Fairlie Community Association

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Fairlie Community Association

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We're a voluntary group responsible for the management of Fairlie Village Hall, and for arranging activities for the local community. SC028785

We're a voluntary group responsible for the letting and management of Fairlie Village Hall, and the organisation of community events, activities and classes. The Village Hall can be hired for parties, dances, charity events, coffee mornings, group activities, classes, etc. - contact us for details. We are a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) - Scottish Charity No.

05/11/2026

FAIRLIE'S MEN OF THE GREAT WAR

Private George Webster Hunter, was the second son of Dunlop and Elizabeth Hunter of Oakbank, husband of Jean and father to a young child. Prior to the war, he was a gardener at Fairlieburne. His brothers Baden, Dunlop and Leslie, who are also named on the Roll of Honour, survived the war.

He enlisted in the Royal Scots Fusiliers at the outbreak of war and was stationed at Stirling for training. He travelled south for embarkation on the troop train involved in the Gretna rail disaster on 22nd May, 1915 (where 227 died and 247 were injured). Little more than three months after his arrival at Gallipoli, he fell dangerously ill with dysentery, to which he succumbed on 27th September, 1915 He died, aged 19, in Alexandria Hospital, Egypt, and is buried at Alexandria (Chatby) Military & War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt.

04/11/2026

FAIRLIE'S MEN OF THE GREAT WAR

Captain Alexander Meikle McCallum was the third son of John and Elizabeth McCallum of Oakbank. In the early 1900s, the family moved from Fairlie to Pollokshields. He studied at Glasgow University and qualified as a solicitor. A member of Cartha Athletic Club, he was a Scottish international hockey player. Six weeks after he arrived at the front, he died of wounds at 92 Field Ambulance on 3rd April, 1917 at the Somme, aged 29, and was buried at Foreste Communal Cemetery, Aisne, France. His brothers Andrew, Daniel and Malcolm, who are also named on the Roll of Honour, survived the war.

His cousin, Private Daniel McCallum (pictured, left) was the third son of Daniel and Janet McCallum and he lived at Rose Bank and Whin Cottage. A boy telegraph messenger at Fairlie post office and subsequently a postman, he was studying for a sortership when war broke out. After seeing considerable service, he was seriously wounded in the foot in the Battle of Loos in October 1915 and was hospitalised in Lincoln for ten months. He returned to the front in October 1916 where he was killed in action, aged 27, on 23rd April,1917; he is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, France. His brothers Allan, John and William, who are also named on the Roll of Honour, survived the war.

03/11/2026

FAIRLIE'S MEN OF THE GREAT WAR

Major Boyd Alexander Cunninghame (pictured, right) served in the Boer War with the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, and later settled as a farmer on his estate in Northern Rhodesia. At the outbreak of the First World War, he was instrumental in raising volunteers to form the Northern Rhodesia Ri**es, with whom he was reported to have given valuable service against the Germans. He was the nephew of Mrs John Cuninghame of Creich, Fairlie, with whom he stayed after being invalided home from German East Africa in early 1916. Later that year, he married Elsie Burrell in London.

He died, aged 46, on 16th March, 1917 in Elizabethville, Belgian Congo of typhoid fever while on leave, and was buried at Lubumbashi Cemetery, Congo. His obituary describes him as “a straight and true rider to the hounds. As a cricketer he was generally regarded as the finest batsman of his time in Scotland. At golf he achieved similar success, being a scratch man in Prestwick Club, whilst he was also esteemed one of the finest game shots in the county”.

02/11/2026

FAIRLIE'S MEN OF THE GREAT WAR

Gunner Alfred James Jamieson, who lived at Curneil Villa, was the son of James and Alice Jamieson, the husband of Margaret and the father of a young daughter. Before the war, he worked as a shipwright at Fife’s shipyard.

In early 1916 he was hospitalised in the field twice, before being invalided from France to England on 20th September, 1916. He was discharged, no longer physically fit for service, and admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital on 26th September, 1916. He died there of tuberculosis of the lung on 3rd December, 1916, aged 29. He is buried at Largs Cemetery.

01/11/2026

FAIRLIE'S MEN OF THE GREAT WAR

Private Andrew Royston Rodger of the 4th Canadian Mounted Ri**es Battalion was the adopted son of Mr. and Mrs Andrew Rodger of Ferry Road. The family emigrated to Canada in 1911.

He was killed in action on 1st October, 1916 at the Somme, aged 18, while employed as a runner carrying messages to the front line under heavy bombardment. Initially reported missing having last been seen heading for the dressing station after being wounded, he was later believed to have been killed before reaching it. He is buried at Regina Trench Cemetery, Grandcourt, Somme, France

31/10/2026

As part of our "Fairlie's Men Of The Great War" project, we've hung wreaths round the village to remember the Fairlie men who died (we've tried to hang the wreaths as close as possible to where the men lived). There are nine wreaths commemorating the nineteen men named as having made the supreme sacrifice on the Roll of Honour in Fairlie Village Hall.

The Fairlie Roll of Honour 1914-18, which hangs in the Village Hall, lists 126 men of the village who served in the Great War. This plaque was the starting point for the “Fairlie's Men Of The Great War” project to research the men, which we carried out in 2014. There are 30 sets of brothers, and 9 brothers-in-law. The oldest to serve was born in 1869, and the youngest were born in 1900. Amongst the men were 13 clerks and 13 gardeners, 12 were shipyard joiners and 4 joiners, 7 worked for the post office and 7 worked for the railway. There were 4 bakers and a butcher, a company director, a solicitor, a policeman, an evangelist and a minister.

For more information on the Fairlie's Men Of The Great War project, see https://fairliecommunityassociation.com/FairlieMenOfTheGreatWar/

30/10/2026

FAIRLIE'S MEN OF THE GREAT WAR

Gunner John Campbell (pictured) died of pneumonia on 23rd August, 1916 in Harley Hill Hospital, Catterick, while completing training with the Bute Mountain Battery. Aged 30, the son of John and Sarah Campbell, he was a railway clerk and he lived at Railway Buildings. He was buried with military honours in Largs Cemetery. After a memorial service in Fairlie Parish Church, the funeral procession, led by a military piper, made its way to Largs Cemetery for interment. Following a short religious service, a firing party fired a salute over the grave, and a bugler sounded the last post.

His brother, Sergeant Donald Campbell, who also lived at Railway Buildings, was reported missing at the Somme on 22nd March, 1918, aged 22. In May 1919 it was reported that he was presumed killed in action on or since that date. He is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France.

Their brothers Archibald, Duncan, Hugh and James are also named on the Roll of Honour; they survived the war.

29/10/2026

FAIRLIE'S MEN OF THE GREAT WAR

Sergeant Robert Nash McNeur was reported missing in action at Gallipoli on 12th July, 1915, and a year later was concluded to have been killed on that date, although all that could be ascertained was that “at the battle of Achi Baba his company got as far as the second enemy trench. They left it going in the direction of the third trench, but nothing further is known”. He was born at Lily Bank, the son of Alexander and Annie McNeur, and he later lived at Hawthorn Cottage and Croftend. He is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Turkey. His brother William, who is also named on the Roll of Honour, survived the war.

After he was posted missing, Robert’s father advertised in the local press, asking for news of him. One soldier wrote that “large numbers of men went off the direction, and in most cases must have been cut off by the Turks. As Bob was on the flank of the attack, I am afraid he must have lost direction and got into one of the parties cut off”. Another mentioned having been told that Sergt. R. McNeur was missing, and said “I was very sorry to hear it for when I recollect I find that on that date the Turks received a big defeat and I don’t think they had any opportunity to take prisoners”.

29/10/2026

FAIRLIE'S MEN OF THE GREAT WAR

2nd Lieutenant Charles Grant Tennant was killed in action on 9th May, 1915 at Aubers Ridge, France, during the battle of Neuve Chapelle. He was aged 33 and the only son of James and Henrietta Tennant of Fairlieburne. He was engaged to Miss Lucy Gibson Hilton, daughter of an American businessman, their engagement having been announced in October, 1914. He is commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial, France, and a stained-glass window at Fairlie Parish Church was dedicated in his memory in October, 1917.

Lt. Tennant’s commanding officer wrote to his father, “I am exceedingly sorry to tell you that your son was undoubtedly killed in the attack of the ninth. He had managed to make three rushes forward. In the last rush there were only three left to rise and follow him, and they were all shot down, your son being the first to fall. We sent a party up that night but it was impossible to reach his body & the fighting has been very heavy since, and it has been impossible to attempt farther.”

27/10/2026

The Hallowe'en Movie Night at the Village Hall on Friday (doors open 6pm, film 6.30pm) will be cancelled if we don't have sufficient numbers by tomorrow. Entry is free, and snacks will be on sale for Village Hall funds. Under 8s should be accompanied by an adult; parental permission required for 8-16s. Contact us on 07958 048908 or [email protected] to book or give parental permission.

Address

72 Main Road
Fairlie
KA290AB

Telephone

+447958048908

Website

https://www.fairliecommunityassociation.com/

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