WAR MEMORIALS : an overview
This is a long term project of recording the name on all war memrorials around West Dunbartonshire. Most of these cover both World Wars.
The following sections are laid out by town. Each may have more than one memorial, some in public places, some within buildings.
If you are able and willing to help with this, please add a note in the YOUR COMMENTS section clarifying which ones you are able to record. Any relevant anecdotes of those named or links to other relevant websites or publications would be welcomed. There are some websites that list the names, but these are so often in an unsuitable format.
People from West Dunbartonshire have played roles in wars since the two World Wars and they too must not be forgotten. Seeing lists of names on memorials gives an idea of the impact on local communities, on the families they left behind, on their places of usual employment : farms, factories, shipyards and others. Memorials very naturally focus on the fallen. But there were many who survived, but were injured and traumatised so that they could not live full lives again. And that in turn impacted on their families and workmates.
Being records of the fallen, memorials have a spiritual nature; of those who have risen to a higher place. They should also be contemplated as the conduit for us to have respect for ALL of those people who played a part in the defence of the country.
A further consideration : As this is being written in early 2021. SARS-COV-2, a most contageous and dangerous form of coronavirus has wrecked havock around the workd - including West Dunbartonshire. It was first discovered in China in 2019 and the illness identified as COVID 19. As its second year in the UK began, over 100,000 deaths had already been recorded. it is still too early to assess the full impact. Across the UK an amazing rate and extent of vaccine has been administered to date and gives us hope. Social distancing, masks, hand sanitising and variable levels of lockdown attempt to hinder if not quite halt the virus's progress. One day this or similar websites will need to record and honour those in the front line, health workers and carers who put themselves at risk in order to protect and hopfully save others. This is a war on a virus. And as with wars in defence of the couontry, those who have pushed innovation and profuction to the fore deserve recognition and thanks too.
