During the conflicts of the 20th Century former pupils of the George Watson's Boys' College answered their country's call in their hundreds and many made the ultimate sacrifice.
In World War I 605 died, 19.5% of those who served in the armed forces.
In World War II 202 died, 11.2% of those who served in the armed forces.
In addition, one former pupil of George Watson's Ladies' College was killed in World War I, another was killed during World War II and a pupil died in the Korean War. This Roll of Honour provides some of the facts and the faces behind the stark statistics. It also includes the six members of staff who died in World War I and another, who had taught at George Watson's Ladies' College, who died in World War II.
These biographies are not complete and there are also a number of photographs missing, together with a few records that have not yet been traced. If you have any further information we would welcome it, please contact us.
We continue to work hard to find out more about these Watsonians. Some of the photographs you will see here have been taken from newspapers and from the school magazine, The Watsonian, when they were still at school. Most of the information you will find here has been taken from A Memorial Record of Watsonians who served in the Great War (1920) and The Watsonian War Record 1939-1945 (1951). These two volumes were published to record and honour Watsonians who had served and who had died. Additionally, John Hamblin researched the Watsonians during the Second World War (1939-46) in more detail and we are pleased to share his research here too.
You can view the War Records by selecting one of the following links. Alternatively, you can search the Records using the form below, completing as much information as possible.
Your search for former pupils returned 804 record(s).
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| Name | Regiment | Buried | Biography |
|---|---|---|---|
Norman McRury |
R.H. | HELLES MEMORIAL | The eldest son of the late Rev. J. McRury, was born at Snizort in 1891, and attended G.W.C. 1907-10. He achieved distinction at the Games, and on going to Edin. Univ. identified himself prominently with the E.U.O.T.C., being for two successive years in the teams sent to London to compete in the Marathon. He was also Pipe-Major of the Corps, a prominent member of the Celtic Society, and a noted shinty player. He entered the Civil Service (Customs and Excise), and was drafted to London. On the outbreak of war he was gazetted to the 11th R.H., and was promoted Lt. in Feb. 1915. He was sent to the Dardanelles, and was killed on June 4, 1915, three days after landing on the Peninsula. |
James Duncan McTavish |
Gordon Highlanders | ARRAS MEMORIAL | A son of Mr. J. S. McTavish, Leeds, was born in Edin. in 1897. Educated at G.W.C., 1903-7, he passed to Wellington College (Salop), where be served in the O.T.C., 1909-13. He had spent one year in an insurance office, when he joined the 9th R.S. on the outbreak of war. Proceeding to France in Jan. 1915, he took part in the fighting at Ypres and Arras, and was wounded at Armentieres in 1916. In Sept. of that year he received a commission in the Gordon Hrs., and again crossed to France, where he was attached to the 7th Bn. in Dec. 1916. He fell in action at Rceux near Arras, Apr. 23, 1917. |
Charles Gustave Clark Meister |
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders | LA CLYTTE MILITARY CEMETERY | The younger son of M. Frederic Meister, formerly a member of G.W.C. Staff, was born in 1882, and entered G.W.C. 1888. A graduate of Edin. Univ. in Arts, he studied Divinity at Coates Hall, gaining the Luscombe Scholarship as first student of his year. An assistant priest of Old St. Paul's, Edin., he was appointed Chaplain to the Forces, and in 1915 crossed to France, where he was attached first to the Seaforth Hrs., and later to the A. and S. H. He was mentioned in Despatches in 1916, and awarded the M.C. in 1917 'for conspicuous bravery and attention to the wounded under fire.' He was killed on Apr. 18, 1918. |
Ernest Alexander Meldrum |
Gurkha Rifles | NEUVE-CHAPELLE MEMORIAL | The only son of Major Meldrum, V.D., Musselburgh, was born in 1892, and was a pupil in G.W.C. 1902-10. Later he studied at the East of Scotland Agricultural College. He was a L/Cpl. in the Cadet Corps and gained certificate 'A.' He was also A.S.M. in the College Scouts, and was the fourth in Scotland to gain the Silver Wolf Badge. He went to Assam in the service of the Ceylon Tea Coy., and joined the Surma Valley Light Horse in which he became Capt. On the outbreak of war he trained with the 1/8th Gurkha Rifles, came to France in command of a full Coy., and was killed in action Sept. 25, 1915, while holding a position well beyond the German line. |
James Douglas Leith Melrose |
R.G.A. | ABEELE AERODROME MILITARY CEMETERY | The second son of ex-Provost J. Melrose, Kelso, attended G.W.C. 1893-1901. He was a keen Rugby player and a member of the 1st XV. On leaving School he was indentured to Messrs. Hossack and Hamilton, W.S., and after passing the necessary examinations was admitted a member of the W.S. Socy. in 1908. In Aug. 1914 he was mobilised as a Territorial Offr. in the Forth R.G.A., and early in the following year closed his office in Rutland St. He commanded a Siege Bty. in France, ultimately with the rank of Major, and saw much fighting on the Somme and round Ypres. Mortally wounded on Apr. 25,1918, at Kemmel, he died four days later. |
John Bertram Melrose |
R.A.F. | EDINBURGH (WARRISTON) CEMETERY | John B. Melrose, Sergeant, Royal Air Force, son of the late Mr. W. Melrose and Mrs. Melrose, 58 Stirling Road, Edinburgh, was born on 8th September 1912, and came to Watson's from Bonnington Academy, Leith, in 1921. Leaving in 1929 to enter the firm of Messrs. Rintoul & Co., Cloth Merchants, Pitt Street, Edinburgh, he joined the R.A.F. in November 1940. After training in this country he did service in Iraq and on the Persian Gulf. Returning home to take his commission, he died on 26th June 1944 of an illness contracted abroad. |
David Melville |
King's African Rifles | Not Known | A son of the late D. Scott Melville, Barrow-in-Furness, was born in Dundee in 1870. He entered G.W.C. in 1884, and left in 1887 to study medicine at Edin. Univ. During his last session at School he played for the 1st XV. Having graduated M.D. and obtained a Diploma in Public Health, he emigrated to East Africa, where he was appointed M.O. at Tsolo, Griqualand, in 1896. As Major in the Army Medical Service he served through the Boer War. In 1915 he was gazetted Lt. in the E.A. Med. Service, and put in command of the 1st Fd. Amb. of the Protectorate Forces in B.E.A. He was invalided from the Army in 1918, holding the rank of Major, and died, Nov. 7, 1919, of malaria contracted on active service. |
Harry Taylor Melville |
R.A.F. | SARRALBE MILITARY CEMETERY | A son of Mr. H. T. Melville, Edin., attended G.W.C. 1902-6. He took up the profession of surveying, but on the outbreak of war joined the 9th R.S., and proceeded to France in 1915. In 1916 he received a commission in the 7th Seaforth Hrs. He took part in the fighting on the Somme 1916, and was wounded in Aug. of that year. In the battle of Arras, 1917, he was the only unwounded officer left in his Coy. In 1917 he transferred to the R.A.F., and was wounded by an A.A. gun during a raid over Metz Sablon. During a raid on Saarbrucken he was shot down and killed, July 31, 1918. |
Archibald Rudge Wilson Menzies |
Scots Guards | CAMBRAI MEMORIAL, LOUVERVAL | Born at Edin. in 1887, was the third son of the late A. Menzies, S.S.C. He was a pupil at G.W.C. from 1894-1903. Adopting a commercial career, he went to Shanghai in 1909, and three years later held an appointment at Kobe, Japan. In 1915 he returned to the United Kingdom, and, volunteering for service, received a commission in the Scots Guards in the following year. He crossed to France in 1916, and was present at the battle of the Somme and the 3rd battle of Ypres. Promoted Lt. in July 1917, he took part in much severe fighting and was gassed in July. He fell in action at Cambrai, Nov. 26, 1917. |
Alexander Berry Methven |
SAAF | EAST LONDON (EAST BANK) CEMETERY | Alexander B. Methven, Air Mechanic, South African Air Force, younger son of Mr. P. S. Methven and the late Mrs. Methven, was born on 14th April 1916, and entered Watson's in 1921. He was a member of the school swimming team in 1934. After obtaining his P.M.S. certificate at the Wireless College, Walker Street, Edinburgh, he applied to join the Palestine Police Force, and proceeded to Palestine in 1936 at the height of the racial riots. At the outbreak of war he was a Sergeant in the C.I.D. and immediately applied for permission to join the U.K. armed forces. The Palestine Police, being a semi-military organisation, at first refused permission, but later he obtained his release and proceeded to South Africa, where he joined the South African Air Force. After a period of training he qualified as Wireless-Operator Rear-Gunner with Coastal Command. During a routine coastal patrol flight on 14th December 1942, the aeroplane in which he was flying struck a mountain at East London, South Africa, in a fog. Sandy, the sole survivor, lived only a few hours. |