Forestry Memories

Benmore Forester Training School students 1943-46

The image is courtesy of Dave Stewart, Dufftown, from a collection belonging to his father George Stewart.

This is the second photograph of the student groups whose names have been identified by their signatures on the back of the photograph. However the signatures are not in order and the actual persons the signature names refer to is quite a bit of a guessing game. Half of the group are in the previous photograph (1943 intake) with the other half the new intake of 1944. A school magazine printed in 1945 (Record No 2373) confirms the names of the all the students (excludes instructors) in spring 1945 a month or two before this image was taken and tallies with the signatures.

Below are all the names of the 1943 intake students numbered as in the previous photograph. Their signature name, school nickname and home county or town follow. Numbers with * have been placed against students who are thought to be same the people in this photograph:

1. Dave Smith – David R Smith (Bobby) Kincardineshire
2.* Peter Richmond – P Richmond (Pete) Surrey
4* George Stewart – Did not sign (Nil given) Kincardineshire
5* William Dye – W E Dye (Bill) Norfolk
6 Peter Stuart – P Stuart (Boots) Loch Eck Dunoon
7* Derek Nelson 1942-44 Repeated 1944-45? (Yorkie) Lancashire
8 * Vivian Geydrech – V Gedryd (Taffy) Cardiff
11* John Gilchrist – John Chalmers Gilchrist (Gilly) Peebles
12 Arthur Bell – Arthur M Bell (Paddy) Belfast
13* Robin Reeves – R W Reeve (The Duke) Kent
14* John Holmes – Jack Holmes (Lofty) Glasgow
15* John Matthews – J D Matthews (Haggis) Cheshire
17* John Ling – John Ling (Tinga) Suffolk
21 D B Crawford - D Byon Crawford (Bill) Yorkshire
24* Murdo Milne Instructor – M Milne
25* Harry Watson Principal – H Watson
32* Derek Jowett – Derek Jowett (Shorty) Yorkshire
33* Hugh Conn – Hugh Conn (Hugh) C Armagh
34* William Murray – W Murray (Ginger) Castle Douglas

The other names from the signature list are students who started their course in 1944 and thus half way through their Benmore experience at this time of this photograph. Their first names are not recorded other than from their signatures. For some reason Joe MacCormack’s name is not included in the student list in record No 3723.

J E Buchanan – John E Buchanan (Bucky) C.Tyrone - Student F (see comments)
C J MacPhee – C J MacPhee (Mac)Taynuilt
J A Taylor – John A Taylor (Albert) Bucks
S R C Miller – S R Crighton Miller (The Man) Edinburgh
A L Wilkinson (Geordie) Newcastle
R G Braine (Monty) Berks
Joe MacCormack (Nil) ?
J Owen (Bubbles), Dorset
J A Jardine (Jimmy) Hawick
J N R Jeffers (Jeff) Bournemouth
W G Anderson (Baronscourt Billy) Belfast
Bernard F Oland (Olaf)Southhampton
Claude O Mackintosh (Claude) Cawdor
J A Seaton (Angus) Dunkeld
D Nelson (Yorkie) Ulverston, Lancs
Jas D Maclean -Instructor? Letter S on photo?

Help is required to place the correct names against the people in the photograph who are either numbered or given a letter. Those with a number are thought to be the same numbered people as in Record No 4286.
The PDF contains the image of the back of the photograph with all the signatures and any more details of the various people very welcome.

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Groups: Forester Training Schools and Universities, Groups of people

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