Has no bounds
A member of Canadian forces, with family links to Stirling, was awarded the Victoria Cross.
Britain and the Commonwealth’s highest military award for gallantry went to 19-year-old Pte Cecil John Kinross for his bravery during the attack on Passchendaele Ridge on October 30, 1917.
He was the grandson of retired farmer Mr John Kinross, St Leonards, Causewayhead.
The citation revealed that after the Canadians’ advance was held up by intense fire from an enemy machine gun “Private Kinross, making a careful survey of the situation, deliberately divested himself of all his equipment save his rifle and bandolier and, regardless of his personal safety, advanced alone over the open ground in broad daylight, charged the enemy machine gun, killing the crew of six, and seized and destroyed the gun. “
The citation continued: “His superb example and courage instilled the greatest confidence in his company, and enabled a further advance of 300 yards to be made and a highly important position to be established.”
Pte Kinross, who was wounded in the arm and leg and survived the war, was one of four grandsons of Mr Kinross serving with Canadian Forces.
Another of the four was working as a trapper in Peace River when war was declared and walked 200 miles through snow to join up. He was awarded the Military medal for bravery at Passchendaele Ridge .
Mount Kinross, in Jasper National Park, Alberta, was to be named after the VC winner in 1951.
Mr and Mrs Donaldson, Tower Place, Causewayhead, received official word their son Pte Alex Donaldson, A&SH, reported missing on September 20, 1917, was now thought to have been killed or died from wounds on that date. The 26-year-old had been in much hard fighting and on one occasion was buried in a shell hole following an explosion and taken to hospital suffering from the effects of shock. He served an apprenticeship as a baker but was working at Manor Powis Colliery when he enlisted. He had three brothers serving and one of them, Andrew, was at that time in hospital.
Two British officers were released from Germany for internment in Holland.They were Capt Archibald Stirling, of Port of Menteith, and Capt GF Connal Rowan, Meiklewood, Gargunnock, both of the A&SH. They were captured during fighting during the retreat from Mons in September, 1914. Capt Stirling was wounded at that time.
Among the latest list of Military Medal winners were Privates M Maher, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, from Stirling, and Pte David Aitken, Royal Warwickshire Regiment . Pte Aitken, second son of Mr David Aitken, slater and plasterer, Main Street, St Ninians, joined the Royal Engineers in 1915 and transferred to the Warwickshires a year earlier. Her worked with his father before enlisting.