In Memory ofJAMES ALEXANDER BARCLAYPrivate
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| Additional Information: Click on images to view details
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Son of John and Eleanor Barclay, of Kemnay, Aberdeenshire. John Barclay and Eleanor Smith both belonged to the Turriff area and are interred in the Cemetery there. He was a farm servant at Kirkton Mill, Drumblade before coming to Kennethmont. They retired to Kemnay. James Alexander Barclay was born on 25th May 1914. He had five brothers and six sisters. His father was a farm servant at Wraes, Kennethmont at the time of WW2 and this was the family home. He was a regular soldier and joined up before 1933 |
Commemorative Information
| Memorial: | SINGAPORE CIVIL HOSPITAL GRAVE MEMORIAL, Singapore |
| Grave
Reference/ Panel Number: |
Column 6. |
| Location:
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This Memorial stands at the eastern end of the terrace within Kranji War Cemetery. It is a simple rectangular wall of white stone with panels of Portland stone, on which are engraved servicemen who died during the capture of Singapore and who were buried in a mass grave, together with some 300 civilians, in the grounds of the Civil Hospital in New Bridge Road where there is a commemorative cross. Kranji War Cemetery is 22 kilometres north of the city of Singapore, on the north side of Singapore Island overlooking the Straits of Johore. It is just of the Singapore-Johore road (Woodlands Road) at the milestone 13.5, and there is a short approach road from the main road. The Cemetery is known locally as Kranji Memorial and one must be sure of the address before boarding a taxi as most taxi drivers do not know the Cemetery. There are also bus stops on the main road facing the Cemetery. An MRT terminal is under construction a short distance from the Cemetery. |
Historical Information:
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THE SINGAPORE
CIVIL HOSPITAL GRAVE MEMORIAL, SINGAPORE During the last hours of the Battle of Singapore wounded servicemen taken prisoner and civilians massacred by the Japanese were brought to the hospital in their hundreds. Many were already dead on arrival, many more succumbed later, and the number of fatalities was such that burial in the normal manner was impossible. Before the war an emergency water tank had been dug in the grounds of the hospital, and this was used as a grave. Some 300 civilians and 107 members of the Armed Forces of the Commonwealth were buried in this collective grave. After the war, when the Army Graves Service moved into war cemeteries all graves so situated that they could not be permanently maintained, it was known that it would be impossible to give individual identity to any of those buried there, and this grave was therefore left undisturbed. It was suitably enclosed, was consecrated by the Bishop of Singapore, and a memorial in the form of a cross was erected over it by the military authorities. Subsequently this part of the hospital grounds was turned into a garden, which is maintained by the local government. A bronze panel, affixed to the memorial over the original grave, bears the inscription "Beneath this Cross lie 107 British soldiers and 300 civilians of many races, victims of man's inhumanity to man, who perished in captivity in February 1942. The soldiers are commemorated by name at Kranji War Cemetery". It was, of course, not practicable to erect individual headstones on this collective grave, and the service casualties are therefore commemorated upon a memorial in Kranji War Cemetery, where rest many of their comrades. This memorial stands at the eastern end of the terrace. It takes the form of a simple rectangular wall of white stone, with panels of Portland stone on which the names are engraved. The total of 107 casualties here commemorated is made up by 2 Royal Marines and 92 soldiers belonging to the forces of the United Kingdom; 2 Australian soldiers; 5 soldiers of the army of undivided India and 6 Malayan soldiers. The dedicatory inscription reads:-. "THE SOLDIERS WHOSE MEMORY IS HONOURED HERE PERISHED IN CAPTIVITY IN FEBRUARY 1942 AND LIE BURIED IN ONE GRAVE IN THE GROUNDS OF SINGAPORE CIVIL GENERAL HOSPITAL". INDEX OF REGIMENTS AND CORPS SHOWING THEIR POSITION ON THE MEMORIAL COLUMN NUMBER UNITED KINGDOM FORCES NUMBER OF NAMES Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders .. .. .. 5 1 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment .. 3 and 4 4 Cambridgeshire Regiment .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 and 4 9 Corps of Royal Engineers .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 and 2 4 Gordon Highlanders ... ... ... ... ... ... 5 and 6 4 Herts. Yeomanry .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 and 2 2 Lanarkshire Yeomanry .. .. .. .. .. .. ... 1 1 Loyal Regiment .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... 5 to 8 11 (inclusive) Manchester Regiment .. .. .. .. .. ... ... 5 and 6 2 Northamptonshire Regiment .. .. .. .. .... 5 1 Royal Army Medical Corps .. .. .. .. .. .. 7 1 Royal Army Ordnance Corps .. .. .. .. .... 7 1 Royal Army Service Corps .. .. .. .. .. .. 7 and 8 8 Royal Corps of Signals .. .. .. .. .. .... 1 and 2 4 Royal Leicestershire Regiment .. .. .. ... 3 and 4 2 Royal Marines .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... 1 and 2 2 Royal Norfolk Regiment .. .. .. .. .. .... 1 and 2 8 Royal Northumberland Fusiliers .. .. .. .. 1 and 2 2 Royal Regiment of Artillery .. .. .. .. .. 1 and 2 13 Sherwood Foresters .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 to 6 6 (inclusive) Suffolk Regiment .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... 3 and 4 8 Total 94 AUSTRALIAN FORCES Australian Army Service Corps .. .. .. ... 9 1 Australian Infantry .. .. .. .. .. .. .... 7 1 Total 2 INDIAN FORCES Indian Army Corps of Clerks .. .. .. .. .. 9 1 Indian Medical Department .. .. .. .. .... 9 1 Indian Medical Service .. .. .. .. .. .... 9 1 14th Punjab Regiment .. .. .. .. .. .. ... 9 1 6th Rajputana Rifles .. .. .. .. .. .. ... 9 1 Total 5 MALAYAN FORCES Federated Malay States Volunteer Force ... 9 and 10 3 Johore Volunteer Engineers .. .. .. .. ... 9 1 Malay Regiment .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... 9 1 Straits Settlements Volunteer Force .. ... 9 1 Total 6 Grand Total 107 |
