THE GREAT WAR 1914 - 1918
THIS STONE COMMEMORATES THE MEN OF ALNESS AND WEST ROSSKEEN WHO AT THEIR COUNTRY'S CALL WENT FORTH TO DEFEND THEIR HOMES AND EMPIRE, ENDURED UNTOLD SUFFERINGS AND PASSED FROM THE SIGHT OF MEN BY THE PATH OF DUTY AND SACRIFICE.

THEIR DUST IS IN THE DESERTS AND THE DEEP SEA AND YET TRIUMPHANT O'ER THE GRAVE THEIR SPIRITS NEVER SLEEP BUT GUARD THE FREEDOM WHICH THEY DIED TO SAVE.

1914-1918
1393  PTE  COLIN BAIN  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
1734  L/CPL  J BEALE  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
242323  PTE  JOHN CAMPBELL  7th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
150041 PTE  KENNETH CAMPBELL  11th CANADIANS
1142  PTE  THOMAS CAMPBELL  2nd SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
 LIEUT & QM  ALEX CLARK MC  9th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
267278  PTE  JAMES A. CORMACK  6th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
9392  PTE  HENRY CONNELL  1st SCOTS GUARDS
2948  PTE  DAVID DARLING  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
7576  PTE  GEORGE DOUGLAS  2nd SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
24513  PTE  JAMES FARQUHAR  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
242186  PTE  THOMAS J FERGUSON  5th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
55311  PTE  D FINLAYSON  18th H L I
36805  GUNNER  JOHN FRASER  121st BATTRY RFA
37331  QM SERGT  RODERICK J. FRASER  178th Cy MGC
10102  PTE  HECTOR FRASER  2nd SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
8132  L/CPL  WILLIAM FRASER  2nd SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
1706  PTE  JOHN GAIR  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
1760  PTE  MARK GRANT  5th ARGYLE & SUTH HDRS
202004  L/CPL  HUGH GRANT  6th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
200126  CPL  ROBERT GRANT  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
9317  PTE  ROBERT GRAY  2nd SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS

1939-1945
2822647  PTE  DANIEL AIRLIE  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
2820993  PTE  JOHN S BAIN  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
345496  SERGT  VICTOR BROWN  RAF
V7795  CMM  GEORGE FOWLER  RCNVR
14214623  PTE  JOHN R FRASER  6th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
1551463  LAC  WILLIAM J FRASER  RAF
 LIEUT  WILLIAM D D GAMMIE  5th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS

1914 - 1918
13325  PTE   DUNCAN C. GUNN  15th HLI
6698  PTE  D HENDERSON  5th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
 MAJOR  J M HENDERSON MC  4th GORDON HIGHLANDERS
LIEUTENANT  A HILL  9th HLI
3311  PTE  DONALD HOPE  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
1900  SERGT  N KENNEDY  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
40395  PTE  WM MACBEAN  7th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
1901 L/CPL FINLAY MACULLOCH 4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
995 PTE DAVID C MACDONALD  5th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
1290  PTE  HUGH MACDONALD  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
36189  CPL  J MACDONALD  7th DUKE OF CORNWALL'S LI
40569  PTE  J MACDONALD  2nd R L SCOTS FUS
22251  PTE  DONALD MACGHEE  GORDON HIGHLANDERS
1055  SERGT  GEORGE MACKAY  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
6988  PTE  COLIN MACKELLAR  5th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
201735  PTE  ALEX MACKENZIE  6th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
1921  SERGT  D MACKENZIE  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
422795  PTE  D MACKENZIE  29th CANADIANS
2nd LIEUT  GEORGE A MACKENZIE  8th GORDON HIGHLANDERS
200532  PTE  HUGH J MACKENZIE  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
20976  L/CPL  SIMON MUNRO  4th GRENADIER GUARDS

1914 - 1918
266320  PTE  J MACKENZIE  6th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
1012  SERGT  D A MACLEAN  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
3096  PTE  JOHN MACLEAY  7th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
242279  L/CPL  R MACLENNAN  6th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
27705  SERGT  DAVID MACLEOD  6th H L I
1485  PTE  HUGH MACLEOD  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
1659  PTE  LACHLAN MACLEOD  6th ROYAL HIGHLANDERS
1735  PTE  THOMAS MACLEOD  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
7382  PTE  J MANSON  2nd SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
1098  CPL  A D MATHESON  M G SGT C M R N Z
44132  RIFLEMAN  A MATHESON  1st C I N Z
40223  PTE  JAMES MATHESON  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
7611  PTE  RODERICK MATHESON  2nd SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
200338  CPL  J W MILLER  6th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
278811  GUNNER  J F MINTY  36th BATTRY RFA
1389  PTE  GEORGE MORRISON  14th A I F
201919  L/CPL  GEORGE MUNRO  2nd SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
40234  L/CPL  JOHN MUNRO  2nd SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
1866  PTE  JOHN MUNRO  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
1899  PTE  MURDO MUNRO  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS

1939 - 1945
1596536  L/BDR  NEIL MACMULLAN  RA
656656  W/O  DUGALD J MACRAE  RAF
1366356  FL/SERGT  IAN T MACRAE  RAF
Fx80214 AIR MECH  FRANK G MATTHEWS  RN
1822930 SERGT  WILLIAM J G MIDDLETON  RAF
14226495  TPR  RODERICK MUNRO  15/19 HUSSARS
2817975  L/CPL  KENNETH McR SINCLAIR  2nd SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS

1939 - 1945
SISTER  ANNIE P. KERR  MN
BOSUN  RODERICK MACDONALD  MN
318086  L/CPL  JAMES MACKAY  2nd CAMERON Hldrs
14402094  TPR  DONALD J K MACKENZIE  6th AIRBORNE
2815904  GDSM  WILLIAM MACKENZIE  1st SCOTS GUARDS
SEAMAN  DUNCAN MACLEAN  MN
P/Kx 84974 STOKER  ALEXANDER J MACLENNAN  RN

1914 - 1918
200294  PTE   WILLIAM MUNRO  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
1717  PTE  ROBERT MURRAY  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
1322  PTE  IAN ROBERTSON  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
202011  PTE  PETER ROBERTSON  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
10855  SERGT  DUNCAN ROSS  4th CANADIANS
5041  SGT MAJ  HUGH ROSS  1st SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
40015  PTE  GEORGE ROSS  2nd SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
1810  PTE  HUGH ROSS  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
1970  PTE  HENRY ROSS  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
6182  PTE  GILBERT ROSS  7th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
1755518  PTE  GEORGE ROSS  310th AMERICAN FORCE
27137  PTE  ARTHUR SCOTT  7th CAMERON HIGHLANDERS
22773  L/CPL  J S SCOTT  7th ARGYLE & SUTH HDRS
25890  PTE  ALEXANDER SMITH  5th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
30445  PTE  ALEX R STEVENSON  5th GORDON HIGHLANDERS
1032  PTE  DONALD STEWART  8th SOUTHLAND REG NZ
6702  PTE  JOHN F STRACHAN  5th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
28594  PTE  GEORGE M WATSON  7th ROYAL SCOTS
200044  PTE  DAVID WILLIAMSON  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
200065  SERGT  DONALD WILLIAMSON  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
16006  PTE  GEORGE WILLIAMSON  6th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
40934  PTE  ISAAC WILLIAMSON  5th CAMERON HIGHLANDERS

Northern Ireland 8th July 1979
244384449  PTE  A.M. MacMILLAN Q.O. Hlnds

1939 - 1945
9337773  DVR  WILLIAM STEVENSON  5th RHA
2825517  DMR  DAVID STEWART  2nd SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
2939924  CPL  HARRY M STODDART  4th CAMERON HIGHLANDERS
2812443  PTE  WILLIAM SWANSON MM  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
7609583  PTE  DAVID A TAYLOR  RAOC
2822633  PTE  WILLIAM THOM  4th SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
1461543  GNR  ALEXANDER WINCHESTER  RA


On 10 September 2016 a rededication ceremony was held at Alness War Memorial following a refurbishment.

A new precision steam cleaning process to remove moss and algae from the lettering was used to transform the memorial - which was barely legible - after Alness natives from home and abroad gave generously to a fund set up to pay for the work.

Alness Community Association launched the appeal to refurbish the 20ft high memorial at the east end of the High Street after it was decided it would be funded in the same way the memorial had been paid for in 1920 - by public subscription.  Extra donations meant a fund was in place to pay for the upkeep of the memorial and any further restoration work it may require.  The total raised was £8500.

The service was intended as a 'thank you' to all contributors.

The restoration was carried out by conservation stonemason John Maclean of Dingwall and took around four days to complete.  The steam cleaner was bought specifically for the task as it was thought it would be less damaging to the sandstone than power washing, which took the surface off the memorial when that was carried out back in the 1980s.

After the great losses of World War 1, the Alness War Memorial was erected through public subscription and unveiled in 1921 to commemorate those from Alness and Wester Rosskeen who had been lost.

In 1949, following another public subscription, the names of those who died in World War 2 were added and the memorial rededicated.  In total it now lists 114 local people who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country - 85 in WW1, 28 in WW2 and one in the Northern Ireland conflict.

The whole structure needed careful cleaning, all the joints re-pointed and other much needed restoration work.  The association also received support from Highland Council and SSE sub-contractors BAM Nuttall and Siemens, who were working nearby at Fyrish.
[Text courtesy of The Ross-shire Journal]

In September 2016 the Ross-shire Journal reported on an entry in the restored memorial, and details are reproduced courtesy of the Editor.  

Annie Kerr was the only woman with her name inscribed on Alness War Memorial.  She lost her life at the age of 51 in the sinking of the SS Ceramic which was being used as a military hospital boat when it was torpedoed by the Germans during World War 2.

The boat was carrying 656 people and sailing across the Atlantic from Liverpool to Australis when tragedy struct, overnight, on December 6-7, 1942.  Passengers and crew scrambled into lifeboats following the attack, close to the Azores, but many of them capsized amid a storm and there was only one survivor.  Sister Kerr, who lived at Coulhill, Alness, was among those lost.

Sister Kerr, who was born and brought up in Lochinver, completed her nurse training in England before moving north to work as a staff sister in the Ross Memorial Hospital in Dingwall.  Her name is inscribed on both the Alness and Lochinver war memorials.

She was awarded five medals for her work - the 1939-45 Star, Atlantic Star, Pacific Star, War medal 1939-45 and British Red Cross for War Service 1914-1918.  She was the eldest daughter of Mr and Mrs Andrew Kerr of Ledbeg, Lairg.