Ads

Some advertisements on the Internet are just plain stupid. One company, trying to pander its creditcard off on unsuspecting punters can rest assured of an absolutely 0% (yes, zero) success rate. After saying which normally disqualifying criteria will be considered, it says that everyone will be EXCEPTED.

Remembering Today - 16 February

Today on this day during the First World War, these men from the Isle of Lewis lost their lives in the service of King and Country.

Private DONALD GRAHAM

Last address in Lewis: Outend Coll,
Son of Alexander and Annie Macleod Graham, of Out End Call, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: 2nd Canadian Field Artillery
Service number: 41793
Date of death: 16 February 1915 at the age of 28
Accidentally killed in France
Served 5 years in India.
Interred: Bois Guillaume Communal Cemetery
Memorial reference: I. B. 17A
Lewis Memorial: Back

Private DONALD MACDONALD

Last address in Lewis: 9 Gravir,
Son of Malcolm and Christina MacDonald, of 51, Balfour St., Glasgow, Scotland.
Regiment or division: 21st Canadian Infantry (Eastern Ontario Regiment)
Service number: 123779
Date of death: 16 February 1917 at the age of 24
Killed in action in France
Interred: Ecoivres Military Cemetery, Mont-St Eloi
Local memorial: Pairc, Kershader

Private ROBERT STEWART
Last address in Lewis: 4 Scotland Street, Stornoway
Regiment or division: Seaforth Highlanders
Date of death: 16 February 1915
Died of wounds
Local memorial: Lewis War Memorial

Remembering Today - 14 February

Today on this day during the First World War, these two men from the Isle of Lewis lost their lives in the service of King and Country.

Private JOHN CAMPBELL
Last address in Lewis: 18B Gravir,
Son of Peter and Effie Campbell, of r8 [18B], Gravir, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis.
Regiment or division: 2nd Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: S/ 22755
Date of death: 14 February 1919 at the age of 20
Died of influenza in France
Interred: La Louviere Town Cemetery
Memorial reference: A. 3.
Local memorial: Pairc, Kershader

Seaman JOHN MACDONALD
Last address in Lewis: 34 South Shawbost
Brother of Donald McDonald, of 16, Clyde St., Dumbarton. Native of Shawbost, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: Merchant Marine, HMS Partridge
Service number: 3478B
Date of death: February, 14th, 1915 at the age of 31
Drowned when cutter was upset by HMS Sutlej
Memorial: Chatham Naval, panel 14

Monday 16 February

Misty, grey and wet here today. Funny thing is, the sun does peep through the clouds from time to time. Overnight low 9C, temperature at the moment 10C, with a brisk westerly wind. The Atlantic firmly in control today.

Heard on the news that two nuclear submarines, one British, the other French, managed to collide in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. That's no mean feat. The Atlantic is 4,000 miles wide, up to 15,000 feet deep and some 12,000 miles north to south. Yet those two banged into each other. Incredible. No radiation was released, neither were any warheads. Both vessels were seriously damaged, with the British HMS Vanguard having to be towed back to Faslane, and the French Le Triomphant managing to regain Brest under its own steam. Looks like the French came off 'triumphant'.

For several weeks, a yacht has been lying in a corner of Stornoway harbour, demasted and damaged in an autumn gale. The vessel has now gone to the bottom, but still protruding from the water. Stornoway Port Authority has marked the spot with wreck buoys and issued a formal Notice to Mariners. Regulars to my own Stornoway pictures will recognise the blue bulk of MV Muirneag in the background; the yacht actually lies just off Cuddy Point.
Picture courtesy Hebridesnews.