Pte. Alexander Graham

Alexander Graham, was born in Brora, Clyne, son of George Graham and Christina Sutherland of Doll, Brora.

Alexander was formerly in the Lovat Scouts, Cameron Highlanders.  He was awarded the territorial Efficiency Medal on 1st July 1913.   When he died on 26th June 1917 he was with the 7th Cameron Highlanders and was a Prisoner of War.

Alexander is buried in Niederzwehren Cemetery, Kassel, Germany.  The cemetery was begun by the Germans in 1915 for the burial of prisoners of war who died at the local camp. During the war almost 3,000 Allied soldiers and civilians, including French, Russian and Commonwealth, were buried there In 1922-23 it was decided that the graves of Commonwealth servicemen who had died all over Germany should be brought together into four permanent cemeteries. Niederzwehren was one of those chosen and in the following four years, more than 1,500 graves were brought into the cemetery from 190 burial grounds in Baden, Bavaria, Hanover, Hesse and Saxony.

He is also commemorated on the Clyne War Memorial.
Many thanks to David Fraser for the above information.

Pte (Sniper) William Mackay, Seaforth Highlanders

William Mackay was born in Clyne on 30th June 1872, son of John Mackay, crofter, and his wife, Williamina Ross. The family lived at West Clyne. William was a plumber to trade and married Jane Mowatt Murray, known as Jeannie.  They lived in Roslyn Street, Brora, Clyne. William enlisted in the army in 1908.  He was with the 5th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders.  He was mobilised in August 1914 arriving in France on 1st May 1915. In December that year he was discharged on medical grounds and remained on the sick list until his death. He died on 29th January 1918 in Roslin Street, Brora. He was awarded the 1914/15 Star, War Medal and the Victory Medal.  He is buried in a War Grave in Clyne Cemetery, Brora.  he is commemorated on the family headstone in the same cemetery and listed on the Clyne War Memorial and the Clyne Parish Church War Memorial.  His wife Jeannie died in 1963.

Pte Donald Sutherland, Seaforth Highlanders

 Donald Sutherland was born circa 1886 Clyne. He died 8th May 1920 near the railway bridge, Brora, when he accidentally drowned whilst trout fishing, aged 29 years – he served in the war arriving in France on 1st May 1915, Private with the 5th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders, he was demobilized after the war and returned to his trade as a journeyman plumber – following his death he was buried in a War Grave in Brora Cemetery and commemorated on the Clyne War Memorial.

Donald is the son of Roderick  Sutherland (born Clyne) and his wife Jessie Ewing (born Rogart).  He is the grandson of John Sutherland, crofter, and his wife Janet Macdonald and of Alexander Ewing, ploughman, and his wife Marion Macpherson.

Pte. J. Macdonald, Seaforth Highlanders

Private John Macdonald (Johnie), 1/5th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders, died 1st June 1920 at Gower Street, Brora, Clyne, aged 31 years.  He is buried in Brora, Clyne, Cemetery in a War Grave and commemorated on Clyne War Memorial.

Johnie was born in Clyne, son of John Macdonald, an engine driver (born Golspie) and his wife Celia (born Clyne). Johnie was a carpenter to trade in Durham, England.  He was very ill and returned home from Durham shortly before his death.

Trooper W J Sutherland, WW2

Trooper William John Sutherland, Lovat Scouts died in World War Two on 22nd January 1942 in Lanarkshire. He is buried in Brora Cemetery, Clyne in War Grave, commemorated on family headstone, Clyne War Memorial and on the Lovat Scouts Roll of Honour in The Scottish National War Memorial, Edinburgh.  William was single.

William was born 6th April 1916 in Clyne, son of William Sutherland of Brora, Clyne and his wife Johan Murray.  Grandson of Alexander Sutherland and his wife Mary Baillie and of Alexander Murray and his wife Janet Gordon.

Sgt. Robert Sutherland, Seaforth Highlanders

Sgt. Robert Sutherland, Seaforth Highlanders.

Killed in Action 9th April 1917 The Scarpe, Arras, France.

Robert was born in Clyne in 1893, son of George and Robina Sutherland of Moss Hill, Brora. He worked for the North of Scotland Bank starting his career with them at Brora in 1908.  At the time of mobilization he was working in the Eastgate Branch, Inverness. He is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, France, Bay 8.  He is also commemorated on the Clyne War Memorial.  Listed on the Clyne United Free Church War Memorial, recorded in the Seaforth Highlanders Ross of Honour, The Scottish National War Memorial, Edinburgh Castle and recorded in the North of Scotland Bank Roll of Honour book and on their memorial in Aberdeen.

Photograph by Shirley Sutherland.

David, Donald & Hugh Oliver

Pte. Hugh Oliver, Seaforth Highlanders, died 11th May 1917, age 23, buried St Mary's Churchyard, Harlow, Essex - gravestone above, commemorated on Golspie War Memorial with his brothers David and Hugh.  Sons of David Oliver, shepherd, and his wife Kate Macgregor of Academy Street, Brora, Clyne. Hugh was born in Dunbeath, Caithness.

Brother Pte. Donald Oliver, Seaforth Highlanders, died 2nd September 1917, commemorated on Golspie War Memorial, lived in Golspie, born in Lairg.

Brother Cpl. David Oliver, Seaforth Highlanders, died 4th March 1918 hospital, Paisley, age 22 years following being discharged in December 1917 as medically unfit due to gun shot wounds, born Golspie, lived Kirkton Farm, Golspie.

Note: would the gentleman who left a comment here earlier today please email me - email link on left.  Thanks.

Thomas Matheson and brother Alexander

Private Thomas Matheson, 5th Bn. Cameron Highlanders, died 3rd April 1917, aged 20 years.

Commemorated on Arras Memorial, France

His brother Sapper Alexander Matheson, Royal Engineers, died of wounds in France

3rd August 1917 aged 22 years.

 

Alexander is buried at Bucquoy Road Cemetery, Ficheux which is only 9 kilometres from Arras.

The boys are commemorated on Clyne War Memorial and also on their parents' gravestone in Clyne Cemetery, Brora.

They are sons of Thomas Matheson, a master plasterer, and his wife Elspeth Sutherland of Dalchalm, Brora, Clyne.  Grandsons of William Matheson and Isabella Cuthbert of Gartymore, Loth.

Alexander's grave photograph taken by Morag Sutherland.

Lance Cpl. William Grant

Signaller, then Lance Corporal William Grant, Canadian European Forces. Son of Joseph and Williamina Grant, born February 18, 1889, Gower Street, Brora, Clyne.  In 1906, he left Brora to join his older brother D J Grant in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. There they established a new homestead for their parents and siblings, who would join them in 1910.

William worked as a locomotive fireman for the Canadian National Railway, where he stoked coal furnaces in the early days of steam engines. By all accounts, William was the darling of the Grant family. He was fun loving and gentle, close to his sisters and brothers, and he loved to entertain family and friends alike around the piano. He was an accomplished fiddler, and his late nephew Grant McLaren of Edmonton, Alberta, inherited William's fiddle, in its original wooden case. It was left behind when William went overseas at the beginning of World War I with the 90th Winnipeg Rifles "Little Black Devils". William would never return to collect his beloved instrument, he was pronounced missing and presumed dead following the 2nd Battle of Ypres at the end of April 1915. He died unmarried, at the age of 26, and his name appears on the War Memorial in Brora and on the Menin Gate Memorial in West Flanders, Belgium.

Information and photograph from Karen Grant, Ontario.

Cpl. Adam Grant

Cpl. Adam Grant, 2nd Battalion, Highland Light Infantry,
Killed in action 28th April 1917, aged 40 years. Commemorated Memorial Bay 8, Arras Memorial, France.

Adam Sutherland Grant, was born 19th April 1877 Badnellan, Clyne, son of John Grant, master tailor and his wife Jane Sutherland (Bain). His father was born in Dornoch and his mother was born in Clyne. In 1881 this family were living in Dornoch. In 1891 and in 1901 they were living in Kirkcudbright. Adam was not at home with his parents in 1901.

Adam is also listed on the Kirkcudbright War Memorial, along with his brother John

Recorded in the H.L.I. Roll of Honour, The Scottish National War Memorial

Recorded in the H.L.I. Roll of Honour, The Royal Highland Fusiliers Museum, Glasgow

Commemorated on the Kirkcudbright Parish Church Communion Table Memorial

Photograph by Shirley Sutherland, Golspie