Bid launched to have 17 war heroes recognised

Andy Bryan, a former member of the island's Royal British Legion, is leading the campaign to have the names added alongside others from the Second World War.

Mr Bryan has joined respected local historian and author Ian McIntosh MBE, who has pieced together some of the fascinating history of the fallen soldiers with an island connection from the archives of the Largs and Millport Weekly News.

Mr Bryan said: "The criteria for getting the names on the memorial is the same as in 1918, so we first need to publish them to alert any relatives."

Mr McIntosh addeed: "I was researching those who are named on the Millport War Memorial and managed to identify a further 17 men with local connections.

"These men met the same criteria as those named.

"They were either born or lived for some or all their lives in Millport or were related to people who were born or lived on the island. In a number cases the clue to identifying these men was from intimations or articles in the Largs and Millport Weekly News.

"One was Private Hugh Elliott, the son of Hugh and Elizabeth Elliott of 15 Stuart Street, Millport. He died of wounds on the 2 September 1916, whilst serving with the 18th Battalion Highland Light Infantry during the Battle of the Somme. He was aged 21. He is not named on the War Memorial yet his brother William Buchanan Elliott died whilst serving in the Merchant Navy during the Second World War and is commemorated.

"James and Margaret Paton of 16 ½ Glasgow Street in Millport lost two sons, Robert and Alexander, during the war. Both are named but they also lost a son-in-law John Williamson, the husband of their daughter Agnes White Williamson (nee Paton). He doesn't feature."

The full list of names is as follows: Private David Park Brown, 15th Battalion Highland Light Infantry, Second Engineer John Buchan, Mercantile Marine., Corporal John Fawcett Craig, 1st/7th Battalion The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)., Captain Alexander Basil Crawford, 17th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales Own)., Private Hugh Elliott, 18th Battalion Highland Light infantry., Lieutenant (Doctor) Neil Murphy Gavin, Royal Army Medical Corps, Private Frederick Charles Goldsmith, 1st/5th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment)., Corporal Thomas Hunter, 4th Battalion, South African Infantry., Private James Hamilton McDonald, 1st Battalion, Otago Regiment, New Zealand Expeditionary Force., Corporal Joseph Anderson McEwen, 1st/8th Battalion The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)., Private Duncan John McKellar, 1st/5th Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers., Second Lieutenant Jack McMurdo, 1st/5th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers., Private Alexander Mitchell, 7th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs)., Gunner Andrew Mitchell, 8th (Mountain) Brigade, Royal Garrison Artillery., Private William Russell, 17th Battalion Highland Light Infantry., Private Andrew Mansfield Slater, 14th (Fife and Forfar Yeomanry) Battalion, The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders), Gunner John Williamson, 162nd Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery.

Mr McIntosh added: "It would be fitting if we can have these men honoured like all the others."

A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said they will now investigate the request.

They told the News: “We are keen to honour the wishes and decisions of local communities who originally erected the memorials and will take advice from the War Memorial Trust on this basis.

“We must consider and investigate any request sensitively. For example, there are instances across the country where a family did not wish for an individual name to be added for personal reasons and, in other cases, the names included on the memorial depended on whether they were interred locally or not.

“The memorials are rightly a focus for collective commemoration for communities however it remains important to honour the decisions taken at the time the memorials were erected.

“In the case of Millport War Memorial, we are considering this request and have asked Mr Bryan to provide additional information which would satisfy the guidance from the War Memorials Trust.”