Author: Douglas McCreath

After a prolonged search of the internet, I managed to track down a copy of James Barke’s ‘The Wild MacRaes’.  Published in 1934, it was his second novel. Thanks to John Burns, I have now read four of Barke’s novels.  It remains a mystery to me , however,  that Barke is not more widely recognised,…

A bronze plaque, at the entrance to the Cameronian Museum at Low Parks, Hamilton,  honours the  men of all the constituent regiments of the 52nd Lowland Division who gave their lives in the Liberation of Beveland and Walcheren in 1944, and proclaims “THE  DUTCH DON”T FORGET”.  The plaque was presented in 1994 by Jon Borstein.…

Documenting personal photographs & snapshots is an important step in preserving a family’s history.  How many of us have boxes (traditionally chocolate boxes or shoe boxes) filled with images) that one day we will get round to labelling? How many of us have been bequeathed such boxes from the off-spring of passes-away relatives to find…

One of the benefits for me of a post-initial Covid lockdown ‘staycation’ was the opportunity it offered to use my Wigtownshire caravan as a base from which to conduct a long-planned,  research journey along some pathways  trodden in the long, hot summer of 1967. My class-mates were scattered throughout the country gathering information and data…

Once again our McCreath team  took part in the Mallard Walk from the  Bevrijdingsmuseum, Nieuwdorp to Sloedam to commemorate the 75th anniversary of  the liberation of Walcheren. We were then taken to the ceremony at Baarland, where the Cameronians landed, and then to the parade in Bergen Op Zoom. Given the key role played by…

It was an honour and a privilege to be invited to attend the the ceremony to mark the official opening, by Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet, of the renovated and expanded Liberation Museum Zeeland on Friday 25 October 2019.  The Battle of the Scheldt  forms the focal point of the Bevridingsmuseum Zealand.  This operation provided…

  A new  War Memorial was unveiled in Dennistoun, Glasgow on Saturday 29th September 2018. It was designed designed by Owen McGuire, a pupil from a local school – St Denis’ Primary.  Work on the polished granite stone began in August with the foundations being laid for the 2.5 tonne structure. The unveiling followed a a…