Balallan / Baile Ailein

Private DONALD MACKINNON
Last known address in Lewis: 2 Balallan
Son of Malcolm and Christina MacKinnon, of 8, Ranish; husband of Kate MacKinnon
Service unit: 7th Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: S/11022
Date of death: 12 October 1916 at the age of 35
Memorial: Thiepval Memorial, Pier and Face 15C
Village memorial: Kinloch, Laxay
Lewis War Memorial: Parish of Lochs, panel 1


Company Sergeant-Major DONALD MACDONALD
Last known address in Lewis: 5 Balallan
Also known at 9 Kershader
Son of Murdo and Ann MacDonald, of Kershader; husband of Isabella McDonald,
Service unit: 1st Cameron Highlanders
Service number: 4357
Date of death: 18 September 1918 at the age of 41
Killed in action in France
Interred: Trefcon British Cemetery, Caulaincourt, grave C. 31
Village memorial: Kinloch, Laxay and Pairc, Kershader
Lewis War Memorial: Parish of Lochs, Park division, panel 2
Stornoway Gazette tribute


Second Lieutenant NEIL MACDONALD
Last known address in Lewis: 14 Balallan
Son of Murdo and Catherine Macdonald.
Service unit: 263rd Siege Battery RGA (Special Reserve).
Date of death: 25 April 1918 at the age of 24
Killed in action in France
Interred: La Clytte Military Cemetery, grave V. A. 22
Village memorial: Kinloch, Laxay and Nicolson Institute WW1, left panel
Lewis War Memorial: Parish of Lochs, panel 1
Medals: MC
Stornoway Gazette tribute

Private MURDO JOHN MACLEOD
Last known address in Lewis: 17 Balallan
Son of Malcolm and Janet Macdonald
Service unit: 5th Cameron Highlanders
Service number: S/12553
Date of death: 25 September 1915 at the age of 25
Killed in action at Loos
Memorial: Loos Memorial, panel 119 to 124
Village memorial: Kinloch, Laxay
Lewis War Memorial: Parish of Lochs, panel 2


Gunner MALCOLM MACLEOD
Last known address in Lewis: 18 Balallan
Son of Malcolm and Johanna Macleod
Service unit: Royal Naval Reserve, HMS Idaho
Service number: 14384/DA
Date of death: 1 January 1919 at the age of 20
Drowned in sinking of HMY Iolaire, was never found
Memorial: Chatham Naval Memorial, panel 32
Lewis War Memorial: Parish of Lochs, panel 2
Had shortly beforehand passed to be a gunner

Civilian JOHN MACDONALD
Last known address in Lewis: 19 Balallan
Service unit: Mercantile Marine, SS Vine Branch
Date of death: 11 April 1917 at the age of 29
Drowned en route from Argentina to join up
Village memorial: Kinloch, Laxay
Was not yet in military service - civilian

Leading Deckhand DONALD MACLEOD
Last known address in Lewis: 20 Balallan
Son of Malcolm and Mary MacLeod; husband of Catherine MacLeod
Service unit: Royal Naval Reserve, HMT Sealark II
Service number: 12479DA
Date of death: 30 September 1918 at the age of 39
Drowned in Sealark due to collision
Memorial: Chatham Naval Memorial, panel 30
Village memorial: Kinloch, Laxay
Lewis War Memorial: Parish of Lochs, panel 1
Leaves a widow


Gunner MALCOLM MARTIN
Last known address in Lewis: 21 Balallan
Son of Donald and Christina McAulay Martin
Service unit: Royal Naval Reserve, HMS Pembroke
Service number: 12067/DA
Date of death: 1 January 1919 at the age of 38
Drowned in sinking of HMY Iolaire
Interred: Laxay Cemetery, In northwest part
Village memorial: Kinloch, Laxay
Lewis War Memorial: Parish of Lochs, panel 2
Stornoway Gazette tribute


Signaller COLIN ALEXANDER SMITH
Last known address in Lewis: 27 Balallan
Son of Malcolm Smith, of Sheildenish; husband of Colina Smith. Had 4 children
Service unit: B Coy, 7th Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: S/16972
Date of death: 28 June 1918 at the age of 37
Interred: Meteren Military Cemetery, grave V. B. 592.
Village memorial: Kinloch, Laxay
Lewis War Memorial: Parish of Lochs, panel 2
Was merchant and sub-postmaster before the war


Private MURDO KENNEDY
Last known address in Lewis: 29 Balallan
Husband of Isabella Currie of Calder
Service unit: 1st Cameron Highlanders
Service number: 6863
Date of death: 5 November 1914 at the age of 33
Killed in action in France
Memorial: Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Panel 38 and 40
Village memorial: Kinloch, Laxay
Lewis War Memorial: Parish of Lochs, panel 1
Was employed with Pumpherston Oil Co (Mid Calder) when called up. Left a widow and three children.


Quarter-master Serjeant DONALD MACLEOD
Last known address in Lewis: 39A Balallan
Son of Donald and Marion Macleod
Service unit: Royal Army Medical Corps, London Sanitary Company (32nd Sanitary Section), attached Tank Corps HQ
Service number: 545267
Date of death: 18 August 1918 at the age of 40
Died by accident in France
Interred: St Pol British Cemetery, St Pol-sur-Ternoise, grave II. B. 7.
Village memorial: Kinloch, Laxay
Lewis War Memorial: Parish of Lochs, panel 1
Met with serious accident on 8 August 1918, and died of a fractured skull.


Piper JOHN MACLEOD
Last known address in Lewis: 39A Balallan
Son of Donald and Marion MacLeod
Service unit: 67th Western Scots Canadian Infantry
Service number: 103327
Date of death: 8 February 1919 at the age of 37
Died of wounds in Canada sustained in January 1918.
Interred: Victoria (Ross Bay) Cemetery, grave N. 18E. T.
Village memorial: Kinloch, Laxay
Lewis War Memorial: Parish of Lochs, panel 2
Served in France for 2 years. Was wounded in France in January 1918, was invalided home to Canada.

Private JOHN MACLEOD
Last known address in Lewis: 39B Balallan
Service unit: Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
Date of death: 14 October 1916 at the age of 34
Killed in action
Village memorial: Kinloch, Laxay
Lewis War Memorial: Parish of Lochs, panel 2
Stornoway Gazette tribute


Lance-Corporal RODERICK DONALD MACLEOD
Last known address in Lewis: 39A Balallan
Son of Donald and Marion MacLeod
Service unit: 11th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
Service number: S/6100
Date of death: 29 September 1915 at the age of 25
Killed in action in France
Memorial: Loos Memorial, panel 125 to 127
Village memorial: Kinloch, Laxay
Lewis War Memorial: Parish of Lochs, panel 2


Private DONALD MACLEOD SNEDDON
Last known address in Lewis: 39A Balallan
Son of William and Mary Snaddon, of 3, White Street, Partick, Glasgow.
Service unit: 1st Royal Scots Fusiliers
Service number: 17780
Date of death: 19 January 1916 at the age of 15
Interred: Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, grave II. D. 37
Village memorial: Kinloch, Laxay
Lewis War Memorial: Parish of Lochs, panel 2

Private GEORGE MACKENZIE
Last known address in Lewis: 46 Balallan
Son of Roderick and Isabella McKenzie
Service unit: 1st Cameron Highlanders
Service number: 3/5104
Date of death: 11 November 1914 at the age of 23
Killed in action in the First Battle at Ypres
Memorial: Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, panel 38 and 40
Village memorial: Kinloch, Laxay
Lewis War Memorial: Parish of Lochs, panel 1
First man from Balallan to lose his life in the Great War.


Lance-Corporal MURDO MACKENZIE
Last known address in Lewis: 49 Balallan
Also known at Porter's Lodge, Stornoway
Son of Malcolm and Catherine Mackenzie, husband of Mary J Kennedy of Glasgow
Service unit: 2nd Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: 204319
Date of death: 4 October 1917 at the age of 23
Memorial: Tyne Cot Memorial, Panel 132 to 135 and 162A
Village memorials: Kinloch, Laxay and Nicolson Institute WW1, middle panel
Lewis War Memorial: Parish of Stornoway, Burgh & Central division, panel 4
Stornoway Gazette tribute

Lance-Sergeant JOHN MACKENZIE
Last known address in Lewis: 60 Balallan
Service unit: 7th Cameron Highlanders
Service number: 3/5108
Date of death: 4 April 1918 at the age of 26
Died in POW camp
Interred: Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, Souchez, North Angres British Cemetery, grave V. AA. 18
Village memorial: Kinloch, Laxay
Lewis War Memorial: Parish of Lochs, panel 1
Wounded at Duren and taken prisoner by Germans.


Lance-Corporal NORMAN MACKINNON
Last known address in Lewis: 67 (Halfway House) Balallan
Son of Kenneth and Augusta Maciver Mackinnon
Service unit: 14th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
Service number: 5/12585
Date of death: 14 March 1917 at the age of 30
Interred: Peronne Communal Cemetery extension, grave I. C. 55.
Village memorial: Kinloch, Laxay
Lewis War Memorial: Parish of Lochs, panel 1
Stornoway Gazette tribute

4 comments:

RICHARD K. MUNRO said...

Thanks very much for sharing....I knew men of the Ants...Company A Argyll and Suhterland Highlanders...only a handful remained by 1918 and most of them were scattered to America, Canada and Australia....

Ian N Brookes said...

This is chillingly fascinating.
My sister Mary Montgomery Brookes in the UK alerted me to this site last night, Sydney time.
My mother, Mary Ann Montgomery,b. 10 Aug 1909, was born and bred in Balallan but never ever spoke of this period. Her father Roddy/Roderic Montgommery, I believe, was away serving King and Country in some unstated capacity during WW1. My mother's mother is reputed to have died of TB whilst her father was "away" and she was brought up by several relatives unknown to me in the Balallan area other than the Nicolson family - hence my own middle name of Nicolson. My mother's father subsequently moved to Canada as did his sons post WW1.My mother went nursing in Glasgow and London. I and my two sisters have no knowledge of the family history on my mother's side and probably now never will. Both her brothers were killed in WW2 and, as an infant, I recall one of them, in the army, visiting us at home in Walsall, Staffordshire, during the war.

I have this terrible and very moving feeling that I have been reading about my own unknown kith and kin.

My sincere thanks to all who have contributed to bringing "life" to these war memorials.

Sincerely,
Ian Nicolson Brookes, Major Rtd. Australian Regular Army
Mosman, NSW 2088, Australia

Stephen MacDonald. Cardiff-Wales said...

My Great-Uncle Donald (MacDonald) of 23b Ranish Son of John and Margaret (nee McSweyn) MacDonald is listed here as a casualty of HMY Iolaire. The history of that most tragic event which was often relayed to me by my late Father. Donnie MacDonald. Who was raised on the same croft, & resided laterlly in Cardiff. This site does a most appreciative & valuable service in remembering those from the Island who perished in the service of their nation. With probably one of the highest losses per proportion of population in the UK. Uncle Donald will not be forgotten by this generation. But it is equally important that we pass on this history to our children & hopefully their children.
Thank you once again to the Author of this blog & may god bless you in your endeavours to keep their memory alive.

Stephen MacDonald Cardiff-Wales

RENA said...

Hola soy Margarita Mac Donald soy nieta de Donald Mac donald murio en 1944 el es de Kinloch vivio en la 14 de Balallan el estuvo en Peru, sus padres son MURDO MAC DONALD Y CATERINE MORRISON. Y en Peru dejo una niña llamada Margarita Mac Donald.
LOS PADRES de Murdo son Jhon Mac Donal y Margaret.
Nosotros somos 9 hermanos vivos y buscamos familiares. Vivimos en Peru.
Son años que buscamos familiares porfavor lgun contacto o de un familiar vivo comunicarse:
bungalowselpalmiche@gmail.com
celular 958595969 o 956144349.

Gracias