Thread by @MrMcEnaney

It's been just over 2 years since I started investigating the story of these 4 #WW1 graves in Auld Aisle Cemetery in Kirkintilloch.

They commemorate the deaths of 4 men: Thomas Nelson, James Weir, William Gallagher and William Lemon.

The headstones are pretty much hidden in a neglected part of the cemetery. If you look really carefully you can just about make them out on the far left of this photo.

They also face away from the rest of the cemetery and out towards the fields.

What I discovered after much searching is that the stones don't actually mark graves. Nobody is buried beneath them. Instead, all four are buried in the area in the middle of this photo (the stones are on the right).

That area is the old common ground. From this angle you can see how distinct it is from the rest of the cemetery.

How did they come to be buried here, together, despite being strangers who died on completely different dates? It's because they died in the same place: the Woodilee Asylum. It stood just a couple of minutes from this spot.

And why were they laid to rest in unmarked common graves? That one's easy: they were poor.

I've written as much as I know, so far, here:

jmcemedia.wordpress.com

But it's not over yet.

Last week I got to speak to the granddaughter of one of the men: William Lemon.

And today I found this - 2 of the memorials are still being visited. They belong to William Gallagher and James Weir.

I'd love to speak to anyone who knows anything about these 4 men, which is why I'm sharing this information, because I'd like to tell the rest of their stories.

My DMs are open and my email is [e-mail]

All RTs/help very much appreciated.

#LestWeForget

(@threadreaderapp unroll this please?)

@lockwoodwriter I've just realised the link above is to my blog front page and not the specific post, so here it is:

jmcemedia.wordpress.com/2018/11/11/the…

I've also just realised that my autocorrect has changed one of the names: it's Gallacher, not Gallagher