We will Remember Them

[Dalziel PostBot]

Prior to the start of our home games today we will reserve a short period of silence to honour the memory of the sixty six former pupils of Dalziel High School who made the supreme sacrifice during the 1939-45 war. It is fitting that we should do this, as the playing fields at Cleland provide an active, living memorial to the young people of a previous generation who did not return to experience t...Read More

[niall]

Got an email from Margaret Neilson on Sunday which I thought I'd share with you all

Niall

I just came across the Dalziel Rugby Club memorial to your 5 members lost during the second world war while doing a little bit of internet research brought on by the Remembrance Day commemorations and following a family gathering last weekend and thought I'd get in touch.

I am in fact the niece of Roy Neilson who features on your memorial page, the daughter of Alistair Neilson who was the youngest of 4 boys all who attended Dalziel High School (John, Roy, Jim and Alistair).

My father is now 88 and the only one still living and while he has had some health problems he is doing ok. My mother Agnes Ritchie or Neilson was also a Dalziel pupil. She is 86. They now live in Edinburgh. Dad was in the Royal Navy himself and mentioned in despatches at Anzio.

My uncle John was 10 years older than my father and had just qualified as a surgeon and worked in London during the Blitz. Jim suffered from very poor health having had rheumatic fever and could not therefore join the services but was very musical and played in concert parties for the troops. Sadly he died in 1943 about a year after Roy. My father who was only 20 in 1943 and serving in the Navy was allowed to come home to attend the funeral but was refused compassionate leave to stay and comfort his parents who had lost 2 sons and had to go back to active service immediately after the funeral. Hopefully young men and families are treated a little better by the armed forces nowadays.

Could I please ask you one thing and that is to change the spelling of Neilson please as it is ei not ie.

I will show your web page to my father who I am sure will be touched by it.

Kind regards and thank you for remembering.

Margaret Neilson

(the spelling was taken from the 1987 program, so I blame the then-editor!)