Two holders of the Victoria Cross who have been lying in unmarked graves in Dundee since the 1860's have been given honour in death with a lasting tribute to their bravery.
A memorial parade was held at Eastern Cemetery on Saturday where benches bearing the names of Thomas Beach and Peter Grant were placed on the edge of the poor ground where they lie buried.
The benches were dedicated by the City of Dundee branch of the Royal British Legion Scotland who launched a fund-raising campaign to erect a permanent memorial to the two men.
Over 100 people, including 23 standards from the Angus and Perthshire area council of the Royal British Legion Scotland, other ex-service associations and cadet groups turned out to pay their respects.
A discussion on an Internet chat site, run by The Courier’s publishers DC Thomson & Co Ltd, first sparked interest in the pair who won their country’s highest military honour. Former Dundee man Clay Hackett, who lives in Canada, came across references to the pair and wondered why they had not been accorded the respect their courage merited. That led to the City of Dundee branch of the Royal British Legion Scotland starting a fund-raising campaign to ensure the men were properly honoured at last.
Branch treasurer Frank Smith said they were not allowed to place any memorials on the actual ground itself, which is in effect a mass grave, but could place something nearby. After a successful fund-raising campaign, the branch decided to purchase two benches, have them suitably inscribed and installed on the edge of the poor ground, looking over the Tay.
“The fact is that in the day that they actually died, in those days, soldiers were even less respected than they are today and so they were just cannon fodder basically,” he said.
“But these two men were both saving someone’s life – in both situations they were going to the aid of somebody who was in trouble, so it was nothing selfish, it was comradeship.
“I was contacted about this by The Courier back in October, because it had come up on the website, that you run, and that was the first time that we as a branch officially knew about it and that was when the branch decided that it really ought to look at the possibility of doing something to commemorate these chaps. “It was from there that this idea of having these two benches which were suitably engraved, sited as close as we know to where they are buried because of course we don’t actually know where they are buried, and because it is virtually a mass grave, we can’t erect a monument on the ground.
“So we went for the idea, which was suggested by the leisure and arts department of the council for the benches and we followed up their suggestions. We are delighted that this campaign has come to a successful conclusion.
“We originally started off looking at getting a bench, with both their names on, but the response to our fund-raiser was so fantastic that we’ve been able to get two benches – that’s really superb.”
Saturday’s ceremony was conducted by Pastor David Taylor, chaplain of the City of Dundee branch of the Royal British Legion Scotland, who said the memorial was a fitting tribute to their bravery.
Also present were representatives from the Gordon Highlanders, the successor to Beach’s regiment, and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, which incorporated Grant’s regiment.
Private Thomas Beach, who some sources say was from Dundee and others Forfar, served in the 92nd Foot, which became the Gordon Highlanders, and volunteered to make up the ranks of the 55th Foot, during the Crimean War. He won his VC for his actions on November 5, 1854 at the Battle of Inkerman. His citation reads, “For conspicuous gallantry when on piquet duty in
attacking several Russians who were plundering Lieutenant Colonel Carpenter of the 41st Regiment, who was lying wounded on the ground. “Beach killed two of the Russians and protected Lt Col Carpenter until the arrival of some men of the 41st Regiment.” Private Beach left the army in
1863 and returned to Dundee, staying in Exchange Street, but died the following year at the royal infirmary as a result of alcoholism. His VC is one of five held in the medal collection at the Sheesh Mahal museum in Patalia, in India’s Punjab.
Private Peter Grant was born in Ireland and served with the 93rd Regiment, which later became the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, in India. He won his VC at Lucknow during the Indian Mutiny of 1857. He also came to the aid of a senior officer, killing five enemy soldiers who were attacking a colonel it was one of six VCs awarded to his regiment during that campaign. His citation reads, “For conspicuous gallantry and displaying great courage, he killed five of the enemy who were attacking a Colonel who had captured the rebels’ Colours.”
Private Grant was on leave in Dundee when he drowned in the Tay in 1868 and, like Private Beach two years before him, was buried in an unmarked grave in the Eastern Necropolis. It is worthy of note that Grant’s VC was “Elected by the Regiment” but is not part of a public collection and may be in private hands somewhere. Although both men had won their country’s highest military honour, there was apparently no one with the funds or desire to have them properly buried. Instead they were interred in the poor ground, with no headstone or other marker to show where they lie.
Deputy Lord Provost Charles Farquhar, who attended the service, said the memorial was a fitting tribute as unmarked and mass graves were “a tragedy of social justice.”
“So this is one small way that you can redress that,” he said. “They got the highest honour that could be bestowed on any soldier and it’s the least we can do to say thanks and to pay our respects. Unmarked graves are not befitting to them. They put their lives on the line for our existence, for democracy, for the benefit of us.
“It was very fitting and very moving and irrespective of religion, it was true Christian attitude putting their life on the line for others.”
Mr Farquhar was representing Lord Provost John Letford who boosted the campaign to honour the VC heroes by presenting a cheque to the Legion for £500 in November. People who died without the funds for a proper burial were interred in the poor ground and it was not uncommon for one lair to be used for two or three burials, so it was not always easy to find out exactly where someone lies.
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