AN OLD Kilpatrick woman has launched a bid to remember the 49 men etched on the village’s war memorial by unearthing more information about their lives.

With centenary commemorations of the Armistice taking place on November 11 of this year, Florence Boyle from Old Kilpatrick Community Council has made it her mission to find out more about the men – all of them connected to the village – who lost their lives during the First World War.

Researching over the last few months, Florence has been able to source stories, photographs or shreds of information regarding most of the men.

However, she has appealed for help from anyone who will be able to aid her research and bring the memory of those who fell to life.

Once all of the information is gathered, Florence and the community council plan to hold an exhibit in the Napier Hall in the village and to pass the information on to local history archives, to ensure that “we will always remember them”.

She told the Reporter: “This year marks the centenary of the end of the First World War.

“Old Kilpatrick Community Council would like to find out more about the 49 men who died in that war and whose names are recorded on the bronze plaques.

“We know their names but what do we know about them and their lives?

“We just want to see what family stuff is out there.

“Do people have photos or stories or anything just to bring it to life a wee bit?

“Fortunately, there has been a lot of research done to mark the recent commemorations and the community council has made a great start in finding out something more about the stories behind the names.”

The idea was initially brought up at a meeting of the community council and Florence said people were keen to “have a wee dig and find out more”.

She added: “I know something about 40 to 45 of them.

“A couple we know quite a lot about and we have four we know nothing about.

“It’s a sliding scale but it’s early days. We’ve got six months.”

Some of the men they have had success in finding out more about include Torello Lazzzerini, Daniel Sinclair and Reverend Harry Smith.

The men commemorated didn’t just service in the British forces and there were representatives of the Australian, Canadian and Italian armies.

When war broke out, Torello returned to Italy to join up. He was killed in action in 1917, leaving a widow, Quintilla, and a young son Bertie.

Bertie later owned and ran the Glen Café for many years, directly across the road from the memorial where his father is remembered.

In 1911, Daniel Sinclair left Old Kilpatrick for a new life in Australia. By 1916 he had enlisted in the Australian Army and in 1917 was killed at Ypres.

He left behind a heartbroken fiancée, Elsie, in Sydney and his parents in Old Kilpatrick.

In March 1918, the minister, Mr Smith, received the news that his son, Lieutenant Harry Gordon Smith, 19, had been killed in action on the Macedonia Front.

The name of the young officer appears side by side with the others who fell, with no differentiation being made for rank.

If someone from your family is on the memorial, Florence has asked if you can help by providing some background information or a photograph. Contact OKMemorial@yahoo.com.