIAM / CLARK-KENNEDY / QUEBEC REGIMENT / CANADIAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE / 27TH - 28TH AUGUST 1918
Inscription legible?
yes
Names on memorial
Anderson, John
Blythe, Thomas A
Buck, C H
Cathcart, A E
Clark-kennedy, A D H
Clark-kennedy, A K
Counter, Geo.
Dickson, Wm.
Hewitson, Wm.
Kennedy, C
See details for all 16 names
Commemorations
  • First World War (1914-1918)
    Total names on memorial: 13
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 13
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: rank, forenames, surname, decoration, regiment
    Order of information: surname
  • Second World War (1939-1945)
    Total names on memorial: 3
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 3
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: rank, forenames, surname, regiment/service
    Order of information: Undefined
Components
  • Cairn
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Stone
  • Stone of remembrance
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Stone
Condition
Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Reference
  • warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/viewtopic.php?t=223
  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Clark-Kennedy
  • From www.canadaveteranshallofvalour.com/Clarke-KennedyW.htm William Hew Clarke-KennedyVC CMG DSO (2)was born at Dunskay, Ayrshire Scotland. (Actually he was born in 1879 at Dunskey, Portpatrick, Wigtownshire). His grandfather had been decorated on the field, following the 1815 Battle of Waterloo.His father had been killed in the South African War. William Clarke-Kennedy himself served in the South African War with the ImperialYeomanry and Rhodesian Horse. In 1903 he was transferred to the Montreal Canada office of the Scottish life insurance company for which he worked.In 1914 when war broke out, he enlisted and went overseas with the 13th Battalion (Royal Highlanders). While in training at Valcartier near Quebec Cityhe married Kate Redford. On 28 August 1918, the second day of the Arras front offensive, as Lieutenant Colonel in command of the 24th Battalion (Victoria Rifles), he was badly wounded in theleg. Though bleeding profusely and in intense pain, Clarke-Kennedy, who the day before had led the initial charge on enemy trenches, refused to be evacuated from the battlefield.Using a shell hole as his command post, he continued to direct his men until realizing his exhausted troops could advance no further, he established a strongdefense line.This not only saved countless lives but made it possible for fresh troops to resume the forward attack. For his valiant action, Clarke-Kennedy, who had previously received the DistinguishedService Order twice, the Croix de Guerre, and "mentioned in despatches" four times, was awarded the Victoria Cross (VC). After WW1, he returned to the insurance business in Montreal, retiring in 1945. In 1961 he died in Montreal at age 81.
  • The Scotsman 10 April 1923- "Carsphairn War Memorial - The war memorial designed by Captain John W Dods, Dumfries, and erected in memory of the men from the parish of Carsphairn, Kirkcudbrightshire, who fell in the great war, was unveiled on Sunday by Colonel William H Clark Kennedy, V.C. (Canadians), a native of the parish, who came all the way from Montral (sic) to perform the ceremony. Captain Cathcart, of Brockloch, accepted custody of the memorial on behalf of the parish council. Mr Wm McCall MacMillan, of Lamloch, gave an endowment of £100 for the upkeep of the memorial.

This record comprises all information held by IWM’s War Memorials Register for this memorial. Where we hold a names list for the memorial, this information will be displayed on the memorial record. Please check back as we are adding more names to the database.

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