First digital archive for First World War wills

Monday 24 February 2014

The wills of 26,000 Scottish soldiers who died in the Great War are to be made available online for the first time as part of centenary commemorations marking the outbreak of WWI, the First Minister Alex Salmond announced today.

Among the 26,000 individual wills are 2,584 from the Gordon Highlanders, including those of Privates Alexander Craig and John Wood from Portlethen, just two of about 9,500 men who died during the conflict.

During WW1, when a will was processed by military authorities it was sent to the Commissary Office in Edinburgh to be preserved in the National Records of Scotland. During 2014, the last wishes of 26,000 fallen Scottish First World War soldiers will be made available online by the National Records of Scotland.

Privates Alexander Craig and John Wood were both born in Portlethen into fishing families, but when war broke out in August 1914 it was the army that they joined, along with many other men of this coastal community.

Wood served in the 1/5th Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders, while Craig was in the 1/7th Battalion along with many men from the district. In autumn 1916 these two battalions formed part of the 51st Highland Division, tasked with the capture of part of the German lines at Beaumont Hamel in the final phase of the Battle of the Somme.

Welcoming the project, the First Minister said:

"This year, when we mark the centenary of the start of the Great War, we reflect on the sacrifices made by generations of service men and women, including those currently serving.

"Digitally archiving all 26,000 wills online presents a unique glimpse into the lives of the individuals who fought and fell for our freedom.

Read the full story here.