A permanent memorial to Scottish World War One poets will be unveiled by the Lord Provost in Edinburgh’s Makars’ Court today (Friday 23 November), in recognition of their bravery and sacrifice in service as well as the rich body of work which they have left behind for future generations.
Frank Ross will be joined by representatives from Edinburgh Napier University, Scottish Poetry Library, University of Aberdeen, Edinburgh City Council, Scotland’s War and Dignity Funerals Ltd Scotland, who form the partnership behind the project.
Neil McLennan (University of Aberdeen), Chair of the Scotland’s War Poets Partnership Project, said: “As we approach the end of First World War Commemorations, poetic words and warnings of war will echo into another century. To help keep those words alive, some of them will now be etched in granite. This pertinent memorial is to those who powerfully captured the horrendous ‘war to end all wars’. Sadly this has not been the case and so we must keep educating on historic conflicts and on Remembrance.”
Invited guests, including the relatives of several Scottish World War One poets, will make their way from St Giles Cathedral to Makars’ Court as a further act of remembrance. The memorial will be draped in Scotland’s War Tartan, which was specially commissioned this year to commemorate the Scottish military and civilian contribution to World War One.
The memorial will be unveiled during the ceremony to reveal a traditional hand-crafted granite Celtic cross with deep-carved Celtic knot work, which has been kindly donated by Dignity Funerals Ltd Scotland in conjunction with MacIntyre Memorials Ltd.
Annette MacDonald, Dignity Funerals Business Manager for Aberdeen and North Scotland, said: “Dignity Funerals has worked closely with the Scottish War Poets Partnership Project and preferred stonemasons MacIntyre to design and produce the Karin grey granite memorial and has thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It has been a challenge to bring this together, but a very worthwhile experience, one which marks a piece of history for future generations.”
A public poll was launched by Scottish Poetry Library earlier this year to allow the public an opportunity to choose a preferred quote from a series of poems to feature on the permanent memorial.
Colin Waters, Communications Manager at Scottish Poetry Library, said: “The lines that attracted most votes came from Neil Munro’s ‘Lament for the Lads’ – Sweet be their sleep now wherever they’re lying far though they be from the hills of their home. Munro (pictured) didn’t serve in the war, but visited the Western Front in his job as a journalist; moreover, his son died in battle during the war, with the poem dramatising his grief.”
Munro’s poem, Lament for the Lads, as well as a short biography will be read by pupils from Tynecastle High School, James Gillespie’s High School and George Watson’s College during the ceremony. Pupils have engaged with the project via the partnership’s school education programme, delivered by Edinburgh Napier University.
Edinburgh Napier invited pupils from Tynecastle High School and George Watson’s College to its Craiglockhart Campus, the site of the former military hospital for officers who received treatment for shellshock during World War One.
Both schools have strong links with poets from World War One. Wilfred Owen (1893-1918) taught English at Tynecastle High School in 1917, whilst convalescing at Craiglockhart Military Hospital for shellshock, and Alexander Robertson (1882-1916) attended George Watson’s College, where he received the Silver Medal Award for English literature.
The pupils visited the university’s War Poets Collection which comprises more than 600 unique items and provided the pupils with fascinating insight into the personal and social experiences of war through the words, poetry, memories and voices of patients whilst they convalesced at Craiglockhart.
Dr Andrew Frayn, from Edinburgh Napier’s Centre for Literature and Writing, introduced the topic of World War One disenchantment to the pupils, through a comparison of the visual stimulus of World War One recruitment posters to the reality (disenchantment) of the trenches borne out by the words of war poets.
Catherine Walker, Curator of Edinburgh Napier University’s War Poets Collection (above), said: “This memorial to the Scottish war poets is a fitting tribute to their service, sacrifice and creativity. We remember not only those associated with our Craiglockhart Campus, but all who spoke so eloquently about war. It is important to mark their lasting legacy, which continues to resonate through our work with young people today.”
Edinburgh Napier University’s school education programme was supported by workshops delivered by Aberdeen University, Scottish Poetry Library, Scottish War Blinded, Scotland’s War, 51st Brigade, University of the Third Age and the Personnel Recovery Unit (Edinburgh) as a means to reinforce the wider themes of trauma, rehabilitation and creativity.
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