Who is The One?
This book has been about 15 years in the making and, sadly, all of the Merchistonian veterans and many of their family members who have contributed have passed away. The organisation of this book has been a matter of debate. Should the casualties be listed alphabetically, as per the War Memorial, or by date of death?
In the end, I decided on a chronological order, which gives the reader an idea of the ebb and flow of the War and its impact on the School. I have also included some contemporary accounts from the Merchistonian magazine of the time. Where possible I have included photographs taken of our fallen while at School. I can scarcely imagine what it must have been like to be a master at Merchiston, week by week, month by month receiving news that a former pupil had been killed. I suspect that, in their mind’s eye, the image associated with the name would have been the one I have reproduced here. They truly “did not grow old”.
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Estimated Delivery:Oct 12 - Oct 16
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Order for Collection: From Merchiston Castle School
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Who is The One?
Rev NGD Blair, 1st Jan 2025
A Personal Note from the Author
“Thank you!...Thank you! They were all shouting”
Ten years ago, I had the privilege of walking with my father, George, out of Westminster Abbey along Whitehall, past the Cenotaph, through Horseguards and into St James’ Park. Alongside us were hundreds of veterans of WW2 attending what The Author and his father George Blair, 8th May 2015 was billed as their “final parade” for VE Day 70, marking 70 years since the end of the War in Europe on May 8th 1945. My 89 year old father, impeccably dressed like they all were, marched a little slowly, leaning at times on my arm but determined to finish the mile and a half walk to the British Legion tents. And at every turn, a wall of sound met us from the crowds, 10 sometimes 20 deep, clapping and waving and, on occasion, shouting almost in unison.
“What are they saying?” Dad asked (his hearing aids firmly in his blazer pocket… not for parade!). I am not ashamed to say I replied with a tear in the eye,
“They’re shouting ‘Thank you!’, Dad.... …they’re shouting Thank you!”
This book is, 10 years later, on VE Day 80, my way of saying thank you, not only to those who returned but to those who did not return. I have been privileged to have met a few of Merchiston’s WW2 veterans in my 20 years here; Berwick Nicol, Bill Craw, Wattie Yellowlees, Jimmy Allen, Michael Paton, to name but a few. They remembered the characters of this book because they were there. We must choose to remember, because while we were not there, the lessons that generation learned and the values they fought for are too important to ever forget.
For all the Merchistonians who did not return, this is at long last, their “final parade” in print and our chance to say as a School community, “Thank you!” We will remember them.
I am indebted to many people for the eventual production of this book
Additional Thanks To
Andrew McDonald, President of the Merchistonian Club for his support and encouragement and to the Club itself for funding the printing of this book.
Ailsa Campbell (née Aitken), for her skill, patience and dedication in setting this book out and designing it to be a fitting tribute; her father (GS Aitken, ’62) and uncle (JAH Aitken, ’48) were both Merchistonians.
Philip Rossiter, proof reader extraordinaire amongst his many, many talents.
I have no doubt that, whilst all care has been taken to make sure this book is accurate, there will be mistakes and misunderstandings in my writing and research. The fault is entirely mine. I hope the reader will be gracious enough to recognise that this has been something of a labour of love and be good enough to look past any inaccuracies and still feel this is a fitting tribute to those from Merchiston who gave everything that we might have so much.