Remembering Today

25 December
On this day in the First World War, these three men from the Isle of Lewis lost their lives in the service of King & Country. RIP.

Private NORMAN MACLEOD
Last address in Lewis: 13 Benside,
Regiment or division: Seaforth Highlanders
Date of death: 25 December 1914 at the age of 19
Killed in action in France
Local memorial: Lewis War Memorial

Seaman JOHN MACIVER
Last address in Lewis: 34 Breasclete,
Regiment or division: Royal Naval Reserve, HMT Resono
Date of death: 25 December 1915 at the age of 47
Drowned in sinking of minesweeper in the North Sea
Left 5 orphans
Lewis Memorial: East Loch Roag, Callanish

Seaman JOHN MACAULAY

Last address in Lewis: 3 Sheshader,
Son of Murdo and Chirsty MacAulay, of 3, Sheshader, Stornoway; husband of Catherine MacAulay.
Regiment or division: Royal Naval Reserve, HMS Edinburgh Castle
Service number: 1652/C
Date of death: 25 December 1914 at the age of 61
Washed overboard from HMS Edinburgh Castle in a storm and drowned
Memorial: Chatham Naval
Memorial reference: 8
Lewis Memorial: Point (Garrabost)

scheduled post
Currently blogging on the Shell Gallery

Remembering Today

24 December
On this day in the First World War, these two men from the Isle of Lewis lost their lives in the service of King & Country. RIP.

Piper JOHN MORRISON

Last address in Lewis: 4 Arivruaich,
Son of John and Rebecca Morrison
Regiment or division: Highland Light Infantry
Date of death: 24 December 1914
Lewis War Memorial: Lochs, panel 1
Served in India for 10 years, after joining the army in 1902
Local memorial: Kinloch, Laxay

Second Lieutenant PETER MACKAY MACRAE
Last address in Lewis: 13 South Beach Street, Stornoway
Also quoted at Seaforth Head, Balallan.
Son of Farquhar and Annabel MacRae, of 13, South Beach, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: 7th Northampton Regiment, attached 129th Field Coy, Royal Engineers
Date of death: 24 December 1917 at the age of 30
Killed in action in France
Was wounded while a Sergeant in the Borders Regiment
Interred: Roisel Communal Cemetery extension
Memorial reference: III. C. 2
Local memorial: Lewis War Memorial

scheduled post
Currently blogging on the Shell Gallery

Remembering Today

23 December
On this day in the First World War, this man from the Isle of Lewis lost his life in the service of King & Country. RIP.

Seaman NEIL MACQUEEN

Last address in Lewis: Stag Road, Stornoway
Regiment or division: Royal Navy, HMS Surprise
Service number: 196893
Date of death: 23 December 1917
Drowned off Holland
Memorial: Chatham Naval
Memorial reference: 21
Local memorial: Lewis War Memorial

Remembering Today

22 December
On this day during the First World War, these eleven men from the Isle of Lewis lost their lives in the service of King and Country.

Private MURDO MACKAY

Last address in Lewis: 2 Achmore,
Son of Norman and Catherine Mackay
Regiment or division: 1st Cameron Highlanders
Service no: 3/5432
Date of death: 22 December 1914
Memorial: Le Touret
Memorial reference: Panel 41 and 42
Local memorial: Crossbost

Private DUNCAN MACKAY

Last address in Lewis: 5 Achmore,
Regiment or division: 1st Cameron Highlanders
Service number: 3/5330
Date of death: 22 December 1914
Memorial: Le Touret
Memorial reference: Plaque 41 / 42
Local memorial: Crossbost

Private MURDO MACDONALD
Last address in Lewis: 7 Ballantrushal,
Son of John MacDonald, of 7, Ballantrushal, Barvas, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: 1st Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: 3/5366
Date of death: 22 December 1914 at the age of 18
Killed in action
Memorial: Le Touret Memorial
Memorial reference: Panel 41 and 42
Local memorial: North Lewis, Borve

Sergeant DONALD ALLAN FINLAYSON
Last address in Lewis: 6 Brue,
Son of Kenneth Finlayson, of 6, Brue Barvas, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: 1st Gordon Highlanders
Service number: 3/5265
Date of death: 22 December 1914 at the age of 19
Killed in action in France
Joined army before age 16
Interred at Le Touret Memorial
Memorial reference: Panel 41 and 42

Private JOHN ANGUS CHISHOLM
Last address in Lewis: 8 Lemreway,
Son of Angus Chisholm, of 8, Lemveway, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: 1st Cameron Highlanders
Service number: 3/5442
Date of death: 22 December 1914 at the age of 20
Killed in action in France
Memorial: Le Touret
Memorial reference: Panel 41 and 42
Local memorial: Pairc, Kershader

Private JOHN MACASKILL
Last address in Lewis: 23 Lower Shader,
Son of Malcolm and Ann Macaskill, of 23, Lower Shader, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: 1st Cameron Highlanders
Service number: 3/5066
Date of death: 22 December 1914 at the age of 23
Killed in action in France
Memorial: Le Touret
Memorial reference: Panel 41 and 42
Local memorial: North Lewis, Borve

Private NORMAN SMITH
Last address in Lewis: 29 Lower Shader,
Regiment or division: 1st Gordon Highlanders
Service number: 3/5271
Date of death: 22 December 1914
Killed in action in France
Memorial: Le Touret
Memorial reference: Panel 41 and 42
Local memorial: North Lewis, Borve

Sergeant JOHN MACDONALD

Last address in Lewis: 13 New Shawbost,
Son of Murdo and Peggy Macdonald, of 12, New Shawbost, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: 1st Cameron Highlanders
Service number: 4765
Date of death: 22 December 1914 at the age of 40
Killed in action in La Bassee
Memorial: Le Touret
Memorial reference: Panel 41 and 42
Local memorial: West Side, Bragar

Private MALCOLM MACLEOD
Last address in Lewis: 13 New Shawbost,
Son of Murdo and Mary Macleod, of 13, New Shawbost, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: 2nd Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: 3/7152
Date of death: 22 December 1914 at the age of 18
Killed in action in La Bassee
Memorial: Ploegsteert
Memorial reference: Panel 9
Local memorial: West Side, Bragar

Private FINLAY NICOLSON

Last address in Lewis: 13 Ranish,
Regiment or division: Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: 3/7120
Medal: Mons Star
Date of death: 22 December 1914 at the age of 19
Killed in action in France
Memorial: Le Touret
Memorial reference: Panel 38 and 39
Mentioned on family gravestone at Crossbost
Local memorial: North Lochs, Crossbost

Private ANGUS MACLEAY
Last address in Lewis: 23 Upper Shader,
Son of Colin and Chirsty Macleay, of 23, Upper Shades, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: 1st Cameron Highlanders
Service number: 3/5550
Date of death: 22 December 1914 at the age of 17
Killed in action in France
Memorial: Le Touret
Memorial reference: Panel 41 and 42
Local memorial: North Lewis, Borve

scheduled posting

Solstice Notes

I'm wondering how many people turned up at Stonehenge this morning, to witness the Winter Solstice. I believe it was cloudy down south. Up here, turning up at the Callanish Stones on this midwinter day is a waste of time. Callanish is a lunar monument, not a solar one.

The port is brimming with three ferries tied up at the moment. The MV Lord of the Isles arrived this afternoon to take over from our usual boat, the MV Isle of Lewis which is due to go for its annual refit. The MV Pentalina B (referred to by everybody as the Iona) continues to cover for the freight ferry Muirneag, still away on its refit to the Tyne. The Muirneag was involved in a grounding earlier this year, when she lost steering and ran onto rocks at the Castle Grounds here in Stornoway, nearly knocking out an early morning jogger in the process.

This will be my final post on here for this year, with the exception of the Remembering Today postings, which will be put up automatically, courtesy Blogger, until January 5th. As I indicated yesterday, I shall be thinking about my future on-line during the holiday period. Early tomorrow morning, I am leaving for Holland, from where I will blog on The Shell Gallery. I intend to continue working on Atlantic Light, my photoblog, over the next 2 weeks.

I shall leave you on here with a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year - back on January 6th.

Hurricane update - 21 December

Tropical cyclone Billy is currently over the far north of Western Australia, and will reemerge over the warm waters of the Indian Ocean during Monday. The system will strengthen to a fully fledge cyclone, with winds up to 65 knots (hurricane force) by the middle of the week. The coast of WA is under warning / watch for this storm, all the way from Kalumburu in the north to Wallal further south.

I shall continue to update my Tropical Cyclones blog over the Christmas and New Year period, with the exception of tomorrow.

Sunday 21 December

Last Sunday before Christmas, and after a benign start, the weather has once more turned nasty. It is blowing hard and it's raining. We can expect gales later today - hope they subside by tomorrow, as I'm due to cross to the mainland first thing Monday morning.

Today is the 20th anniversary of the bombing of PanAm flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in which more than 200 were killed. A bomb exploded on board the Boeing 747, bringing it down on the town of Lockerbie and killing several people on the ground. Two men were brought to trial in later years, one of whom is currently in jail, serving a sentence for the attack.

Today is also the shortest day of the year. The sun rose at 9.15 am, and will set at 3.35 pm. Stornoway lies just north of the 58th parallel; the sun will not rise today in any place located north of the 66th parallel.

Remembering Today

21 December
On this day in the First World War, these two men from the Isle of Lewis lost their lives in the service of King & Country. RIP.

Private KENNETH JOHN MURRAY
Last address in Lewis: 43 South Shawbost,
Son of John and Mary MacLennan Murray, of 43, South Shawbost, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: 2nd Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: 3/8201
Date of death: 21 December 1915 at the age of 40
Interred: Bragar Cemetery
Local memorial: West Side, Bragar

Private MALCOLM MURRAY
Last address in Lewis: 10 Tong,
Regiment or division: 1st Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: 12
Date of death: 21 December 1914
Killed in action
Memorial: Le Touret
Memorial reference: Panel 38 and 39
Lewis Memorial: Back

Looking ahead

Early on Monday, I shall depart for Holland to spend Christmas and New Year with my father. As I've indicated before, it will be the first time he will spend either holiday alone following the death of my mother 8 months ago. I shall return to Stornoway on Monday 5 January 2009.

In the period I'm away from Lewis, this blog will feature a daily entry entitled "Remembering Today", which I shall set up tomorrow. You can schedule entries on Blogger to be published on a date in the future, so don't be surprised to see posts from me on Atlantic Lines from December 22nd until January 1st, a black date in Lewis history.

I am currently thinking about my activities, and that includes the Internet. At the moment, I spend too much time on the computer, much as though I enjoy that. Since we switched to Blogger, I have taken up with Facebook, which is an activity I may end up abandoning after the New Year. I am also not certain that I shall continue blogging on this blog. I set up Atlantic Lines following AOL's closure of our journals, which, like many of you, I found a traumatic experience. This blog covers a period marked by relationship problems, both on-line and in real life, underpinned by the continuing grieving for my mother - quite an unhappy episode to be truthful. The front picture, Dalbeg beach under looming clouds, is strangely evocative in that respect.

From next Tuesday, I shall make updates on my Dutch blog The Shell Gallery, until I return to Stornoway. I will not be calling round journals in that period, except for those mentioned in Call for Support. On 6 January 2009, I will make a final post on here, announcing my further intentions. You may want to prepare yourselves for my withdrawal from blogging for a protracted period of time.

Remembering Today

20 December
On this day in the First World War, these four men from the Isle of Lewis lost their lives in the service of King & Country. RIP.

Private WILLIAM MACKAY
Last address in Lewis: 17 Fivepenny
Regiment / service: Seaforth Highlanders
Date of death: 20 December 1914 at the age of 19
Killed in action in France
Local memorial: North Lewis, Cross

Private ALEX MACDONALD
Last address in Lewis: 26 South Dell
Regiment / service: 1st, Seaforth Highlanders
Date of death: 20 December 1914 at the age of 24
Killed in action in France
Local memorial: North Lewis, Cross


Private JOHN MACLEOD
Last address in Lewis: 9 Fivepenny
Son of Angus and Catherine Macleod, of 9, Fivepenny, Port of Ness, Stornoway.
Regiment / service: 1st, Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: 3/7206
Date of death: 20 December 1914 at the age of 19
Killed in action in France
Memorial / cemetery: Ploegsteert Memorial, Panel 9
Local memorial: North Lewis, Cross

Private JOHN CAMPBELL
Last address in Lewis: 18A Gravir,
Son of John and Mary Campbell, of 18, Gravir, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: 1st Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: 3/7159
Date of death: 20 December 1914 at the age of 20
Killed in action
Memorial: Le Touret
Memorial reference: Panel 38 and 39
Local memorial: Pairc, Kershader

Misleading

AOL Video Uncut was shut down on Thursday, and their site now redirects to Motionbox.com, another video upload site. The email that AOL sent me about that suggests that they would transfer the videos that used to be on Uncut to Motionbox. There is nothing on the Motionbox.com website that suggests that this is actually possible, being done.

I copy the relevant paragraph:

Our records show that you had uploaded videos to the site. While the AOL Video Uploads site is no longer available, we have made your videos available to be transferred to Motionbox.com for a limited time. Learn more at Motionbox.

No, that's not the case at all. Motionbox offer former Uncut users a premium membership at a reduced rate for 30 days. No videos have been transferred at all. I copied mine to YouTube the moment the closure of Uncut was announced.

AOL?

Christmas - 2007

Christmas last year was tainted with sadness in J-land, as was, with the loss of two of its writers on both days. On Christmas Day, Lahoma (who used the AOL screenname of mzgoochi) passed away after a struggle with cancer. On Boxing Day, Kim (demandnlilchit) followed in her footsteps, also succumbing to cancer. I hope Christmas this year will be a merrier affair, although the community doesn't seem to be the same after our expulsion from AOL.

Saturday 20 December

Phew, a bright, sunny day with very little wind. The storm died down late last night, moving east to batter Orkney and Shetland. It's not very warm, only 5C / 41F. Yesterday's heavy rain and wind has led to flooding problems across Scotland. I was sorry to hear that the winterstorm across the northeastern USA continues to wreak havoc, likewise in Washington State.

There are currently problems with internet traffic due to severed subsea cables south of Sicily. This is thought to have happened as a result of seismic activity - Sicily hosts an active volcano, Mt Etna.

Remembering Today

19 December

On this day during the First World War, the following two men from the Isle of Lewis lost their lives:



Lieutenant Colonel DAVID MACLEOD
Son of the late W. MacLeod, of Arnol, Isle of Lewis; husband of Helen MacLeod, of 15, Marina Court, Bexhill-on-Sea.
Last address in Lewis: 12 Arnol
Service, unit: 8th Battallion Gordon Highlanders
Date of death: 19 December 1917 at the age of 47
Died of pneumonia in France
Interred: Duisans British Cemetery, Etrun, V. D. 49.
Local memorial: West Side, Bragar

Medal: DSO for gallantry at the taking of the Hohenzollern Redoubt in September 1915. He was the Commanding Officer of the 8th Battallion.
Other medals: DCM Egypt 1878 and 1915 Star

Private NORMAN MATHESON
Son of Donald and Christina Matheson, of 36, Lower Barvas, Stornoway, Lewis.
Last address in Lewis: 36 Lower Barvas
Service, unit: Seaforth Highlanders, 2nd
Service number: 3/6708
Date of death: 19 December 1914 at the age of 32
Killed in action
Interred: Guards Cemetery, Windy Corner, Guinchy, grave V. A. 4.

Windy nook

Wind continues to blow a full gale, 45 mph, with gusts up to 60 mph. Went out to the Coastguard Station (5 minutes' walk away), but timed it perfectly to coincide with a lull in proceedings, whilst the wind veered from south to west. If anyone is interested, you can take a look at live weather readings from Eoropie (pronounce: Yoropee), near the Butt of Lewis, 25 miles north of Stornoway. Extremely exposed, it has already gone through a 96mph gust. Outpost North Rona, 45 miles northeast of the Butt, reported force 10 winds (52 knots), with gusts at hurricane force (71 knots).

Still on matters meteorological, Australia is having its first tropical cyclone. Billy is currently in the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf, southwest of Darwin, at tropical storm force - with winds similar to what we're experiencing in the Hebrides today.

Yesterday, I ordered the first copy of my own private listing of all those from the Isle of Lewis who were lost in the First World War: Faces from the Lewis War Memorial. I produced it through an on-demand publisher for a grand total of just over £8. I am not intending to place it on the open market, as I'm absolutely not certain that it is faultless. There may also be issues surrounding copyright here and there. Nonetheless, I'm quietly proud of this achievement.

Friday 19 December

Downright filthy day out here in the Hebrides, with winds already touching force 9 on the Beaufort scale, and forecast to go right up to force 11. Rain lashing down; it's binday, so the emptied bins were at one time blocking the road. No ferry today, it is tied up in Ullapool until 10.30 tomorrow morning when, weather permitting, it will return to Stornoway. Quite a few ferry services disrupted in western Scotland - have a look here.

Relocated entry

I originally posted this on Call for Support, but concluded it was not appropriate.
So, here it is again, on my own blog.

Some may remember Cathy (chatzeekay), who had to stop blogging on-line after AOL journals shut down last October. She has severe health problems, stemming from domestic abuse. Painkillers no longer help, and Cathy is supporting a bill in US Congress to legalise the use of cannabis for the relief of chronic pain.

Personally, I have grave misgivings against the use of cannabis, which is based on the serious side-effects of the drug. These include precipitation of psychosis in susceptible individuals and impairment of cognitive functioning. Cannabis, in its purified form of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, could be beneficial for the relief of pain. However, there is currently no firm scientific basis to underpin this.

I will be the last person to deny any pain sufferer relief, however tenuous the scientific base of the use of the compound in question - cannabis. I cannot support the bill, as I'm not a US resident. Even if I was, I would still not do so for the reasons quoted above.

Any US residents reading this: visit the link, visit your conscience, and support the bill. Or not.

Thursday 18 December

Late posting for today, and probably the only one. Not feeling too great today, with a stinging headache. Not a good idea to spend too much time at the PC, so I hope tomorrow will be better. It won't be in terms of weather, as stormforce winds (force 10 on the Beaufort scale) are forecast for my neck of the woods late on Friday. Pity it will peak after nightfall (3.30pm and later).

Afternoon notes

This morning's gale is abating and the sun is trying to come out. The ferry will return from Ullapool at its usual time, after being tied up there since arriving this morning. The cargoship Red Duchess, which has been discharging a cargo of road salt, departed first thing in the morning and was last spotted on AIS headed down the Little Minch, east of Skye.


Three years ago, a huge fire destroyed a fuel depot at Buncefield in Hertfordshire, north of London. As a result, a critical eye was cast over the fuel depot (pictured above) on Shell Street, in the heart of Stornoway. Several alternatives have been considered, but the current economic climate has delayed any action on relocation.


One could be Glumag Harbour, across the bay from my position, where the Arnish Fabrication Yard stands.


The other would be the unused fuel tanks at Stornoway Airport, left over from NATO times during the Cold War. A jetty (shown above) is already in place there for a tanker to dock.

Wednesday 17 December

The day started with a fierce lightning storm just after midnight. The path of the storm was easily mapped, when the lightning began to strike the electricity pylons which run into the Arnish Substation from the south. Some of the discharges were within half a mile of my position (as it took less than 3 seconds between lightning and thunder). The final bolt was accompanied by half-inch hailstones. Winter is the most likely time we're likely to see thunder; it occurs when the temperature in the cloudtops is 40 degrees C lower than down at groundlevel. At the moment, there is heavy rain and strong winds (force 7). The ferry is not sailing; at present it is tied up at Ullapool. The 5.15 sailing out of Ullapool is under review. Judging by the forecast (winds up to force 9), it will probably be cancelled as well.