Kirkcaldy War Memorial: the unveiling 100 years ago that drew a crowd of 25,000

The attendance was so great that many saw very little of the ceremony - but they were still there on a landmark day for the Lang Toun.

It was a day of formal ceremony and personal reflection. The horrors of war had only started to fade - the memorial was unveiled some seven years after the end of the Great War - but the sight of almost 1000 names etched on its plaques brought home the cost to families across the Lang Toun and beyond.

Memorials were unveiled in many towns and cities across the country that year, but none came close to matching what happened in Kirkcaldy.

Our town created a memorial together an art gallery, museum and surrounding gardens. A century on and they remain the jewel in the crown - a place everyone remains proud of.

Little has changed over the decades. The gardens remain pristine and cared for, the gallery and museum are a hive of activity, and the memorial continues to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice. The plaques which once contained 1000 names are now a rollcall to around 1500.

The ceremony which took place 100 years ago showcased the formality of the time with servicemen parading behind local bands, and all the dignitaries turned out in their finery.

Provost Kilgour and local magistrates were dressed for the first time in their robes of office, attracting a great deal of attention, while the platform party contained Admiral the Lord Wester Wemyss, Lord Glentanar, Sir R W Anstruther (Lord Lieutenant); Colonel St Clair Oswald of Dunnikier, Tom Kennedy MP, and Baillies Gourlay, Duncan, Blyth and Percival.

The finery also sparked some criticism, with the Fife Free Press casting a withering eye over the proceedings, stating “What was wrong with it in the view of a section of spectators was that it savoured too much of ceremonial and too little of sincere mourning.”

The Press noted: “In their imagination, the people were gathered round not a single open grave but a vast galgotha and from that stand point, there was no room for peacock personalities to play a part.

“The critics may share that the trappings of woe are necessary accompaniments to the solemn rites which were enacted at Balsusney but it seems to us that while there may have been room for criticism of the tinsel show, what matters most was the spirit in which these obsequies - for they were so - were carried out.”

In terms of the service, it could not have been any more dignified at a time when the town and country were still adjusting to peace after four years of bloodshed.

Shops closed for two hours while the ceremony took place, and flags were hoisted to half mast on public buildings. Barry Ostlere & Shepherd’s band led the parade, while a 100-strong choir mustered in the gardens. Wreaths were laid, hymns sung, and a dedication given by the Rev Dr Fairweather

“A brilliant day and a touching ceremony” was how the Praise reported the occasion, describing the memorial as “an imposing structure … regarded as one of the finest memorials erected in the country.”

It also acknowledged the remarkable role played by John Nairn whose contribution helped to create it and the art gallery and museum.

Provost Kilgour said he “need not mention him” - Nairn being a typical Kirkcaldy worthy who sought no public spotlight for their actions - explaining that “he knew that he would much prefer that he did not make the slightest of reference to him.”

But, without Nairn’s great generosity the town simply wouldn’t have the memorial and gallery it has to this day.

His contributions clearly chimed with local folk. They packed every vantage point around Abbotshall and Bennochy Roads and every thoroughfare in between. Many saw very little such was the depth of the crowds - and in the middle of a heatwave too.

Reported the Press: “In the course of the afternoon crowds were so great that many people had to be removed in a fainting condition. Ambulancemen were kept busy with over 40 cases to deal with.”

When the dignitaries departed and the crowds dispersed, locals were able to see the site in all its glory - and they were impressed.

“During the work there were many criticisms, often not well informed but certainly well intentioned,” reported the Press. “Now that the architect’s conception was fully revealed before their eyes he had heard nothing but a full chorus of praise and admiration, and the laying out of the grounds enhanced these views.

“The memorial is something that would forcibly recall the titanic struggle greater than any other in human history, something hat would inspire a sense of duty and patriotism even to death. It was something to remind them of those dear to them who had gone. Inscribed are the names of almost 100 men who went forth joyfully to battle and never returned.

“Their graves were scattered far and wide, by mountains and streams and sea, but they had, as it were, gathered them safely in that sacred spot hallowed in their memory.” And it also captured the bigger picture, stating: “For many future generations it was hoped the art gallery and museum would be a centre of great interest and knowledge and provide inspiration to higher ideals while the ground would be preserved as a place of beauty for all time.”

One hundred years on, and the memorial continued to be just that.