A sad story

We have  - like most people these days I suspect - several old suitcases and cardboard boxes of photographs from both sides of the family , and in one of them which came from Cathleen's mother there is a little pocket diary for 1946.

The diary belonged to a James McKerrell , who Cathleen knew had been engaged to her mother , with a wedding all planned when he died.  But that is all she knew before this evening although the collection of pictures includes a couple of her mother  Molly with him (one in RAF uniform) , as well as one of the wedding invitations, which gives the proposed date as being the 7th of March of that year

Tonight we wondered if we could find out any more about this rather sad little mystery and after about half an hour on line we identified  RAF Volunteer Reserve Aircraftsman James McKerrell as having died of acute leukaemia  at 11.40 pm on the 5th of March 1946 at a farm near Inchinnan in Renfrewshire.    

His  diary refers to his illness - though not by name - and to "bad news" including the fact  (in one of the last entries) that the wedding will have to be postponed.   However the entries stop on the 20th of February .  

We now know that he died the day before Cathleen's mum's birthday and two days before they were due to be married.  He was buried at Kilnaughton Cemetery on Islay, near Port Ellen where he was brought up and where his parents lived.  

It is a sad wee story, which must have been horrific for Molly and for his family too of course.    

Next time on Islay we will  go and see the grave, which is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.