| Carole Spencer was “overwhelmed” when members of the City of Dundee branch of the Royal British Legion Scotland held a commemorative service close to the unmarked grave of her relative, Peter Grant, a private awarded the VC during the Indian Mutiny of 1857. He killed five enemies who were attacking a colonel.
Making her first visit to Scotland, Carole laid a poppy wreath on a bench in the Eastern Cemetery provided by the British Legion.
Members of the legion undertaking research on servicemen awarded the Victoria Cross, discovered there were two VC winners in unmarked graves at the Eastern. Peter Grant and Thomas Beach have been lying in unmarked graves in the “poor ground” since the 1860s.
Last summer the local British Legion branch raised money to provide two benches to serve as a permanent memorial to the two men. They tried, but were unable to trace members of the men’s family but later were contacted by Carole, sorry to have missed the memorial ceremony. Today, old soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder in the cemetery, again paying their respects and showing Carole the strength of regimental bonds. Old men not even born when her relative drowned while on leave in Dundee, moved her to tears with their simple but heartfelt commemorative service.
Pastor David Taylor, chaplain to the City of Dundee branch of the Royal British Legion Scotland, conducted the service after lone piper James Fitzpatrick played a lament he wrote specially for the occasion.
In his short address, Mr Taylor spoke of a day last April when he attended the funeral of a Black Watch serviceman killed in Iraq. The minister on that occasion pointed out the young soldier would not be forgotten by his two families. He had a natural family and a “regimental family”.
“Looking around that church in Perth, I could see Black Watch men, some getting on a bit, others barely 18 and serving soldiers today,” said Mr Taylor. “I knew then the strength of regimental ties. It is good to belong to a regimental family.”
He said he had no doubt Peter Grant had pride in his regiment, the 93rd regiment raised in 1800 by the then Duke of Sutherland. He hoped Carole would take pride and comfort from the ceremony.
Carole, who is staying with legion member Frank Smith and his wife Lesley, said she has been overwhelmed by attention of the Dundee ex-servicemen and their tributes to her relative. |
