Remembering Today - 1 March

On this day in the First World War, these men from the Isle of Lewis laid down their lives in the service of King and Country. RIP.

Seaman DONALD MACLEOD
Last address in Lewis: 4 Garenin,
Son of Donald and Mary Macleod, of 4A, Garenin, Carloway, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: Royal Naval Division, Benbow Bttn.
Service number: PO/3409/A
Date of death: 1 March 1916 at the age of 24
Died in internment camp at Groningen, Holland
Interred: Groningen Southern Cemetery
Memorial reference: Northwest part, Class 4, Row 37
Lewis Memorial: Carloway

Private MALCOLM MACDONALD
"Callum Dhol"
Last address in Lewis: 11 Kirkibost, Great Bernera
Son of Donald and Mary Ann Macdonald, of 11, Kirkibert, Bernera, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: 2nd Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: 3/6993
Date of death: 1 March 1915 at the age of 23
Killed in action in France
Had been employed in tramway department of Glasgow Corporation before the outbreak of war
Interred: Bailleul Communal Cemetery (Nord)
Memorial reference: J. 14
Lewis Memorial: Great Bernera

Remembering Today - 28 February

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. RIP.

Seaman DONALD MACLEOD

Last address in Lewis: 14 Borrowston,
Regiment or division: Royal Naval Reserve, HMS Piscatorial
Date of death: 28 February 1917 at the age of 18
Ship sunk by mine
Lewis Memorial: Carloway

Private JOHN NICOLSON

Last address in Lewis: 9 North Tolsta,
Regiment or division: 1st Gordon Highlanders
Service number: S/5957
Date of death: 28 February 1915 at the age of 19
Died of wounds
Interred: Wytschaete Military Cemetery
Memorial reference: III. B. 10
Local memorial: North Tolsta

Private JOSEPH JAMES MAIR

Last address in Lewis: 2 Shell Street, Stornoway
Regiment or division: Australians
Date of death: 28 February 1919 at the age of 32
Died in Melbourne
View War Record
Local memorial: Lewis War Memorial

Seaman R MACKENZIE
Last address in Lewis: unknown
Service, unit: Royal Naval Reserve, HMS Excellent
Service number: 4160/B
Date of death: 28 February 1919 at the age of 33
Interred: Crossbost Cemetery

Density of population

Local blogger asgerd has an interesting take on population density.

Sunday 1 March

Good afternoon from a bright Stornoway, which is plagued by beefy downpours. Today is St David's Day, so leeks and daffs galore west of Offa's Dyke. For those who wonder what on earth I'm talking about: it's the national day for Wales today.

Found an interesting article on the phenomenon of the trillion, which has hit the headlines in the wake of the advent of that economic crisis. Being of continental provenance, I am more confussed than ever. You see, where I'm from, the term 'billion' is used for the number 1012, or 1,000,000,000,000 - or 1,000 times what is termed a billion in Anglo-Saxon / American terms. What comes beyond that is a totally different ballgame: a 'billiard' - yep, that's a game with two white and one red ball, a cue-stick and green baize tables - is 1015, or 1,000,000,000,000,000. You are lost? So am I. Wish they'd all stick to the same blinking terms. And did I say I'm fed up to the back teeth with all this talk of money, the greedy bankers, still wishing to pocket nearly three-quarters of a million pounds a year for a pension at the age of 50 for achieving an absolute and abject failure of their business.