Kingussie Remembers
Kingussie Remembers is a community project to increase the awareness of the sacrifices made by local men during the two World Wars and named on the Kingussie War Memorial. There are 60 First World War casualties and a further 23 from the World War Two. The names recorded are those on the memorial in Gynack Gardens. There are other memorials in Kingussie Parish Church and those names are currently being added.
Information on casualties has been obtained from Birth, Marriage and Death Registrations and Census returns and the websites of The Commonwealth War Graves Commission, The Scottish National War Memorial and Scotland’s People with further input from local residents. Photographs of the graves and memorials have mainly been taken by Kingussie residents. Reference has also been made to the Roll of Honour to the True and Brave by John Robertson, John Patchett, Mary MacKenzie published 2015.
We have also included reference to the Indian Memorial unveiled in 2022.
Feedback
If you find something that you think is wrong, or relates to your family please let us know. If you have more information or photographs, please let us know. Feedback on the casualties is welcomed. Please use the Contact us page.
Please note that surnames beginning with Mac or Mc are recorded in differing ways on different records with a wide variety of spellings for the same casualty.
Photographs
Most of the photographs were taken by local residents and are available for use with no copyright issues for non-commercial purposes. Where copyright is retained by others this is clearly shown.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The CGWC commemorate and care for the graves and memorials of 1,747,771 casualties from the First and Second World Wars at 23,000 locations in more than 150 countries and territories. The CGWC Charter requires that the graves and memorials are maintained in perpetuity. Information about casualty burials, graves and memorials can be found on the CWGC website. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/
Imperial War Museum Memorials Register
Many of the casualties are also named on private memorials/gravestones on the IWM Memorials website.
https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/search
Scottish National War Memorial
The main Scottish War Memorial located at Edinburgh Castle with an on-line Roll of Honour.
https://www.snwm.org/roll-search/
Memorial International Notre Dame de Lorette
Memorial International Notre Dame de Lorette (The Ring of Remembrance) lists the names of the 579,606 casualties, from some forty nationalities, who fell in Nord-Pas-de-Calais between 1914 and 1918.
Uniquely, for a war memorial, the names are listed in alphabetical order, rather than by rank or nationality, to reinforce post-war unity among countries that used to be enemies, and to stress a loss that goes beyond national boundaries. Those commemorated on the Kingussie War Memorial are included in this website when their names have been photographed by Kingussie volunteers. Others may be searched on the link below.
Kingussie War Memorial History
The Kingussie War Memorial was unveiled on 5 May, 1921 by General Sir W.C.Ross C.B. of Cromarty. The Memorial was originally sited on the Knoll known locally as the Witches Hill at the north end of the town. Folklore has it that the Knoll is the grave of two vengeful witches and that there is a curse on anyone who sets foot on it.
It is understood that the Royal British Legion had been looking to re-site the memorial from about 1980 because its condition was deteriorating. Due to its location, no footpath and no parking and the steep climb made accessing the memorial difficult for those who were less able. Remembrance commemorations were no longer being held there.
Having received permission, the Royal Engineers were contacted by Legion member Major Langford. Engineers from 60 Field Support Squadron dismantled the memorial and moved it to its present position.
On 20 July 1982 Brigadier H.F.Everard, Chief Engineer, U.K. Land Forces laid the final stone in the plinth. Among the many dignitaries present was local Councillor Tom Wade and Douglas Forsyth Chair of the Community Council. The necessary materials were paid for by the Legion and the actual operation was done in ‘slow time’ to preserve the structure and took three weeks.
Mrs Isobel Harling, Secretary of the Local Legion was reported in the Strathspey and Badenoch Herald of 23 July 1982 as saying that some were not sure about the memorial being moved but that seeing it in its new position she said “We feel it is now where it belongs- among us – and we are also very grateful that we have no new names to go on it at this time.” (This was the time of the Falklands War.)
