Foreword This booklet is about men from our village, some young, some not so young.

What they have in common is that they all went to war in service of their country and none of them returned. They lie in Commonwealth War Grave Commission cemeteries or are on memorials, from on our doorstep at Newbattle, to the plains of Germany and the tropical heat of Singapore. Wherever they served, wherever they died, they are surely entitled to one thing, the respect of the community they lived in and a place on the villages War Memorial. Sadly none of the lads are on our memorial for a variety of reasons, some are understandable, some are quite frankly unforgivable. My goal is to see that none of these lads are forgotten and that one day they will all be reunited on the memorial in the Welfare Park. Please read their stories and see for yourself what happened to the men. Thank you John Duncan

World War One Pte George Ross 1st Gordon Highlanders I discovered George Ross whilst conducting some research, George was a 28 year old man who originally hailed from Peterhead, in common with a lot of men he moved to the coal fields of the Lothians where he settled in Dean Park, Newtongrange. A married man, he had previously been a serving soldier with the 1st Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders. When it became obvious that the war would not be over any time soon he volunteered his services and enlisted with the Gordons on the 5th of June,1915, his Army Service Record states he stayed at 109 or 119 Dean Park and that he married in the Parish of Newbattle He was immediately posted to the 2nd Battalion and no doubt due to his previous service was made an unpaid Lance Cpl . The following month he was dispatched to France and on the 25th of September 1915 he took part in the famous battle of Loos, which in many ways was the Scottish Somme such was the heavy involvement of Scottish regiments. On what turned out to be some of the blackest days of the war for the parish he was posted missing presumed dead, this was subsequently confirmed and he is commemorated on the Loos Memorial, his body never having been found. He left behind a widow and two wee girls, Marion 3 and Agnes 6 months.

World War Two Leading Aircraftman William Currie, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve William Currie was born in 1913 in Cockpen, a very small village, near to Newtongrange. In 1939 he married and settled in Newtongrange, living with his wife at 41 Eighth Street. When war was declared William was called up and joined the RAF, following his training he was promoted to Leading Aircraftman and sent to 228 Squadron, Coastal Command which flew Short Sunderland flying boats on Convoy protection. In 1942 the Squadron moved to Oban on the west coast of Scotland to patrol the North West approaches. In August, 1942 a mysterious and tragic accident occurred when a Sunderland on a classified mission to Iceland crashed into a mountain in the extreme north of Scotland killing all onboard, bar the rear gunner who was thrown clear on impact inside the tail unit. Amongst the dead was the Duke of Kent, the first member of the Royal Family to die on active service for 500 years. The reason the aircraft was on its way to Iceland has never been revealed and many alternative theories exist including that Rudolf Hess was on board and the aircraft going to Sweden. What ever the reason there was great interest in the accident.

Two weeks later on, the 5th of September, 1942 Sunderland W4032 took off from Oban on a convoy protection mission, onboard were 10 crew and a journalist Fred NanCarrow from the Glasgow Herald, much has been made of NanCarrows presence and some say he was investigating the death of the Duke of Kent. NanCarrow was mad keen on aircraft and had only recently written a book celebrating the work of 602 City of Glasgow Squadron, his family stated he wanted to join the RAF but was rejected as unsuitable. After several hours at sea the giant flying boat turned around for home, but it became apparent that there was insufficient fuel to make it back to Oban. The Pilot Flying Officer F J Fife of the Royal Canadian Air Force decided there was no other option than to put down in the water, on the face of it not a major problem for a flying boat, and take on more fuel. At 8.40pm the Sunderland set down in Vane Bay but hit a rock which ripped the bottom out of the aircraft causing it to start sinking. An SOS signal was sent out and in response the Tobermory lifeboat set out to assist the airmen, however on reaching the last known position of the Sunderland, all that was found was clothing floating on the surface. A full scale search was launched and an RAF Hudson spotted a dinghy with one man in it off the north coast of Coll. The lifeboat was directed in, however when it got there the only people still alive were

Flying Officer M E Russell, the co-pilot and Flight Sgt R B H Scroggs. The Pilot Mr Fife, William Henderson and William Currie were recovered from the water having drowned, the bodies of Charles Castle (Gunner), Victor Ames (Flt Sgt), Kenneth Page (Gunner), Edward Cowan (Radio operator) were recovered later on having died of exposure. The bodies of Pilot Officer Robert Hicks and Fred NanCarrow were never recovered. The men are buried the length and breadth of the United Kingdom. William Currie was buried with full military honours in Newbattle Cemetery.

Leading Stores Assistant James Simpson Alexander Dea, Royal Navy James Dea was a young lad of 18 when the war was drawing to its close in August 1945. At this time he was stationed at HMS Vulture in Cornwall. On the 6th of August,1945 he was working on his ship when he slipped and fell into the water and drowned. His death certificate gives his place of birth as Newtongrange, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission have recorded his next of kin as James Simpson Alexander and Mary K. F. Dea, of Newtongrange. He is buried in Newbattle Cemetery.

Lt John Herbert, Royal Navy Reserve In World War One John Herbert was a Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve who served on HMS Maidstone a Submarine depot ship based at Harwich, he married Marion Simpson from 7 The Square, Newtongrange by Warrant of a Sheriff on 11th November, 1916 in Stobhill House, Gorebridge. John gave his address as 2 Arniston Common at the time, but as he was serving at sea, his wife stayed at her parents house in The Square, Newtongrange. On 12th of June, 1917 Marions brother, John Herberts brother-inlaw, Sgt William Pentland Simpson of the Royal Field Artillery was killed in action in Flanders. He is buried at Dickebusch New Military Cemetery Extension, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen. He is commemorated on the WW1 stone of Newtongrange War Memorial. After the war John returned to Newtongrange and on 17th of April 1922, he became a father to John Herbert Junior, who was born in their house at 7 The Square. Despite being a middle-aged man when World War Two broke out in 1939, John Herbert was given a Temporary Commission with the rank of Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve and posted to HMS Chitral, (pictured above) an armed merchant cruiser based on the Clyde and operating in the North Atlantic protecting convoys.

On 20th November 1939 she intercepted the German merchant Bertha Fisser, whose crew scuttled her to avoid capture. At 4.55 am on February 5th, 1941 John Herbert was making his along Argyle Street in Glasgow during the Black Out, when he fell and fractured his skull killing him. He was 52 years old. It appears that he was staying with son John junior at 328 Garscadden Road in Glasgow, given that John was just approaching his 19th birthday, its likely he was either on active service or war work in Glasgow. His next of kin on the death certificate is given as Marion Fowler Simpson. He was buried in Hawthornden Cemetery near Rosewell, Midlothian. I dont know the reason he is buried in Hawthornden Cemetery, but the most obvious is that there is a family plot there, John Herberts father pre deceased him, his mother Mary was still alive. The Herberts connection with Newtongrange / Newbattle does continue. On 16th of June 1950, John Herbert Junior married Annie Roberston Smith in Newbattle Church. Importantly the Commonwealth War Graves Commission records that John Herbert was the Husband of Marion Simpson Herbert, of Newtongrange.

When the time came for the name to added to the War Memorial John Herbert Junior was 15 years in his grave, his mother had also passed on. It would seem a travesty if a woman who lost her brother in WW1 and her husband in WW2 has one commemorated and the other not.

Engine Artificer 4th Class Barrie Jones, Royal Navy This is a sad tale, a story of a man that two neighbouring villages, Gorebridge and Newtongrange, apparently do not want on their war memorials. Their reasons are different but the effect is the same. His daughter Elizabeth now approaching her 70th birthday has no place locally to commemorate her fathers memory. Barrie was born in the village of Cockpen which lies between the much larger villages of Newtongrange and Bonnyrigg, Midlothian. The family subsequently move to Newtongrange and live at 1 the Main Street. In 1943 Barry (aged 20) marries Elizabeth Mary Paterson from Gowkshill, a stones throw from the village, in Stobhill Church. At that time his address is recorded as 1 Main Street, Newtongrange and that he is on active service As is normal for the era, Elizabeth move in with her parents. In 1944 they are blessed with a child Elizabeth. Barry is away from home, he in serving in the Far East with Royal Navy, when the war ends he is stationed at HMS Landswell in Singapore, his duties bring him into contact with Japanese POWS who are being held in Singapore. On the 14th of January, 1946 he is returning to the base in an open transport lorry, the lorry hits a bump and Barrie is thrown from the

vehicle onto the road, he suffers massive head injuries and quickly succumbs to them. Barrie was buried with full military honours on the 16th of January, 1946 at 11am in Bardurdari Cemetery, Singapore and a cross erected on his grave. The sad news is conveyed to his widow, his daughter is a toddler and does not understand her daddy is dead. In 1955 the Imperial War Graves Commission inform Elizabeth Jones that Barries grave is to be relocated to Kranji War Cemetery, which subsequently occurs in 1957. When the time came to add names to Gorebridge WW2 Memorial Barries name was put forward as his wife was from the Gorebridge District, however he was declined as the panel deciding who went on the memorial, decided that Barrie was a resident of Newtongrange, not Gorebridge so should go on their memorial. When his name was put forward to go on Newtongrange War Memorial, they decided that as he died by accident, and after the war, he was not eligible for a place on their memorial. Of the two decisions Newtongranges is the most shameful, their reasoning does not stand up to scrutiny,ie Barrie died of an accident after the war was finished.

On the WW1 memorial they already have a man who killed by a train whilst on leave, two who died from influenza, one who died from heart failure. Why is Barrie Jones so different from these men? I do not disagree that these men should be on the memorial, on the contrary I believe that the Commonwealth War Graves Commission standards of eligibility should be applied fairly and consistently to each man, not randomly.

To finish I will repeat the criteria laid down by the CWGC for eligibility, Second World War 3rd September 1939 to 31st December 1947. The location of their death and the cause of death are immaterial to their qualification. They could have been killed in action, died of wounds, died of illness or by accident, died due to suicide or homicide or suffered judicial execution. CWGC treats all casualties equally and all must be commemorated under the terms of their Royal Charter. Barrie Jones and his family feature on the cover of this booklet.

Sapper James Holgate, Royal Engineers My interest in James was prompted when a relative of his, Cath Johnstone, got in touch with me via my website. John Holgate and Elizabeth Halliday married on 28th December,1906 at Stobhill Manse, it was recorded they stayed in Newtongrange, and they set up home in 60 St Davids Newtongrange where first John Halliday Holgate was born in 1915 and James in 1918. Elizabeth Halliday died on February 27th,1930 age 51 and James Holgate died on October 22nd 1937 age 59. The family address was still 60 St Davids, Newtongrange. Caths late father and Jimmy Holgate were cousins and both had worked at the Lady Victoria Colliery as surface workers. In 1940 both were called up, Jimmy duly joined the Royal Engineers but the Lothian Coal Company were short of skilled workers and decided to use Caths father as a test case. They were successful and this set a precedent, with surface workers in key jobs being exempted from the call up thereafter. On Christmas Eve 1942 Jimmy boarded the SS Benalbanach, a troop ship, with hundreds of other men from a motor transport unit. She was carrying 389 men of Motor Transport unit and a crew of 74 from the Clyde to Bona, North Africa where allied forces were fighting the German Afrika Korps. On the 7th January 1943 she was sunk NW of

Algiers when convoy KMS-6 she was part of, was attacked by a single Italian torpedo bomber. The Benalbanach was hit by two torpedoes launched from the aircraft about 150 miles NE of Algiers, she caught fire, blew up and sank almost immediately taking the lives of 57 crew members and 353 service personnel, Jimmy was one of those men. The tragic news was received by the extended family back in Newtongrange. The news of Jimmys death was also passed to John, his brother, who was a Prisoner of War in Germany. To my mind the Holgates have a long and proved association with Newtongrange going back about a hundred years, sadly by the time it was decided that names would be added to the memorial none of the Holgates were still alive and Cath was not aware of the situation. It would seem unthinkable to deny James Holgate his rightful place with his comrades from Newtongrange. I hope the Council do the right thing by James.

Able Seaman Malcolm McLean, Merchant Navy Malcolm McLean was a seaman on the SS Empire Springbuck, an unarmed merchant ship. In September of 1941 she was part of Convoy SC 42, her voyage had taken her from Cuba to Sydney and she was en route to Leith via the Greenland Sea. She was carrying steel and explosives which made her a valuable target. Unable to maintain speed she became detached from the convoy and was spotted by the German U Boat U81 near the appropriately named, Cape Farewell. At 6.55 am she was struck by amidships by a torpedo and exploded, going down with all 42 crew. Amongst the crew was Malcolm Mclean from Newtongrange. He is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial along with 35478 Merchant Seamen who were lost at sea in both World Wars. Although born in Glasgow he is recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission as the son of Malcolm and Annie McLean, of Newtongrange, Midlothian.

Sgt William Alexander Meek, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve On a cold clear November night Mk 111 Lancaster JB303 lumbered into the air from her home airfield of Oakington. The target for the night was the German capital Berlin. Amongst those aboard were the Navigator Sgt William Meek RAFVR from Newtongrange and Pilot Officer Ted Ansfield, the Observer. This was their 16th mission and the 5th time they had attacked Berlin. This would prove to be their last flight together, William would not see a new dawn.

At 20.12, three hours into the flight they were attacked by a Me110 piloted by Oberleutnant Albert Walter of Gruppe Nachtjadgeschwader 6. Making a text book attack he came from nowhere and blazed his cannons over the engines and fuel tanks. The aircraft became a fireball and the order was given to Bale Out. What happened next is described in the words of Pilot Officer Ted Ansfield: Our Lancaster, Freddie, had received its deathblow. All four engines, the tanks and the fuselage were ablaze. The bomb doors were jammed and the release button for the bombs stopped responding because the power supply had been interrupted. The hydraulic

system had also broken down. I quickly fixed our position on my air-to-ground radar and saw that we were about 20 miles northwest of Frankfurt. I wanted to pass this information on to the crew; however I saw that my radio had been shot away. As I straightened up, to reach my instruments, I also noticed that the sleeve of my flying suit was shot through. I leaned forward and shouted the established position to our Navigator - Bill Meek. He pulled the curtain aside in order to pass the message on to our radio operator. He was supposed to report this information to our base, but Dave lay dead on his keyboard. I went forward to assist the pilot in manoeuvring the spinning aircraft. It was no use; we were quickly spiralling to the ground. The flight engineer - Dennis Ashworth - had received the order to bale out and removed the front hatch. At my request, he jumped. At that moment, I heard screams. It could really only be the pilot or the navigator, so I went back to the cockpit. But it was the turret gunner who was caught in the flames. This is confirmed by the rear gunner - Archie Turner, a New Zealander. After the command to bale out, he left his turret and came toward the fuselage. There he saw that the turret gunner - P.J. Palmer - was surrounded by flames.

After trying in vain to reach him, he strapped on his already singed parachute and left the aircraft. We tried again to stabilise our Freddies flight, but it was impossible. Beaumont, the pilot pressed my hand one last time and said: See you in Hell. So I climbed up and out of the bow - at that moment there was a blinding flash, and from then on I knew nothing more... Bill Meeks body was found by the Germans, his parachute unopened, and he now lies in the British War Graves Cemetery in Hanover. Archie Turner and Ted Ansfield were the only survivors, Ted died a few years back at his home in the Isle of Man. Bills widow Thomasena resided in Newtongrange, this is recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Pte George D Noble, Parachute Regiment,5th (Scottish) Battalion George Noble from Bryans Road in Newtongrange, Midlothian was a just a lad of 18 when he received his call up papers at Scout Camp with the 21st Midlothian (Newtongrange) Scouts. He was eager to serve and did so with distinction, volunteering for the Parachute Regiment early in his service. He was accepted for Parachute training and was subsequently awarded the coveted Para wings. The war ended but George was retained and posted to Palestine from where he returned in 1947 to go home on leave. This would be the last time his family and friends would see him alive. George returned to his base and on the 6th of May, 1947 he was one of a stick of men dropping on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire from a Halifax bomber.

Green light on, GO GO GO George stepped out the aircraft, sadly his parachute failed to open properly, what is known as a Roman Candle, and he plunged to his death. He was buried with full military honours in Newbattle Cemetery, a mile or so from Newtongrange, The mourners were led by Pipe Major Scott of Newtongrange Rover Scouts and the cadets of 1739 Squadron Air Training Corps of which George was a member before he enlisted. Newtongrange War Memorial did not have any names on it until approximately 2000. It was decided then that two stones would be added with the names of the fallen from two World Wars and other conflicts. It was decided then that George was not a suitable candidate to be added to the WW2 stone, as he died after the end of hostilities. I resubmitted his name to Newtongrange Community Council in 2013 along with other men who had been omitted or refused entry in 2000. This is the answer I received. As regards Pte Noble, I have a record that states that he appears to have died as the result of an accident aged 21 years on Salisbury Plains (parachute failed to open) post the Palestine conflict.

In the circumstances, a previous request to have his name added to the Memorial was declined; and that regrettably is the conclusion that must be reached on this occasion. I have raised the question here about additions in respect of post 1939 1945 war but have yet to obtain an outcome. Theoretically at least, the names of those who were killed / died of wounds after WW2 in other conflicts are recorded at the National Memorial / Arboretum. A shameful decision and one not based on fact, despite the 1947 date George is recorded as a WW2 casualty by the CWGC as he fulfils all the required criteria regarding dates, here is a reminder. Second World War 3rd September 1939 to 31st December 1947

Trooper Ninian Cockburn Roberts, Royal Scots Greys Ninian and his family originally came from Essex and settled in Newtongrange, it is believed his mother Margaret Cockburn was a native of the village. Ninian Cockburn was just a lad of 20 when he was killed in action serving with C Squadron of the Royal Scots Greys on 25th September,1943 in the North African Campaign. He is buried in the Bone War Cemetery at Annaba in Algeria, these days an amusement park and leisure park join on to the cemetery. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission recorded that his next of kin was Maurice Roberts, and Margaret Roberts (nee Cockburn), of Newtongrange, Midlothian.

Second Engineer Officer John Webster, Merchant Navy John Webster was the Second Engineer onboard the SS Fort Babine, an armed merchantman. In February of 1943 she was sailing as part of a convoy en route to North Africa, on the 6th she was attacked and damaged by German torpedo carrying aircraft, in the Bay of Biscay. A number of the crew including John Webster were killed. The Fort Babine was taken under tow and eventually made it into the port of Oran in Algeria. She was beyond repair and eventually scuttled there. John Webster was taken ashore and buried in Le Petit Lac Cemetery along with his shipmates: Donald Bremner from Ballymena, Northern Ireland John Alexander Pae Devenport John Anthony OSullivan, from Cardiff, Wales Frederick Albert Waite, from Haverford West, Wales All these men served in the ships engine room which took the impact of the torpedo. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission recorded that his next of kin as William and Elizabeth Webster (nee McCleary), of Newtongrange, Midlothian