A return to the dead centre of Stirling or rather its extension…the Ballengeich Cemetery on the other side of the Castle. Last week I wrote of divided loyalties of Scots who refused to become Americans, this week I’d like to write of a Scot who who left Scotland to became an American and volunteered to fight in Europe during World War 1. To my knowledge this is the only memorial to an American serviceman or woman in Stirling.
As you will know there are five cemeteries round Stirling Castle and the most northerly of these is Ballengeich, which is quite hard to photograph and tends to get a bit ignored.
Ballengeich from the Castle source of image
It is full of servicemen and women, a victim of the Burmese death railway, there is even a Canadian row, featuring members of the Cree Nation.
A Doughboy from Stirling
So ‘doughboy’ is the nickname given to member of the American Expeditionary Forces who fought in World War 1 and there is no agreement as to what the name means! Our story concerns PRIVATE John C. BETT, and I am indebted to Gerald Mortimer who conducted the research which is quoted below. John’s memorial is handsome red polished granite pillar. This is the family grave and I think that John is only commemorated here and not buried in this plot.
The Bett Family memorial.
The name of John C. Bett, a Stirling young man, who had been in the United States for some years, appears in the casualty list of American soldiers who have died in France. Deceased, who was 28 years of age, was a son of Mr James Bett, carter, 57 Wallace Street, Stirling. Before going to America he was a well-known member of the Stirling Boating Club. The Elko Independent, Nevada, states that he came to Elko five years ago, and had since been associated with his brother, James Bett on his stock ranch at Bullion. He belonged to the Presbyterian Church at Elko, and was a valued member of the Knights of Pythias Lodge, and one of the three members of that organisation with the U.S. colours, and whose names were placed recently on the honour roll displayed in their Castle Hall. He was a quiet, unassuming man, with deep Christian convictions, and was ever cheerful and happy. He is the first Elko boy serving in France to fall. The Independent states that while in Camp Mills near Washington in November, Private Bett took a severe cold from which he never fully recovered, He died of pneumonia in France on 12th February.
World War I is always hard to comprehend, it often seems to be a pointless and muddy destruction of a generation, the squandering of countless brave young lives with Wilfred Owen’s poetry looming large. However, to be clear, whatever we might say about the tactics, the war itself was fought in defence of freedom and liberty and against military expansion and aggression, in support of the rules based order and against big men and great powers acting on whims. The Kaiser and his ministers toasted the outbreak with champagne. So John and his fellows did not sacrifice their lives in vain, they died so that we could be free, just as the brave Ukrainians are fighting at this moment. So if you have a few minutes why not take a walk to Ballengeich, stretch your legs, enjoy the view, get your steps up and visit John and remember his sacrifice.
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I’m amazed there are indigenous peoples (Cree) there. I’ll have to stop by this summer. TY
Thank you Murray. An interesting story.