A booklet is to be published by ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵapp Council which captures the wide range of events that were held in the area to commemorate the centenary of World War One, and acknowledges the commitment and dedication shown by local communities to mark the anniversary.
At a meeting of today’s full council, members paid tribute to everyone who helped to deliver a series of commemorative events across ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵapp, to ensure that the centenary was marked in a respectful and dignified manner.
Over the last four years, the council and the WW1 Commemorative Steering Group have worked hard to actively engage with people of all ages, and have supported various communities, groups and individuals to deliver an ambitious programme of commemorative events.
The WW100 Steering Group ensured that there were major events each year of the commemoration period 2014-18,and that these were spread across the Council area. The first major event was a parade and drum head service in Oban in 2014. This was followed by a Beating the Retreat service in Campbeltown in 2015; a Battle of Jutland commemoration in Helensburgh in 2016; A Call to Arms week-long exhibition by Live Argyll in Dunoon in 2017; and the commemoration of the SS Tuscania and HMS Otranto on Islay in 2018.
The Islay event was also one of the main national commemorative events and involved partnership working with people from across the globe, as well as attendance by HRH the Princess Royal.
A large number of additional events and exhibitions were also organised by local groups and organisations, and ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵapp’s school pupils were actively involved in their own individual projects.
Provost Len Scoullar said: “A tremendous amount of work has been done by members of the World War One Commemorative Steering Group, and the people of ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵapp, to pay tribute to all those who made the ultimate sacrifice, one hundred years ago, during World War One.
“This booklet doesn’t aim to retell ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵapp’s war story, but to give people an idea of the sheer amount of research, hard-work and commitment that has been done by our communities. It acknowledges and values the time and effort that the residents of ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵapp have contributed to commemorate the sacrifices of their forebears and to leave a legacy for future generations.â€