Places > Morayshire roll of honour

FOREWORD xv
instead ! So Edwards seeing no help near was compelled to surrender to them. Later on, however,
supports appeared when the tables were turned again and Lieut. Edwards secured his prisoners
and he himself proudly marched twelve of them, including their Battalion Commander, back to
Battalion Headquarters. This cool and daring action reads like a page of romantic history and
well might the official notice state " he set a splendid example of courage and determination
throughout." Lieut. Edwards had enlisted early in the war as a private but his fine military
qualities soon won recognition and in March, 1916, he received a Commission on the field. He
performed other acts of valour and was mentioned in Sir Douglas Haig's despatch of 9th April, 1917,
but was subsequently killed. Lieut. -Col. Graham, M.C., who was for some time in command of
the 6th Seaforths at a meeting of the Moray and Banffshire Society in Glasgow, has paid a high
tribute to the memory of this brave man. He said that " but for the bravery of Lieut. G. E.
Edwards, Lossiemouth, the 51st Division would probably have failed in November, 1916, to take
Beaumont Hamel. In the whole of the records of the late war, where acts of great bravery were
so common, he did not believe there was a braver action than that of the late Lieut. Edwards. He
had been recommended for the Victoria Cross, but for some reason unknown to him the lesser
honour of the D.S.O. was all that was conferred, an honour which he regretted to say that brave
officer did not live to enjoy."
So, those three heroic men responsible for such outstanding feats of bravery, laid down their
lives for their country, but their memory will be enshrined in this Roll of Honour, as it will be in
the hearts of all true men of Moray throughout the rolling years.
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It is desirable to place on record the means by which this volume has been compiled. At a
meeting of Representatives appointed by the County Council of Morayshire and the Town Councils
of the Burghs within the County, held at Elgin on 25th November, 1918, it was resolved to prepare
a Roll of Honour for Morayshire " so that future generations might know the part that the County
had borne in the War." A circular asking for personal details was issued, signed by the Convener
of .the County, Mr. G. R. Mackessack, and the County Clerk, Mr. E. D. Jameson, and it
was arranged : —
That the proposed Roll of Honour should not supersede in any way or interfere with
County, Parish, or other Memorials.
That the Roll of Honour should be as comprehensive as possible, and should include : —
(a) Persons born in Morayshire, whether enlisted through a local, imperial, or colonial
Force.
(b) Persons born elsewhere, but who had settled in Morayshire prior to the outbreak
of the War, or prior to their joining up.
(c) Persons who at any time were long connected with the County, but had since left
the County and enlisted elsewhere.
That the Roll of Honour should consist essentially of all persons who had trained for
service and gone abroad, including Labour Battalions and Nurses — special cases to be specially
dealt with — but that a Supplementary List might be made up of those with approved service
at home, including V.A.D. Nurses, but excluding Volunteers and National Guards.
It was resolved to ask Mr. John B. Mair, Chief Constable, with the aid of the Constabulary
and Special Constables, to collect the necessary particulars. Mr. Mair in a letter to his officers
throughout the county said he " considered it an honour to be entrusted with this work " and hoped
that each member of the force would give his time and attention to make this Roll of Honour as
complete as possible. Officers in charge of stations were required to divide their beats into small
sub-areas and by the co-operation of special constables arrange for the delivery and collection of
the forms. These were filled in and returned by the end of February, 1919. By this organisation
all the households of the county have been reached and the details verified by officers on the spot.
Mr. Mair carried through the work with rare enthusiasm and devotion to detail, and it has been a