Raining this morning but faired by 10 o’clock + was a nice day though coldish N.E. Walked to Backrow + Wellwood Stables and Hospital. Did not go to church. Wrote Helen, Dora + Jean1. At 3.30 met members of /2 V.A.D.2 in Market Place viz3 Weir4, Bartie5, Brown, M. + J. Addie6, Pollok7, Douglas, McGuire + Gow8 + marched in procession with Town Council, the Ex Service men, Territorials, Girl Guides + Boy Scouts to the Hall where a Memorial Service for Gallipoli 12th July was held9. Then we marched back to the War Memorial. Examined a Mr Turnbull for the University Life Assoc. [?]. Supped at Wellwood10 where the Birches11 are staying.
1 Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Andrina Dorothy ‘Dora’ Muir (1882-1978) and Jane Henderson Logan ‘Jean’ Pike née Muir (1877-1941), Dr Muir’s third, youngest and eldest daughters respectively
2 Dr Muir was the Commandant of the 2nd Selkirkshire Voluntary Aid Detachment (V.A.D.)
3 The Editor assumes that the names are those of some of Dr Muir’s V.A.D. reported as being part of the 1922 Memorial Service; in his diary entry for 29 April 1915 Dr Muir notes, amongst others, Bartie and Mrs Weir as part of his V.A.D. [Southern Reporter 20 July 1922]
4 Mrs Weir was a nurse and is recorded numerous times throughout Dr Muir’s wartime diaries (but is otherwise unidentified) and other V.A.D.s were listed in Dr Muir’s diary entry for 30 March 1922 when there was a presentation of medals at the Victoria Hall to members of the 2nd V.A.D. for their war service
5 Miss Jane Bartie was a teacher and one of Dr Muir’s Voluntary Aid Detachment (V.A.D.) [see Knowepark School log book, Scottish Borders Archives S/ED/2/24]
6 Presumably Jessie Love Addie (about 1895-1979), Tenant Occupier of a house in Buccleuch Road, Selkirk [1923 VR007900012- ; death 1979! 811/ 73, Selkirk
7 Assume one of the daughters of John Pollok (1858-1938), Town Clerk and Procurator Fiscal, Selkirk
8 Douglas, McGuire and Gow are unidentified (though Jemima Gow was one of those present on 30 March)
9 There was an “Ex-Soldiers’ Memorial Service” on the Sunday following the anniversary of the action at Achi Baba Nullah on 12 July 1915, what the King’s Own Scottish Borderers’ website describes as “One Of The Darkest Days In The History Of The Scottish Borders” on the Gallipoli Peninsular where “one final attempt was made by the 52nd (Lowland) Division to breakthrough at Helles.” Four ‘waves’ charged simultaneously, the first two made up of the 1/4th KOSB and the third and fourth by the 1/5th K.O.S.B. The Borderers’ website records 1/4th KOSB casualties at 535 and 1/5th K.O.S.B. casualties at 270 [details courtesy of The King’s Own Scottish Borderers 12th of July 1915 – Gallipoli]
10 Wellwood, Ettrick Terrace, home of the Roberts family John ‘Jack’ Roberts junior (1876-1966), Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir (1878-1948) and their children Andrina Barbara Henderson ‘Barbara’ Roberts, later Thwigg (1902-1996), John Stewart ‘Jock’ Roberts (1904-1950), Louisa Jane Roberts, later Rutherford (1906-1982), Stewart Muir ‘Little Stewart’ Roberts (1908-2003) and George Edward ‘Tim’ Roberts (1911-2005)
11 The Birches are unidentified but were referred to by Dr Muir in his diary entries of 22 June and 28 June 1919 respectively “Jack, Nancy + the Birches came to supper” and “Nancy, Jack, Mr + Mrs Birch + the boys left in the morn for St Abbs.”
[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/25, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1922]
Rumbling Clint's Scottish Notes 