Darnaway Estate Forestry Course 1948
Darnaway Estate Forestry Course 1948
Photographs are courtesy of Colin Lawson son of Wilfred Lawson, a forester who trained at Benmore Forester Training School in the years 1948-1950.
No information found on this image but the lady and gentleman with the hat look like Mrs Alice Howie and Euan Grant respectively. Mrs Alice Howie was the catering manager for the group of students while they were in residence. In all probability these are a mix of private estate, forestry company and Forestry Commission personnel on a short intensive forest management course which was held annually on the estate. Picture No 1284 shows students on such a course in 1951 – this one possibly around 1948.
Further update information provided by John Keenleyside, Forres, confirms that this is most likely one of the first training courses held at Darnaway. They originated when ex service personnel indicated forestry as a profession after the war and the course was designed to give them some professional forestry experience to start them on their chosen career. John also said that the Royal Scottish Forestry Society along with the Forestry Commission sponsored this course and that Euan S Grant, a private forestry consultant, was most likely paid by the RSFS.
More information has come to hand and other photographs of the same group of people, with recorded names (Picture No 6053), does help to identify the people. The names below are taken from Wilfred Lawson’s list which was directed at the people in Picture No 6053 and an attempt was made to name the people here from that list. There may well be some mismatches and your help to confirm or correct identities and provide additional information on them would be very welcome. Please see large image link below for large image detail.
1. Wilf Fox or John Jeans
2. Stan Armstrong or Bert Merideth
3. Ian Nicolson or Stan Armstrong
4. Frank Wight
5. Duncan McFarlane
6. John Jeans or Tony Clayton
7. Bert Merideth or Wilf Fox
8. George Arbuthnot
9. Len Wilson
10. Alice Howie
11. Euan S Grant
12. Charlie Duncan
13. Tony Clayton or Ian Nicolson
14. Aenaes Murray
15. Bill Hattle
16. Wilfred Lawson
17. Duggie Watt
More details on anyone would be very welcome.
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Groups: Forester Training Schools and Universities, Forestry Areas, Groups of people