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Second Lieutenant Alexander S. Douglas, eldest son of the Rev. Andrew
Douglas, United Free Church, Invergordon, and of his wife, Emma, was born at Renton, Dumbartonshire, on 12th January, 1899. Educated at Invergordon Academy
and Glasgow High School, he left the latter institution in April, 1916,
and enlisted in the Royal Highlanders, Black Watch. Later he passed
through the Cadet course at Gailes, received his commission in his oid
regiment in February, 1918, served with the 3rd Battalion in Ireland
till August, and then proceeded to France with the 6th Battalion.
In an attack on some villages near Valenciennes on 24th October, he was
wounded, and died four days later in hospital at Abbeville.
Notes:
1. United Free Church, Invergordon
From 1900 to 1905 the Rev. Colin Sinclair was in semi retirement, so the
Rev. Andrew Douglas came as colleague and successor. Colin Sinclair died
in 1905.
In 1900 the congregation, unlike its sister church at Rosskeen, joined
the new United Free Church.
The outbreak of the First World War brought great change, with the
town's population growing to around 20,000 due to its use as a Naval
Base. The church was regularly crowded. The hall was put to many uses,
including being a Recreation Room for Service men, an Isolation Hospital
and even, for a year, a home for a family whose house had burned down.
In February 1916 a special communion service was held for soldiers about
to leave for France. There were many sad losses, including the elder son
of the Rev. Andrew Douglas, who was killed in the last week of fighting.
In November 1919 Mr. Douglas left Invergordon for Glasgow. He was
succeeded by the Rev. Alasdair Macleod, who remained in the charge until
1927.
2. Andrew Douglas enrolled at the University of Glasgow in 1925
from the Bahamas to study Medicine and Surgery. During his four years at
the University, he took classes in Chemistry, Physics, Botany, Practical
Anatomy and Zoology among others, but did not graduate.
His father, the Reverend Andrew Douglas, was a minister at Invergordon,
Ross-shire and The Highlanders Memorial church in Glasgow. He was also
minister of St. Andrews Presbyterian Kirk, in Nassau, Bahamas, where he
retired. He was said to encourage Gaelic speaking there, sometimes even
preaching in Gaelic.
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