Author: Admin

The very first issue, dated May, 1975, which came out with no fanfare at all, was typical of what was to follow – results, race reports, ranking lists, feature articles with names that are now familiar to all proper athletics aficionados (Colin Shields, James L Logan) as well as by national figures (Frank Dick and Tony Ward in this issue) – in short all that the athletes, their families, their clubs and  supporters could want.   .

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Westmarch, Paisley

St Mirren moved to Westmarch from their Thistle Park ground in 1883.

Founded in 1877, St Mirren are reported to have held their first amateur sports in 1879.   Reports on the early years events are hard to come by so the intention is to begin with the events of 1881.   The club held their sports to start with at the Thistle Grounds in Paisley and over two Saturdays.   The first day was confined to St Mirren players with perhaps an extra race for boys included but the main event was the four-a-side football for which the preliminary rounds were held.  The following Saturday was the day for the open amateur athletics plus finals of confined events plus the last rounds of the four-a-sides.   Initially there was a tentative holding of a few events – one report in 1881 said there would be five open events including a bicycle race.   But the event grew in stature and was held subsequently at Westmarch and latterly at Love Street.   Since the first amateur athletic club was founded in 1885, the early years races and field events were contested in the main by members of the multitude of football clubs and the universities were also represented in the lists from time to time.   

In 1881 the first day of the sports was held at Thistle Park, Greenhill in Paisley in pouring rain on 22nd July with the football contest being held first before a series of races confined to the club.   The second day was one week later with” five open races of which one is a two mile bicycle race.”  Details of this day’s proceedings are not available at present.   We do not have any actual reports of this meeting at the moment but the quest goes on.   Into 1882 and the first day was held on 22nd July, again at Thistle Park, and the report was largely given over to football with the results of the athletics being sketchily covered.   he following Saturday saw the big Glasgow Police Sports Meeting, plus events organised by the Queen’s Own Yeomanry Athletic Club Sports, a new body who held a very big meeting, as well as games held at Currie and Kelso.   There was no report on the St Mirren Sports in either the Glasgow Herald or The Scotsman – possibly because of the relative size of a meeting with few  athletic games.  

First day was July 22nd and the meeting held at Thistle Park, Paisley and was largely made up of preliminary rounds of the four-a-side football tournament and the first rounds of the confined athletics events.   The report on the second day as printed in the ‘Renfrewshire Gazette’ above tells us that it was a good afternoon and a good turnout of spectators.   

There were eight open races, several confined events, cycle races and the 4-a-sides were won by Arthurlie over Dumbarton 2nds.   Given that these were amateur athletic sports, and given that there was no SAAA in 1882 (it appeared in 1883) the competitors were almost all members of football clubs.   Some are still good senior teams – St Mirren, Kilmarnock, Hearts, Rangers, Queens Park among them – others are now gone – Pilgrims, St Bernard’s, Abercorn, Argyle FC are just a few – and the names of some athletes who would win SAAA medals such as A Vallance (Rangers FC) who would later join Clydesdale Harriers with his more famous brother Tom,  and Robert Mitchell, about whom more later, of St Mirren.   It was another successful meeting and would have encouraged the club to continue with the venture

The report on the first day of the 1883 event was printed in the Glasgow Herald of July 23rd began:

“The new grounds of the St Mirren Football Club at Westmarch, Paisley, were opened on Saturday afternoon when the annual amateur athletic sports were held under the auspices of the club.   The field was in excellent condition and a neat cinder track which has been made between the space allotted to the playing of football and the ropes was found to be of great advantage to the “peds” who took part in the races.   A grandstand has been constructed at the north end of the field from which a good view of the events was obtained.”   

The formula of the day followed that of previous years with confined events and the preliminary rounds of the 4-a-side tournament being played.   It is of interest to note that one of the judges was A McPhee, a noted distance runner and prize winner whose two sons – Alex and Duncan – would become stars of the amateur athletic scene.   Among the runners on the day in the confined events, Robert Mitchell would become one of the best half milers in the country winning half mile titles and setting a Scottish record for the event in the countdown to the first Scottish sub two minute half mile.   

The second day of these sports which was held  at Westmarch, Paisley was most successful, a good programme and a large number of entries drawing forth a good crowd.  Held on 28th July, 1883, and the top item in the report in the Glasgow Herald the following Monday was the news that Dumbarton had won the 4-a-side football tournament.   The track and field events were ‘exceedingly closely contested’ and, in the absence of any open athletic clubs the competitors came from football and other sports clubs as well as a few from the Universities.   There were several outstanding competitors: Tom Vallance of the Rangers was second in the high jump and in the 120 yards hurdles;  there were two men running from scratch in the one mile  AP Findlay of Ayr who would go on to win the first ever national cross country championship, and DS Duncan from Edinburgh who would be a multi champion over all the distance races – Duncan was second and Findlay third behind a runner off a 120 yard handicap.   Dumbarton, Rangers, Ayr, Granton, 3rd LRV, Beith, Cambuslang and Queen’s Park were all represented in the meeting.

The preliminary rounds of the sports in 1884 were held on 19th July with events other than football confined to players for the club.   However there were a couple of open events with the sack race “an easy thing for ‘Tuck’ McIntyre (Rangers)“.    

The real open athletics meeting took place on 26th July in the presence of three or four thousand spectators.   It was billed as one of the most important gatherings of amateur athletics that had taken place in the West of Scotland.’   The 4-a-side football was supported by most of the big clubs with Queen’s Park and Rangers both taking part, Queen’s winning from Cambuslang FC in the Final after taking out Rangers in the semi.   The athletics were all hotly contested with several athletes (eg Adam Turnbull and James Logan) who would become well known in the not too distant future taking part..     

The 1885 amateur athletic sports, the sixth annual, were held at Westmarch, Paisley on 25th July.   On a good afternoon as far as the weather was concerned, there was a good crowd and the Glasgow Herald saw fit to comment that “On account chiefly of its fine racing track, the St Mirren meeting has attained the place of one of the first amateur athletic fixtures in the country and the success of Saturday’s gathering is certain to further extend its good name and popularity.”  Note the reference to the fine racing track which corroborates the comments on the first meeting at Westmarch.   

Scotland’s first amateur athletics club, Clydesdale Harriers, had been established in May 1885 and they were represented here too.   The prize winners however were pretty well all from football clubs.   Look at where the heat winners in the 100 and 220 yards came from – 100: RA Taylor (EUAC); AH Donald (St Mirren FC); H Walker (St Mirren FC); WJ Ferguson (1st LRV); D Marshall (St Mirren FC); T Blair (Granton FC); W Shearer (St Mirren FC); J McAulay (Dumbarton FC).   220:  H Barton (EUAC); T Blair (Granton FC); D Marshall (St Mirren FC); R Stevenson (Johnstone FC); W Shearer (St Mirren FC).   The only surprise was the total absence of any competitors from Queen’s Park and Rangers FC.   

The St Mirren players had had the advantage of the preliminary meeting the previous Saturday when the events were almost all confined to players, on which day A Vallance of the Rangers FC was competing in the Our Boys (Dundee) meeting in the Place kick (2nd), hurdles (1st) and One Mile (2nd) but passing the 4-a-side football match where Rangers were second to Renton FC.

T Blair, Queen’s Park

In 1886 the sports, now a major event in the sporting calendar, were held on 24th July with three confined events on the track – 100 yards, 440 yards and the half mile – plus a bicycle race plus the preliminaries of the four-a-sides plus an eleven a side tournament involving Morton, Abercorn, St Mirren, Port Glasgow, Morton and Arthurlie.  St Mirren beat Morton in the eleven-a-side tournament.  The main events however were held on 2nd August where there were open handicap races at 100, 220, 440, 880 yards and one mile as well as three bicycle races at the mile, two miles and five miles.   Interesting as the meeting was, events arising from it were maybe even more interesting.   The 100 yards had six heats, two semi finals and a final in which three men A McNab, R Stevenson and GT Ward all dead heated in 10 2/5th seconds.   The judges ordered an immediate re-run with no time for a breathing space.   McNab won and Ward was third.   In the 220 yards there were two men off scratch – T  Blair of Queen’s Park (2nd in the first heat) and GT Ward of Clydesdale Harriers (1st in the second heat) .   Neither placed in the final where the result was Green (Irvine Academicals) off 3 1/2 yards, McNab (Clydesdale Harriers) 8 yards and Campbell (Rangers)  off 11 yards.   

That was in August and in September that year the sporting public read in the Scottish Umpire paper: “We hear that T. Blair (Queen’s Park FC) is anxious to meet G.T. Ward (Clydesdale Harriers) in a 220 yards race, the Harrier to get 4 yards. If the start is authentic and Ward in form the issue should not be in doubt.”   The challenge could not be ignored and the response came in November: “G.T. Ward (C.H.) thinks T. Blair (Q.P.) was only joking when he said he would give him 4 yards in 220, but if he really means it, he will accept his generous allowance or run level.”

The proposed match became a reality, a sporting gentleman put up a silver cup, the men and their representatives drew up the terms and the match took place at the St Mirren Sports in April 1887.   For the full story of the event and its build up read this article.   

GT Ward

The sports were being held this year in April again at Westmarch and the crowd was reported to be 5000 with big entries (24 in the 100 yards and 21 in the 440).   The event was the feature of the meeting and was reported to be the first of its kind in Scotland.   Who won?   It is reported at the bottom of this cutting:

There was surprisingly little coverage of the sports – probably because of the extensive coverage of the West of Scotland Sports on the same afternoon in Glasgow where most of the established club runners were competing.   We have however noted the development of the St Mirren Sports from a little local meeting held over two Saturdays with few athletic events into a major athletics fixture in the SAAA calendar with a good track, efficient organisation and attracting good crowds.

The sports continued into the 20th century and were well attended with good quality prizes being awarded and top class athletes continuing to take part.   

The Doiran Memorial

Born around 1894, John Marshall Mitchell was the only son of John and Isa Mitchell, of 211 West Princes Street, Glasgow. Before war broke out, John worked at the Craighall Milling Company in Port Dundas. He was also a member of the Clydesdale Harriers – Scotland’s first open athletics club, having joined the club on 20th December 1912.

He was obviously a capable young man being elected as Assistant Club Treasurer in 1912-1913. It was a time when the club was riding high with almost 1000 members and many Scottish international runners as well as officials and administrators of quality. It would seem that he was more of an administrator than a runner – in the club half mile championships in August 1914 he was off the limit mark of 120 yards. On the other hand he was an official at club meetings such as the one in Clydebank in June of that year.

Upon the outbreak of war, John joined the University of Glasgow’s Officers’ Training Corps. Once the hostilities really started, he was made a Second Lieutenant in 1916 as part of the Scottish Rifles, before later becoming a Lieutenant as part of the Machine Gun Corps.
As a member of the Machine Gun Corps, John was deployed to Salonika, where the battalion were engaged in action against the Bulgarian Army. During the Battles of Doiran in May 1917, John was reported missing, before being officially announced as killed.

John is remembered on the Doiran Memorial and the University of Glasgow Roll of Honour.

Lieutenant MITCHELL, JOHN MARSHALL
Died 09/05/1917
Aged 23
11th Bn.
Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
Son of Isa E. Mitchell, of 211, West Princes St., Glasgow, and the late John M. Mitchell.

Memorial at Noyelles

Wilfrid Brown Cramb was born on the 24th September 1890 at Roselea, Radnor Park, Dalmuir, Dunbartonshire, to David Cramb, a Foundry Superintendent, and Jessie Cramb (nee Brown), who had married on the 18th February 1875 in St Stephens, Edinburgh. He was a pupil at The High School of Glasgow, where he was known for his sporting prowess. In 1911 he followed his older brother Rutherford to the University of Glasgow Medical Faculty. In first year he followed a standard curriculum, though in matriculating for second and third years he enrolled in just one class, Chemistry. Clearly proud of his University affiliation, his address was given in club documentation as ‘Glasgow University Union’.

Like fellow Glasgow University student Philip Oliphant Ray, who died the previous day, he was an adventurous young man. He was a well-known sports enthusiast, a member of the Clydesdale Harriers, a rugby player and motor cyclist who, in 1913 had attempted to ride his motorbike to the top of Ben Lomond before falling and dislocating his shoulder not far from the summit.

In 1914, however, he abandoned his studies and in September went to France as a stretcher bearer with the 1st unit of the Scottish Branch of the British Red Cross. There he also took an interest in motorised ambulances to convey the wounded, and submitted a design suggestion which was later used. In June 1915 he received his commission to the 4th Bn. Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, serving at and surviving the battles of Loos and the Somme before being attached to the Royal Flying Corps in 1917.

Lieutenant Wilfrid Brown Cramb had been flying for just six weeks when he was killed in the skies above Arras. Though numerically superior to the German Air Force, British planes were older, less well armed and crews not so rigorously trained. Bloody April marked the high point for Germany in the air. Britain lost 245 planes, 211 crew were killed and 108 taken prisoner. Despite the losses, crews were still able to bring back reconnaissance photographs which aided the British advance at Arras. Britain quickly made strenuous and successful efforts to gain supremacy in the air.

Cramb is commemorated along with 483 others from the High School of Glasgow on the School War Memorial and also at the Everyone Remembered website and his details are at https://www.everyoneremembered.org/profiles/soldier/2028785/ .

He was posted missing on the 14th April 1917, believed to be well behind German lines after his plane met heavy anti-aircraft fire. His death in the engagement known as ‘Bloody April’ was confirmed two weeks later in news from Berlin

Wilfrid Cramb was buried at Noyelles by the Germans and his identity disc and pocket-book were returned to his family through a neutral embassy. He was survived by his parents and siblings. His brother Rutherford, a Glasgow graduate, served as a Captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps. A further connection to the University came through his uncle, Professor John Adam Cramb (1862-1913), whose book ‘Germany and England’ helped form British opinions of the international crisis looming in the prewar years. Lieutenant Wilfrid Cramb is remembered by the High School of Glasgow and the Dalmuir Parish Church Rolls of Honour, in addition to that of his alma mater

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One of only four British Soldiers, and the only Scot, buried in Nijmegen Cemetery. Harold Servant is commemorated with the stone on the right of those above.

Harold Servant was a young man who had been a Clydesdale Harriers for only a few years when he enlisted. He had nevertheless been elected to the club committee where he rubbed shoulders with such as Willie Maley of the Celtic FC and dealt with the day to day running of the club as Assistant Secretary with Thomas Barrie Erskine. He had been elected in 1912/13 to the post of Joint Secretary and that year was also District Convener. The club had for organisational purposes divided itself into several Districts and each District had its own Committee and structure. To be District Convener was to hold a responsible post. The following year he was again Joint Secretary with Tom Erskine but had been moved to be Convener of the Handicapping Committee. A promotion from the District Convener since almost all races other than Championships were handicaps that were organised according to strict rules. He seems to have been a man groomed for future senior administrative office.

What little we have of his running ability would seem to indicate that it was not his real strength. In the club 880 yards handicap in August 1914 he had a handicap of 120 yards and was still unplaced. It should be remembered of course that the club was very strong at that time with several Scottish international runners, and that he was only 19 when the war broke out.

The story of his Army career is encapsulated in the following paragraph:
“Mr William Gardiner, president of Clydesdale Harriers has been apprised of the death at the British Red Cross Hospital, Nymegen, Holland on January 3rd, 1919 on his way home after 20 months as a prisoner of war at Langensalza, Germany and 4½ years service of Pte Harold D Servant, Royal Marine Light Infantry. This is a very serious blow to Clydesdale Harriers which has given so many of its members to our country’s cause. Harold Servant was, along with the late Capt T Barrie Erskine, MC, hon joint secretary of the club and was a keen and enthusiastic supporter of everything that was for the betterment of athletics. The club also mourn the loss of their hon assistant treasurer Lieut J Marshall working on the Salonika front and now presumed killed.”

Langensalza Camp had a fairly large population of prisoners of all nationalities. British prisoners were in the middle hut which is described here.

There were confined in this building 575 prisoners of war, Russian and British and French, of whom 61 are British, of the 61 British 3 were Sergeants, 27 Corporals and 30 Privates.
The beds were of the bunk type, arranged transversely across the tent division. The British were lodged in the central tent division and a few on the side division. The bunks were built in, of wood, the lower tier a short distance above the floor, the upper tier 4 feet above this. The bedding was of the straw-mattress type. The arrangement is faulty in the sense that the central barrack lacks both light and good ventilation.
The latrines for this division were of the iron receptacle semi-tubular type, open, and flushed into an underground drainage system. The surroundings, floors, etc. were poorly cared for and could. be cleaner than they were at the time of our inspection.
That’s a description of the actual camp and accommodation but more importantly, what were the conditions there that Harold had to endure for 20 months?

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We have reports and descriptions of life there from other prisoners who survived. One such account is below the photograph.

Langensalza Camp

“Feldwebel Rost was especially hard and brutal in his treatment of prisoners. In July 1918 I witnessed the following incident.

The prisoners were on parade, and many of them, being cripples, had difficulty in moving out of the huts. Rost rushed into the barrack, and, without giving the maimed men the time to get out, he caught hold of a private who was very badly wounded in the abdomen, and had to walk with a slick, by the back of the neck and threw him violently down the steps. This is only one of the many instances of his bullying; he was also responsible for sending many men to the salt mines who were quite unfit to go there. The full name of this man is Feldwebel Rost, 6th Company; he lived at Jena, and his occupation is students’ servant.

On 27 November, at 1 p.m. we had just finished our dinner in the British Help Committee hut, and we heard an unusual bugle-call. Three of us went out. The hut was situated about 15 yards from the sentry box at the gate, which led to the tailors’ and bootmakers’ shops, and was about 30 yards from the theatre. The theatre contained dressing rooms, which had been put up by the prisoners, one for each nationality. At this time these dressing-rooms were being pulled down and prisoners used the woodwork for fuel. When I came out from the Help Committee hut I saw that the theatre was surrounded by a group of about 20 or 30 of different nationalities. There was no disturbance or riot of any kind, and the prisoners were only going in and out of the theatre carrying pieces of wood from their respective dressing rooms.

After the bugle call about 30 soldiers, with an under-officer in charge, named Krause, came out of the Landsturm barrack, which was situated some 40 yards from the Help Committee hut and about 40 yards from the theatre. The soldiers surrounded the British Help Committee hut and the theatre in extended order. I was standing near the gate, about 6 yards away from the under-officer. He said to me in broken English, “What are you making trouble for?” I replied “There is no trouble at all.” And I asked him why the soldiers were surrounding the theatre and our hut, but he made no answer. I remained where I was between the committee hut and the gate, and after an interval of three minutes I heard him give the order to fire. I am quite certain that he gave the order to fire, for I had often heard it given before when at the front. There must have been 15 to 20 prisoners standing outside the hut, and I should say about 30 others round the theatre. When the order to fire was given, I tried to get into the committee hut, but the door was so crowded by others endeavouring to do the same that I could not get in. At least 15 shots were fired in the direction of the committee hut, with the result that Private Tucker, Worcester Regiment, who was standing 8 or 9 yards from me, was killed instantly, receiving three bullets; Private Morey, East Yorks, standing 10 yards from the hut, was also killed, being shot in the head. Corporal Elrod, 6th Northumberland Fusiliers, must have been 60 yards away from the theatre, near the football ground; he was hit by a bullet in the spine, from the effects of which he died eight hours afterwards.
Two of the men who were trying to get through the door of the hut were wounded – Private F. Johnson, 4th Bedfordshire Regiment, and Private Haig, West Yorks – and there were three bullet marks in the committee hut door. Private Johnson told me that when the firing commenced he threw himself flat on the ground, and that when he tried to crawl into the hut he was fired at again by the soldiers.

When the firing was over, the under-officer (Krause) Approached Private Haig, who was lying on the ground, and said to him, “Why did you not get out of the way when I told you to go?” Haig said, in reply, that Krause had never told him to do so.

Shortly afterwards Company Sergeant-major Thomas, Somerset Light Infantry, Sergeant. Major R. S. Finch, Northumberland Fusiliers, and I, went to the kommandantur, where we found Captain von Marschall. We asked him if he was responsible for the firing which had taken place. He said no, because he was away from the camp at the time. He was asked from whom the prisoners could obtain satisfaction, and he referred us to the officer of justice, Feldwebel Lieutenant. This officer typed down my evidence, which was interpreted by Dolmetscher Weither. Some days later I gave the same evidence to a judge, a civilian, who examined me, and again a few days after a major from the War Office took my evidence. I asked this officer to forward it to England, and he said that the evidence would go there through one of the ambassadors.    The under-officer Krause gave his evidence at the same time, and he denied that he had ever given the order to fire, but I am quite certain that I heard him give this order.   About a week after the occurrence I saw Krause in Langensalza Camp at liberty and in civilian clothes. I heard that he had obtained his discharge and was living in lodgings in Langensalza.”

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Harold was one of only five British soldiers buried at Nijmegen Cemetery where his date of death is given as 3rd January, 1919 and his regiment as the Royal Marine Light Infantry (Number Ch/485/S)

From the Commonwealth War Graves website:
Private SERVANT, HAROLD DAWSON
Service Number CH/458/S
Died 03/01/1919
Aged 25
1st R.M. Bn. R.N. Div.
Royal Marine Light Infantry Son of William and Agnes Servant, of 549, Crow Rd., Jordanhill, Glasgow.

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The photograph above is believed to be that of Gabriel Brock, a member of Clydesdale Harriers who ran in club championships and other cross-country races as well as on the track.

The Brock family was one of the best known and most distinguished in the West of Scotland, he was brought up in the wonderful house shown below and yet. Having been wounded very early in the 1914-18 War he died a tragic death as a result of the treatment of these wounds.
The family were partners in the Denny Shipyard in Dumbarton. The Shipyard was a major feature in the lives of the people of Dumbarton: having been founded as Tulloch & Denny, the name was changed to Denny and Co.in 1862. Walter Brock became a partner in 1871, and Henry William Brock became a partner in 1885. The family remained an integral part of the firm and various members were involved in the local government of the city and the county. They had been patrons of the club, first of the local Dunbartonshire Section then of the Club as a whole from 1894. As patrons of the club they were mixing with senior politicians, minor nobility and major industrial figures.

Gabriel had been born in 1889 in Dumbarton and brought up in Levenford House in Dumbarton, which is illustrated below. His membership application was accepted by Committee on in 8th September, 1911, and he was elected to serve on the General Committee of the club committee at the AGM on 5th September, 1913. He attended regular committee meetings, held at that time in the YMCA in Glasgow, and his first contribution of note was on 11th December, 1913, when the Minute records:
“Mr Gabriel Brock reported that a Dumbarton gentleman, a Mr H Horne, had expressed his willingness to act as a trainer. It was agreed to accept his kind offer, but it was added that Mr McKimmie would again be available also in a short time.”
Not only that, but he was District Convener for the Dunbartonshire Section. The club at that time had 5 sections in Glasgow and five county sections: each section had its own organiser and was represented on the Club Committee, so it was a fairly responsible position.
As a runner, Gabriel was good enough to have won the club’s Two Mile Handicap in season 1912-13. The last meetings in which he competed of which we have records, were the club championships at Ibrox Park in 1914 and the club open meeting at Kilbowie Park in June that year. On 12th May, he ran in the eleventh of sixteen heats of the 100 yards. He must have been quite good because he was off a handicap of 2 yards while Ralph Erskine, a frequent prize winner on the open circuit and double silver medal sinner at the SAAA Championships was off 3 yards. He also ran in the half mile that night when he was running from the 50 yards mark along with three others, one of whom was the Scottish cross-country internationalist Robert Frew and of course Ralph Erskine, twice silver medallist in the SAAA half mile championship was not far behind.

At the Clydebank Meeting he was entered in no fewer than three events. He was one of five entrants in the high jump with a handicap of 7 inches, and he was also entered in the Dunbartonshire County Championships for the 440 yards and the 880 yards. Although unplaced in any of the events, it was a hard afternoon.

He had qualified from the first Ibrox meeting for the finals which were held on 5th August, again at Ibrox Stadium. He was again off 2 yards, only two men starting behind him. He had also qualified for the final of the half mile and, starting from 50 yards, was conceding 70 yards to a group of ten men running from 120 yards. Two of that ten would also lose their lives in the war, as would at least another four with Tom Erskine being the first to go – in July 1915, less than a year later.

It is of interest to note that at many of those competing at this meeting died in the War that started in September – Brock and Tom Erskine in 1915, Ralph Erskine and Alex Younger in 1918. James Marshall Mitchell and Wilfred Cramb in 1917 and Harold Servant in 1919 and many others such as RW Patterson and James Miller.

The Brock family initially stayed in Spittal Cottage in Victoria Street in Dumbarton, before moving to Levencroft House, above.

When the War started, Gabriel joined up with many other members of the club. Indeed many sportsmen from all sports joined up to fight the war which would be over by Christmas, they were told. Like other friends in the club he was to meet a tragic end very early in the war.
One of the many notorious battles of the War was that at Ypres with the fighting at Hill 60 being particularly ferocious. As a member of the 8th/9th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, he may gave been involved in the tunnelling at Hill 60. The following is from Wikipedia:

In Spring 1915, earlier French preparations to raid the hill were continued by the British 28th Division, which took over the line in February 1915 and then by the 5th Division. The Allied plan to attack Hill 60 was expanded into an ambitious attempt to capture the hill, despite advice that Hill 60 could not be held unless The Caterpillar nearby was also occupied. A French 3 by 2 feet (0.91 m × 0.61 m) mine gallery under the hill was extended by experienced miners from Northumberland and Wales, after it was found that Hill 60 was the only place in the area not waterlogged.
In the first attack of the newly formed Royal Engineer tunnelling companies in the Ypres Salient, the 173rd Tunnelling Company laid six mines by 10 April 1915, an operation planned by Major-General Edward Bulfin, commander of the 28th Division and continued by the 5th Division after the 28th Division was relieved.[7] The 173rd Tunnelling Company began work early in March and three tunnels were begun towards the German line about 50 yards (46 m) away, a pit first having been dug some 16 feet (4.9 m) deep; the tunnels were more than 100 yards (91 m) long.[8][9] Two more mines in the north were charged with 2,000 pounds (910 kg) of explosives each, two mines in the centre had 2,700 pounds (1,200 kg) charges and in the south, one mine was packed with 500 pounds (230 kg) of guncotton although work on it had been stopped when it ran close to a German tunnel.[10] The attack began on 17 April and the 5th Division captured the area quickly with only seven casualties but found that the new salient made permanent occupation of the hill very costly.

Loss of Hill 60

On 1 May, after a bombardment by heavy artillery, the Germans released chlorine gas at 7:00 p.m., from positions fewer than 100 yards (91 m) away from Hill 60, on a front of 0.25-mile (0.40 km). The gas arrived so quickly that most of the British were unable to put on their improvised respirators. As soon the gas arrived, the Germans attacked from the flanks with bombing parties and artillery laid a barrage on the British approaches to the hill. Some of the British returned fire and reinforcements arrived by rushing through the gas cloud and bombing parties forced the Germans back. The original garrison lost many casualties in standing their ground, including many gas casualties.
The 5th Division held the hill on a 1.25 miles (2.01 km) front with the 15th Brigade on 5 May, when the Germans discharged gas from two places opposite the hill at 8:45 a.m.[13] The wind blew the gas along, rather than across, the British defences and only one sentry was able to sound the gas alarm. The British defence plan required troops under gas attack to move to the flanks but the course of the gas cloud made this impossible. The gas hung so thick that it was impossible to remain in the trenches and troops who stood their ground were overcome. The German 30th Division advanced fifteen minutes after the gas cloud and occupied nearly all of the front line on the lower slope of the hill. British reinforcements bombed up a communication trench and two more battalions were sent forward but before they arrived, the Germans released another gas cloud at 11:00 a.m. to the north-east of the hill.
The right flank of the Zwarteleen Salient was overrun, which increased the gap left by the first discharge; a few men on the left delayed the German infantry until 12:30 p.m., when a battalion advanced through the gas cloud and an artillery barrage. Constant counter-attacks forced some of the Germans back and regained several lost trenches. The Germans held on to the crest and released more gas at 7:00 p.m., which had little effect and an infantry attack which followed was repulsed by rifle-fire. At 9:00 p.m., the 13th Brigade arrived and attacked at 10:00 p.m. after a short bombardment the darkness, state of the ground and alert German infantry repulsed the attack, except for a party which reached the top of the hill, then withdrew at 1:00 a.m. under enfilade-fire from the Caterpillar and Zwarteleen, which made the hill untenable. Both sides were exhausted and spent the next day digging-in. At dawn on 7 May, the British attacked with two companies of infantry and attached “bombers” using hand grenades, all of whom were killed or captured. From 22 April – 31 May 1915, the British had 59,275 casualties in the Second Battle of Ypres and the fighting for Hill 60.
Gabriel was wounded very early in the hostilities, which began on 22nd April, as is reported in the following reports.

“The British Hold Hill 60”

The first report below is from the Evening Times of 19th November, 1915. .
On Monday last the death took place at Royal Infirmary, Dundee, of Lance Corporal Gabriel Brock, Pioneer Section 1-9th (Dunbartonshire) A & S Highlanders. He was the only son of Mr William Brock, Spittal Cottage Dumbarton, and joined the local regiment at the outbreak of war and proceeded to France in February last. He took part in the fighting around Ypres and Hill 60 and was wounded in the knee by shrapnel on April 26th. As a result of the wounds he had to undergo several operations and for the past six weeks was at Glamis Castle but, taking seriously ill, he was again conveyed by ambulance to Dundee where he died from lockjaw*. Prior to the War, Lance Corporal Brock was employed as a joiner in the Leven Shipyard in Dumbarton.”
Lockjaw is contracted by bacilli infecting an open wound, and is maybe better known now as tetanus

Coverage from the ‘Lennox Herald’ below.

Military Funeral at Dumbarton

“On Friday afternoon last, the remains of Lance Corporal Gabriel Brock, 1/9th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders were laid to rest with military honours in Dumbarton Cemetery. Lance Corporal Brock, the only son of Mr William Brock, Spittal Cottage, Victoria Street, was wounded near Ypres on 26th April last and brought over to Dundee Royal Infirmary where, after having undergone several operations, he succumbed to lockjaw; His death is regretted by a wide circle of friends. Besides being a popular member of his company and regiment, he was well known locally as a member of the West of Scotland Harriers and the winner of prizes on the track. To trade he was a joiner in the shop of the Leven Shipyard and his funeral was attended by members of the firm, and a large representation of his brother workmen. There was a short, impressive service conducted in Dumbarton Parish Church at which were present a large congregation. Chaplain, the Rev AS Insch, MA, of the 1/9th Argylls, the Rev WW Reid, BD, minister of the church, occupied the pulpit, the latter paying an eloquent tribute to the memory of the deceased. The coffin, which was wrapped in the folds of the Union Jack, was then carried on the shoulders of six sergeants of the regiment and placed in the hearse. A firing party of nineteen men, including a piper and a bugler, was supplied by the 2/9th from Arbroath, and this party preceded the hearse on the way to the cemetery, the piper playing “the Land O’ The Leal”. The officers present were Captain FC Stewart, 1/9th and Lieutenant James Napier, 8/9th A & SH. Representatives from the local Men’s Volunteer Aid Detachment also attended, and there was a large turnout of the general public. At the grave a short burial service was conducted; volleys fired, and “The Last Post” sounded.”

Other than the fact that he is noted as being a member of the rival West of Scotland Harriers, the report is a full a detailed one.

As noted above, lockjaw is contracted by open wounds being infected. Poor Gabriel was moved from one hospital to another while his condition worsened leading to his eventual death. He was only 26 when he died. Like other members of the club such as the Erskine brothers who both lost their lives in the same war, he was able, personable and a bright promising young athlete, popular with his colleagues and it was all brought to naught.
The funeral was a big one in the town – see the pictures below and link them to the text. There is also a clipping from the ‘Evening Times’ which listed some of the Clydesdale Harriers who had enlisted – from all walks of life they had volunteered and at least a dozen of them died in the conflict.

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The list below appeared on 21st August, three months later he would be dead. Many of the other above also made the supreme sacrifice – the two Erskine brothers being notable losses and contemporaries of Gabriel mentioned above, Alex Younger, Wilfred Cramb, J Marshall Mitchell, Harold D Servant, Gilbert  AM Brown and others.

From page four:

“Running on the track, roads or the country can make you feel good.   Pub philosophers are likely to say that it is all the chemicals in the brain.   The brain produces ‘endorphins’  which, like a number of manmade drugs, make you feel good.   These are people who don’t run; people who feel pain and break sweat if they up the tempo to a fast walk down the boozer, let alone try to run there. …..  Running can hurt, especially at the end of a long outing when the muscles are both running out of energy and are suffering the combined effects of repeated contractions and are absorbing the impact.”

I doubt whether a non-runner could have thought that, never mind have written it.   Or how about this one about the 800 metres:

“The fast staggered start, the jockeying for position at the break, a brief settling of the status quo round the bottom bend before heading for the bell, with half an eye watching out for any breaks or drives from behind.   Then it is into the second lap with the field, sometimes strung out, sometimes bunched, everyone straddling a metaphorical line between perfection and going over the top, with anyone liable to make a telling move down the back straight or going into the final bend before making a final sprint for the line.”

You won’t convince me that that could have been written by a man who has not raced middle distance at some point in his life.   There is no straining for the mot juste, no high flown language, just a man telling it how it is.  Clear, unpretentious, direct, insightful.   But if you need further convincing, how about this:

“finishing with my heart pounding and that unforgettable flavour of “blood” on my laboured breath, breath which grated like rusty files…”

I once coached a runner who often said after a good run “I could taste the blood“, it’s something that only distance runners understand.   And there was often a bit like “I knew he was going to ‘tank’ me!” 

Bill being presented with the East of Scotland Trophy at Glenalmond

by East League Organiser Janet Clark

I have in the course of 60+ years in the sport read many a journalist and reporter on athletics.   First of all there was George Dallas, a former international runner and outstanding athlete over distances from 100 yards to the half mile, who reported on athletics for the “Glasgow Herald” One of the three best journalists and reporters in my time in athletics.   He knew what athletes wanted from the dailies: first a good results service, second a decent report on the race, third as much journalism as they good get – and in that order of importance.   He had started writing in the 1920’s  for the “Daily Record” under the moniker ‘Ggroe’ and after a wee hiatus for the War, took up the pen again, writing for “The Scots Athlete” and the Herald.   He was an out and out reporter.   He was followed at the “Glasgow Herald” by Ron Marshall who saw himself primarily as a journalist and he moved on to work on Scottish Television.    Doug Gillon is the name that will resonate most with those who were runners in the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and up to 2010.   He wrote for the “Glasgow Herald” and covered many championships – read his profile by clicking on his name above.   Doug had a good results service and was also a journalist of quality – he wouldn’t have lasted as long otherwise.   Sandy Sutherland was based in the East of Scotland but wrote for a multitude of papers and also covered a wide range of sporting activity, mainly athletics and Basketball.   I would put Bill up with George, Sandy and Doug as a reporter and with the latter two as a journalist.   Bill was up there with the best who have dealt with athletics in the Press.

Doug Gillon and Sandy Sutherland in Moscow for the 1980 Olympics

Bill Melville is a very good journalist indeed who is well respected.   He would have been a good journalist whatever his chosen specialism had been: we are fortunate that he chose sport rather than politics or any other subject.   But within sport he had a wide range of subjects that he wrote knowledgeably about.   

That was the writer but he was more than that. As his friend and colleague Sandy Sutherland says. “Much of what he did was a service for the sport and he was often press officer for events I attended in a professional capacity and rolled his sleeves up and obtained the result sheets for others, unlike the present generation who are solely interested in getting their story out BEFORE the few journos who are left get their turn!”

Not entirely subjectively, it is possible to say that Bill Melville is one of the better writers and one who really loves the world of sport. One of the top three in Scotland in my 60+ years in the sport.  He has never received the credit that is his due.

The 1960 Sports were probably the best athletics meering held in Scotland that summer.   The National Championships are always the highlight of the season but in terms of the quality of athletes from around the world as well as the best of Scots who took part, the Rangers event was quite outstanding.   Evidence can be found for this statement in several events – eg the Open Long Jump where there were two from India, 2 from AAA’s, 1 from the West Indies plus Scotland’s outstanding David Whyte all jumping from scratch plus two from Pakistan and one from the RAF, as well as six other Scots.    Or have a look at the half mile invitation where the two Scots faced two from AAA’s, one from India and one from the West Indies.   In terms of domestic fields the open mile had such as Bert McKay, Joe Connolly, Jim Mclatchie, Tom O’Reilly and Eddie Sinclair starting of virtually together while there was a Colin Shields and Andy Forbes both off 105 yards.   Handicapping was often queried.   However here’s the programme.