Remembrance display shines light on sacrifice of Buckie and district fallen
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PAYING respects to the war fallen of Buckie and district was at the heart of a special display at Buckie library.
Over November 3-10, thanks to the efforts of local historian David Flower, a total of 424 names of those who died in the two World Wars were laid on over the names of the 94 streets in and around the town where they lived. As well as Buckie itself the list took in Rathven, Drybridge, Clochan and Enzie.
Members of the public were invited to not only view the display and try to find the names of family members but also attach a small red poppy next to them.
The display was to draw a lot of interest in the run up to Remembrance Sunday.
Mr Fowler said: "I'm just delighted at the response there's been, there's been lots of folk coming in and putting poppies on the display.
"I've been humbled by the amount of people who've come in to see it and find their loved one's name."
Mr Fowler first started gathering the names back in 2011 as part of his research for a series of books on local war memorials. However, it was to be seven years and inspiration from hundreds of miles away that was to lay the foundation for his remembrance display.
He continued: "It was in 2018 when a relative sent me an image of a Portsmouth World War I street which had names of the fallen on a panel.
"About four weeks ago, the same relative sent me an image of a square in Islington, London where a panel with the names of the World War I fallen was attached to the railings.
"I then contacted Richard [Fletcher, senior library assistant at Buckie library] to see if it would be feasible to put on a display in the library, and that got the OK.
"The library has been an excellent place to hold the display – quiet and easily accessible."
Although he had most of the names and streets, Mr Fowler did hit a snag in him researches.
"It all went well until I finished up with a list of 20 Peterhythe and Portessie fallen with related home numbers but no streets.
"I contacted David Greera feu duty map which listed all the old house in days before there were street names. In the end I managed to get 19 out of the 20 – one house had been demolished in the years since World War I."
Mr Fowler went on to pay tribute to a number of local organisations for helping publicise the display, both among their members and on social media.
News of the display spread far and wide, with Mr Fowler receiving requests to place poppies on it from relatives of the fallen who do not live in the town. One even came via Facebook from France, from a lady named Alice le Polles, who asked that a poppy be placed next to her great uncle John Smith MM.
Mr Fletcher said the display had been a resounding success.
He continued: "We're all absolutely delighted with how the display went, we knew it was going to be something special when David told us what he wanted to do.
"He really wanted people to be able to engage with it and be at the heart of it.
"Everyone who came in to see the display had a story to tell.
"There was a 92-year-old lady came in and told us that she can still remember when she was seven year's old and the dreaded telegram arrived [saying that a family member had been killed]. It was stories like these that made it such an enriching experience.
"I think this is definitely something we'll be looking at running annually."
One of the visitors to the display during its last afternoon on Wednesday was none other than the Lord Lieutenant of Banffshire Andrew Simpson.
