COMING HOME / WW1

Highland Folk Museum Workshop / 26th July 2018

93 participants explored the ‘Coming Home: World War One in the Highlands: Impact. Memories. Lasting Legacies’ exhibition during a workshop that explored drawing, mark-making and colouring.

People travelled from...

Bavaria Belgium Billericay Brisbane, Australia Buckinghamshire Catalonia Essex France (Montpellier, Metz) Franconia Holland Holmfirth Huntly Ireland Kingussie Liverpool Nederlands (Zoetermeer) Scotland (Aberdeen, Ellon, Edinburgh, Alford, Kirkcaldy, Galashiels, Crook of Devon, Shetland, Inverness, Dalgety Bay, St Andrews, Fife, Bellshill, Cowie) Spain (Madrid, Cadiz) Switzerland Watchet

You can also see the exhibition at the following venues throughout 2018-19:

Museum Tour 2018

Inverness Museum and Art Gallery – 30th  March to 12th May

Cromarty Courthouse Museum – 16th May to 13th June

Nairn Museum – 20th June to 20th July

Highland Folk Museum – 25th July to 26th August

Museum of the Isles, Skye – 30th August to 29th September

Grantown Museum – 4th October to 31st October

Libraries and Archives Tour 2018/19

Dingwall Community Library – April 2018

Glenurquhart Library and Learning Centre – May 2018

Fortrose Community Library – June 2018

Inverness Library – July 2018

Thurso Library – August 2018

Wick Library – September 2018

Portree Library – October 2018

Highland Archive Centre – November 2018

Fort William Library – December 2018

Nairn Library – January 2019

Workshops / Botanical Illustrators Group, Grantown

The second set of workshops in Grantown have been with the Botanical Illustrators group. Leading on from the workshops with the Primary School, the opportunity to further explore Sphagnum moss from a different angle has proven worthwhile.

Looking at plants under the microscope to further understand their properties and introducing the participants to things like monoprinting has produced some diverse and beautiful results.

These things together with the work from the Primary School tell a fascinating story of Sphagnum moss and its roll in Grantown’s History of WW1.

Workshops / Cromarty Youth Cafe

Over a number of weeks I have worked with the Youth Cafe in Cromarty - it was important to also engage with younger groups with the project in context - of course WW1 is not within any of us our living memories, but finding ways in which to make memorial, memory and remembrance relevant to all ages is important and sometimes challenging.

Paul from the Courthouse started by kindly bringing in some medals from the archive. We then worked on thinking about a contemporary medal for the people of Cromarty today - what is relevant, important and meaningful that would be present on a badge of honour.

Over the coming weeks the ideas quickly expanded to making a model contemporary memorial for Cromarty, deciding on important symbols and signs and thinking about how we would keep the traditions of remembrance alive.

Throughout, the emphasis was on participating in a creative experience -  having the chance to make and join into something collaborative built up over a number of weeks, which the group enthusiastically participated in.

Many thanks to Wanda and her team of seniors for their enthusiasm and assistance.

Day one was at the museum.

The pupils came armed with their own research that they had carried out at home on various family members or local stories.

We also spent the first half of the day going through records, documents and books about Skye and WW1 and the effects it had on the community.

After lunch we had settled on the idea of producing three separate films looking at island life:

1.       “The unlikey Friends” The Rassay iron mines, the friendship that was formed between the locals and the prisoners of was that were sent to work there.

2.       “Donald’s after war experience” A story of a local man (and Great great grandfather of one of the pupils) who on returning from was found there was no work for him and left his family and the island to become a Police officer in Glasgow.

3.       “The Dad that never came home” The Iolaire disaster, although we focus more on the impact on the children of the war, having to do the jobs of the adults and our story ends with the sinking of the Iolaire with the father on board.

We then developed our stories and begun to think out the characters involved and what they would look like

From the we worked on the artwork and producing the animation at Sleat Primary School over the next three sessions.

We used a combination of pen work and water colour pencils to reflect the artwork of the time and also capture some of the colours of Skye itself.

All the dialogue will be in Gaelic (which might be a editing nightmare for non-speaking Gaelic me!) with English subtitles.

The raw footage of the Rassay film can be seen below, it still needs to be edited and a few close up’s added, plus all the sound but gives an idea of the film:

Once the story was finalised we concentrated on the artwork side of things building the characters/puppets for animating. We stuck with simple black and white line drawings for the look, to reflect the fact that these were meant to be images that where scribbled in the corner of a letter, postcard e.c.t coming to life.

We were particularly drawn to the idea of communication and the some of the examples of the “folk” art thNairn Museum 2 blockOnce the story was finalised we concentrated on the artwork side of things building the characters/puppets for animating. We stuck with simple black and white line drawings for the look, to reflect the fact that these were meant to be images that where scribbled in the corner of a letter, postcard e.c.t coming to life.We were particularly drawn to the idea of communication and the some of the examples of the “folk” art that accompanied them. We also discussed how communication had changed, how there is no longer a real record, or one that is pleasing to look at, of communication these day; and what a vital life line it would have been to those both away at war and these at home. We looked at the changes that the war had on the fishing families and tried to reflect them in our own fictitious family.

Some of the results can be seen below, these files are just the raw footage, so need to be , the narration, voices and sound effects added, and the “green” will become actual postcards, that the characters will move in front of.at accompanied them. We also discussed how communication had changed, how there is no longer a real record, or one that is pleasing to look at, of communication these day; and what a vital life line it would have been to those both away at war and these at home. We looked at the changes that the war had on the fishing families and tried to reflect them in our own fictitious family.

Some of the results can be seen below, Please note these files are just the raw footage, so need to be edited and the narration, voices and sound effects added, The “green” will become actual postcards, that the characters will move in front of.

THE ALPINE JOURNAL (extract) _________________ June 1919 _________________

(No. 219)

A WAR SEASON IN ZERMATT.

(Read before the Alpine Club, February 4, 1919.)

Nowhere, perhaps, has the War made such departures from the normal as in the climbing centres in Switzerland, and poor Zermatt is no exception t this rule. I should say one notices it even more there, for it is a resort that has always been particularly popular with the English, both tourists and climbers, who flocked there from July to September in former years, bringing to the place an air of liveliness and prosperity, which for the moment it sadly lacks. _________________

The extract and photographs above were sourced from the archive at the Highland Folk Museum in Newtonmore.

Laggan and Dalwhinnie War Memorials.

‘In the aftermath of the First World War, the people of Britain needed a focus for their grief, loss and pride. War memorials were erected across the UK in the greatest wave of remembrance this nation has ever seen.

They form an important part of our rich cultural heritage and connect us with the global conflict that shaped the world we live in today. They provide insight into the changing face of commemoration as well as artistic, social, local, military and international history.’

Source: http://ukwarmemorials.org

The Laggan memorial commemorates the loss of life during WW1 of the following soldiers:

WWI ROLL OF HONOUR: 

Anderson James Black Watch Private Anderson William Cameron Highlanders Corporal Campbell Charles Cameron Highlanders Private Campbell Donald Cameron Highlanders Lance Corporal Connor Angus Scots Guards Sergeant Connor Donald Canadians Private Expeditionary Force Craib James S. Royal Scots Sergeant Dunbar Robert Cameron Highlanders Private Durrant John Cameron Highlanders Private Fraser Donald Seaforth Highlanders Piper Grant John M. New Zealanders Lance Corporal Wellington M. Rifles Kennedy Alexander Cameron Highlanders Private Kennedy John Cameron Highlanders Private Kennedy Louis Cameron Highlanders Private Livingstone Robert Royal Air Force 2/A.M. MacCook Donald L.S. Sharpshooters Private MacDonald Angus Cameron Highlanders Private MacDonald Angus Royal Field Artillery Gunner MacDonald William Cameron Highlanders Private MacLachlan Angus Cameron Highlanders Lance Corporal MacLeod John Royal Engineers Sapper MacPhee Duncan Cameron Highlanders Private MacPherson Ewan Cameron Highlanders Sergeant MacPherson John Cameron Highlanders Private MacPherson John Royal Scots Fusiliers Private MacPherson John D. Scots Guards Private MacRae Gilbert Cameron Highlanders Private Millar Forbes Cameron Highlanders Private Munro Simon Cameron Highlanders Private Robertson James Cameron Highlanders Private Tolmie Alexander Cameron Highlanders Lance Corporal

To find out more about the Laggan monument: 

https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/216206

The Dalwhinnie inscription reads:

TO THE EVERLASTING MEMORY OF/ THE OFFICERS, NON-COMMISSIONED/ OFFICERS AND MEN FROM DALWHINNIE/ WHO MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE/ IN THE GREAT WAR, 1914 - 1919./ (Names)/ ALSO THE WORLD WAR, 1939 - 1945/ (Names)

To find out more about the Dalwhinnie monument:

https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/193529

And the soldiers that lost their lives:

http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Invernessshire/Dalwhinnie.html

Photographs provided by Graham Grant, author, ‘Laggan Remembers: A Tribute to the Men of Laggan who Gave Their Lives in Two World Wars’

With German U-boats cutting off regular trade routes between the UK and overseas, along with farmers being enlisted as soldiers and farm horses being requisitioned for the war, the UK needed to become more self-sufficient so that people didn’t starve.

The government bought 400 UK built Saunderson tractors and spent another $3.2 million on US manufactured models, like the Titan pictured below.  However, they weren’t always suited to the rocky and rough Highland terrain.

Kerry Duncan

References:

Titan 10-20 photos - own, taken at The Highland Folk Museum

Tractor in a ditch - courtesy of Cawdor Heritage Group/Am Baile.

Farming facts: 

Workshops / Grantown Primary School

Having been fascinated by one of Grantown Museum’s most sought after archive, a photograph of children who have been picking Sphagnum Moss for use in wound dressings, we wanted to use this as a prompt for activity.

P7 class were up for the challenge of stepping into the shoes of children their age one hundred years ago. From imagining what life was like both during and after the war for children, to making sacks and collecting moss, having a go at bandage making and poetry it was a full 2 days immersed in thoughts of WW1.

2 Day research trip 10-11th October

I spent my first day at NRS researching Inverness prison records from WW1 and beyond.  There were many comings and goings of naval prisoners.  

In 1916 weekly lectures were held, with titles such as ‘a night in a Canadian lumber shanty’. ‘human greatness’ and ‘temperance’.  In the Governor's log they were always described as ‘very informative, instructive and appreciated’.

On the second day I was sifting through piles of letters between ex-servicemen and the board of agriculture, regarding the contentious post-war issue of land re-settlement.  Some letters were even sent to the Houses of Parliament or the Palace, demanding the immediate release of ‘land raiders’ from prison.

Many men were promised their own piece of land if they fought for ‘King and Country’, but found this was not a promise easily fulfilled.

We will have an interesting account of land agitation in Raasay within the ‘Coming Home’ exhibition, opening at Inverness Museum in March.  This includes an oral history account from ‘the boot-maker’s’ daughter, Peggy MacIntosh.  The boot-maker, acted as an intermediary between the locals and the powers that be.

Another name that pops up regularly is the Edinburgh based Solicitor Donald Shaw, a key legal figure who assisted many of the families involved.

The boot-maker, John Malcolm MacLeod was a council member of the ‘Highland Land League’ and Donald Shaw was the Legal Adviser.  In the annual report for 1920, the constitution states:

‘The objects of the League shall be to secure Autonomy for Scotland; the return to the people for the use and enjoyment, of the land taken from them and now held in large areas by nobles and other landholders in the Highlands of Scotland...’

Kerry Duncan

References:

Governor’s Log Book, 1916.  Inverness Prison Governor’s Log Books 1916-1923 (HH12/91/1)   National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh.

The Highland Land League objects and constitutions, 1921.   The Highland Land League objects and constitutions, Council and Annual Report for 1920. (AF67/65).  National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh.  

Workshop 1 and 2.The focus of our workshops and film center around Nairn's fishing and the changes that occurred due to the war. We have focused our story around a fictitious fishing family who are split up due to the war. The correspondence between the family members will highlight changes that happened to Nairn and Nairn's fishing industry (and population as a whole). The correspondence will not often reveal the true story but the picture on the postcard or the doodle on the letter will reveal a more turthfull reflection of events.The father at sea returns to a very different Nairn and family to what he had imagined.

In some case it took a bit of time but we got some nice sketches for the characters from some “non” drawers as can be seen above and below.

Workshops / Cromarty Courthouse

I have spent two afternoons with the Fourways group in Cromarty.- exploring the difference between life during the war and after for the people of Cromarty. 

Cromarty was under naval control during WW1 and life was quite different for the ordinary residents. We looked at this more in depth through some civilian passes found in the archive. The group had a go at recreating these passes, some for relatives who were alive and living in the town during WW1.

Such items are a poignant reminder about everyday liberties our country fought for.

IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM, LONDON, RESEARCH VISIT (30th October 2017)

‘The number of soldiers killed in the First World War is shocking. But many more British and Empire troops would have died had the chain of medical services not become increasingly efficient. Medical teams had to get wounded men fit and fighting again. They were backed by constant research into shock, blood loss and infection.

Knowing that they would get expert treatment if wounded was an important factor in keeping up the morale not only of soldiers, but also of their families at home.’ 

Imperial War Museum interpretation panel.