SCONE REMEMBERS - MEMORIAL SOUNDWALK

The ‘Memorial Soundwalk’ enables visitors to walk around Scone Village, identifying the names and life stories of the 72 men who fell the Great War. Plaques have been installed on lamp posts and stakes near their homes, places of work or the school the men attended. Due to the vast agricultural area involved, some of the plaques have been placed around Scone Park and Scone Palace Estate. Free route maps/information leaflets of the route can be found at: The Spar Shop, Abbey Road Scone; The Sweetie Shop Perth Road Scone; Perth and Scone libraries; Perth tourist office.

The stories of the casualties who attended Perth Academy are narrated by pupils of the school who were members of the school’s Great War remembrance project “Flowers of the Forest” and they can be heard by following the link on the Scone Remembers website.

David Drummond was born at St. Martins on the 18th August, 1883 and had three brothers (James, Peter and Arthur) and six sisters (Clara, Gertrude, Eliza, Emily, Ellen and Kate May). In 1891 the family were living at a “house and shop” in St Martins where David’s father and sister Clara were tailor’s and clothiers. At the time of his death his parents, Mr and Mrs David Drummond, resided at Blenheim Cottage, Murray Road, Scone. David Drummond studied for the Civil Service and was successful in securing a Second Division Clerkship. After being engaged in his profession for seven years in London, he was transferred to Dublin, where he had been for eight years when war broke out. At this date he was working in connection with the Irish Land Commission.

David enlisted in September, 1914, in the 1st. Royal Dublin Fusiliers and saw service in the Near East with the 10th Division. They landed at Salonika in October 1915 after withdrawal from Gallipoli where they had lost 3,000 men and were reorganised before being sent to the Serbian mountains to try to stem a Bulgarian advance.

By September 1916 David was in the 7th Battalion and was sent to the Struma River to establish a line across the river against the Bulgarians. Despite gaining a foothold at first, the Allies were forced back to their own side of the river. On 23rd September they tried again to take the village of Karadzakoj-zir-Bala but retired in the face of fierce opposition.

David Drummond was killed in action on 23rd September 1916, near the River Struma and south of the village of Bala, he was 33 years old and unmarried.

David Drummond is also commemorated on the Roll of Honour in the Abbey United Free Church, Scone; and the Scone Parish War Memorial.