Helensburgh Remembrance: WW1 book launch to kick off events in town this weekend

The Friends of Hermitage Park produced the compilation of research as part of the National Lottery-funded Helensburgh War Memorial Families Project.

A dedicated website – helensburghwarmemorial.co.uk – was launched at Armistice last year and a book, DVD and pamphlet guide to Hermitage Park in the First World War will be unveiled on Saturday.

The opening ceremony of the war memorial on June 22, 1922, as covered in the Helensburgh and Gareloch Times

Fiona Baker, chair of the Friends, said: “We are pleased to finally be able to launch the book but are sorry we still can’t hold an open event due to Covid precautions.

“However, the book will be on display at the Hermitage Park Pavilion, Destination Helensburgh and also at Helensburgh Library along with a small exhibition from next week.

“The pamphlet guide will also be available for sale.

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“We are very grateful to the descendants of those named on the memorial, LiveArgyll, regimental museums and archives, and everyone who assisted us in finding information.

“We hope this book and the website will be useful resources for local history studies in the future.

“The altar at the memorial says ‘Let those who come after see to it that their names are not forgotten’. We hope that the project has honoured this.”

The annual service of Remembrance in Helensburgh will take place on Sunday, November 14 at Hermitage Park, starting at 10.45am.

There will be no formal parade, but participants are invited to congregate at the park’s pavilion, where ushers will direct them to allocated positions in the memorial grounds.

A number of youth and voluntary organisations, community groups and public bodies will be represented on the day.