Remembrance & Remembering <Morag M cmanus>

[accobra]

Does anyone remember my older sister,s friend called Morag McManus who grew up in the Gorbals in the
fifties?? I last saw her at my younger sister,s Wedding in the mid eighties.!!
On this occasion she introduced me to her third husband !! Bill.
She was always a larger than life character and at the reception in the evening she was aware that my daughter Helen appeared to choking on some food and she very quickly gave gave her a smart pat
on the back and said the magic words " are you choking wee hen " and managed to dislodge the obstruction I have not seen her since and was just wondering if anyone else on the site knew her ??
Today like many years I always lay a small cross with a "Poppy " attached to it in memory of my
Great Uncle who was killed in the first World War. The poignancy of the last 5 years is the fact that I have
been involved in services and laying of wreaths in the country France where he was killed and in some ways I was comparing his unfinished life cut short by war against Morag,McManus with her slightly fuller
life . Did anyone else loose loved ones to the ravishes of war.??
Today for me was especially moving when his name was actually mention here on French soil.!!

Best regards Reg

[braveheart]

Hi Reg,

What a nice story and a very worth while trip to France.

Yes I too lost family members in both wars and I attend the service each armistices day to remember them and all of those who gave their lives for our freedom. I also give thanks and remember those who returned, and in some ways I think they had it worse. They had to live with the loss of comrades and remember the horrors they witnessed, for the rest of their lives.

My mother lost two of her young Brothers on HMS Hood, they were only 18 and 19 and she never forgot that. She would always be very tearful on this day and shared stories about them the whole day long.

Now like most people, some family members that came back never talked about the war and in some cases you hadn't got a clue they had even taken part! How wrong we were, as in my case I found out by pure accident that my Grandad had quite a story to tell, or to be more accurate didn't tell!!!!

I came home from school one day ( I was about 14 ) and found him standing looking out the front window, staring way into the distance over Netherton fields, and he was completely oblivious to me being there! When I said " Granda are you ok? " he seemed to take a minute or two before he realised I was there. He turned to me and said " Aye Son, I was just thinking of Vallery " I never new who Vallery was and thought no more about it. Not until many years later did his comment make sense and the pieces fall into place.

Sorry folks, dinner is ready and I need to go. Promise I will finish it off tomorrow.

Take care, John

[amelia]

Hi Reg I too lost a granddad in the first world war all we were told that he had been blown up in Belgium he left my granny with 6 children to rare they came from Commercial Rd.
A few years ago my cousins went over to Ypres to his grave don't know if it is France or Belgium and laid small crosses with tartan on them as he had been in the Cameronians and thy took loads of photos of his grave and gave copies to some of us, they said thy had an eerie feeling looking at the grave but they were glad they did it.
A few years ago I went into the war records and got a few details about my granda so I have kept it for my family so that they can look back on it.
You mentioned a girl called McManus there used to be a family called McManus they stayed in Ballater St.well the window was in Ballater St before you came to Lawmoor St on the right hand side. I cannot remember if it were a "shop Hoose" or their door was in the pen in Commercial Rd. This womans name was Maggie and their was a daughter called Isa. Hope you get some information that will help you get intouch with them again
Amelia

[accobra]

Hi John
Many thanks for your post and how amazing it is that before my mother met my father who ironically was a merchant seaman and was torpedeod but survived ,she was going out with another
seafarer from would you believe it H.M.S. Hood.? I believe his surname was Hampton
and first name was Reginald so I was named after him. So I have a slight connection.
The other thing I was told about him was that his parents were involved in the manufacturing of light
bulbs and that for every 10 manufactured he told her that only 7 out 10 worked . There were a few
returns back then for replacements. !!! My fathers ship was built on the Clyde at Linlithgows
I always used Reggie when i lived in Glasgow as "Reginald " did not sound right and when I moved to
London just straight forward Reg.
I am also replying to Amelia regarding csualities in the First World War as I think this will your comments about your families loss in that Campaign.!

Once again Many thanks John and best regards Reg

[accobra]

Hello Amelia,
many thanks for your post on above .
Ypres is in Belgium and as a matter of interest since 1927 local schoolchildren have read out six names from the "Memorial Wall" of the missing after the Bugler has played "Last Post" every day since then
and this would have been British and Commonwealth Casualties from the 1914-18 War.
Therefore your Grandfather,s name would have been mentioned possibly on more than one occasion.
My great uncle was killed at the Battle of Loos during that same war and he was in the H.L.I.
which a Glasgow formed regiment and I went to the beautiful cemetery there which is near the Belgian border last year and was able to take a photo of his name on the wall and write a few words in the
Book Of Condolences . A very moving place and I also paid a visit to the Somme again a very moving place.
Regards Morag McManus I believe from memory that she lived in Gorbals Street and she
moved to Cumbernauld but when the move was I am not sure.?? Certainly a larger than life character
and she would be the same age as my sister 70.?

Once again thanks and best regards Reg