A KILWINNING history group has recently acquired a poignant new addition to its collection.

Kilwinning Heritage have been contacted by Loughborough Carillon Tower and War Memorial Museum in Leicestershire, who stated they had a Death Plaque commemorating Private 9294 John Chrystie who served in the Royal Scots Fusiliers during WW1, and had traced his origins to Kilwinning.

He had been killed in action in the Gallipoli campaign on 30th December 1915, age 22. Their records didn’t show how his Death Plaque came into their possession, and offered to return it to the town.

The museum had discovered that the War Memorial in the Old Parish Church grounds had a John ‘Christie’ recorded on it, but were puzzled by the difference in the spelling of his name.

Their research had revealed that early Census returns had recorded the wrong spelling of the family name, with an ‘i’, but that later ones had spelled the names correctly with a ‘y’. They had also discovered that his Will and his Army records also had the correct spelling, as did his brother’s Service records.

He had enlisted in June 1915, and had been sent out to the Dardanelles to help replace 1/5th RSF’s very heavy losses.

Private Chrystie’s father was also serving with the RSF at the time. Before the War he had been a moulder with Howie and Co. and lived in Alexandra Place, Kilwinning.

Kilwinning Heritage Chairman Andy Baird said: “We’re very grateful to the museum in Loughborough for contacting us and offering to donate the plaque to a more appropriate place.

"This is the first of its type we’ve seen and just after the 100th Anniversary of the start of this terrible campaign, is a particularly touching addition to our collection in the Abbey Tower Heritage Centre. We know there are still Chrysties in the Kilwinning area, so we hope we might find out how the plaque ended up in Leicestershire. I understand that spelling mistakes on war memorials are not unusual, so I think it’s a shame that more care wasn’t taken at the time.” Death plaques were given to the next of kin of members of the armed forces who had died during the First World War.

A Government committee, established in 1916, agreed that the commemoration in respect of their sacrifice would take the form of a bronze plaque. Designed by Edward Carter Preston, it is four and three quarter inches diameter (121 mm).

More than 1.3 million were produced between August 1914 and April 1920, in remembrance of men and women who had died as a result of war.

The plaques were issued with a message from King George V.

The Abbey Tower Heritage Centre is open May 15- September 13, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 1-3pm.

KILWINNING Heritage is always looking for more members to help staff the Tower and show visitors around, but there is no obligation for new members.

They need two hours of volunteers’ time (Friday or Saturday or Sunday) on perhaps five or six occasions each between May and September. No previous experience or knowledge is necessary, as there are plans to have some informal “training” or sharing time before the season gets under way.

This is a great way to meet people and make new friends, at the same time learning about the Abbey and the town and its fascinating history.