Forestry Memories

Glentress Forester Training School 1952-54 Class

Glentress Forester Training School 1952-54 Class

Date Added: 30 July 2010 Contributor: Norman Davidson Year of Photo: 1953 Picture No: 622

Photograph is part of Bill Stoddart’s collection of images taken when he was a lecturer at several Forester Training Schools. The photographs were handed in by his daughter Lilian Allan at the Forestry Memories drop in day at Huntly on 11 June 2010.

This photograph taken in 1953 shows the 1952 – 54 class outside Glentress Camp as they are about to break up for the summer holidays at the half way stage through their school training. This is most likely the last month of the Glentress Forester Training School which closed in 1953 and all the 52-54 class transferred to the new Forester training School at Faskally where the new intake of 1953-54 started their training stint.

Bill Stoddart has written on the back '1952 Class taken 27/7/53

Todd, Bagnell, Moore, Reid, Graham, Carswell.

Needham, Smeaton, McInnes, Ross, Robbie, Harrison, Patten, McGavin, McBurnie, McQuarrie, Tracy.

Brookes, Caird, Armstrong, Self, Garroich, Kemp, McDonald, Weslley, Rumbellow, Jack.

Wright, Cairns , McLaughlin, Sutherland.’’


Very few first names or histories are known so far and any help would be warmly welcomed.

1. Basil Todd
2. Jimmy Bagnell
3. Ian? Moore
4. Alec Reid
5. George Graham
6. Fred Carswell
7. Lofty Needham (Always called by nickname as nearly 7 foot tall)
8. Alec Smeaton
9. Dougie MacInnes (Latterly at Torlundy – Leanachan)
10. Jimmy Ross
11. Tom Robbie (Head of Forestry School)
12. Peter Harrison
13. ? Patten
14. John McGavin
15. Ian McBurnie
16. Robert McQuarrie
17. Cecil Tracy
18. Cliff Brookes
19. George Caird
20. John Armstrong
21. Bill Stoddart (Forestry School Instructor)
22. Ian Garrioch (Forestry School Instructor)
23. Bob Kemp
24. William McDonald
25. Peter Westley
26. Basil Rumbellow
27. Jimmy Jack
28. Peter? Wright
29. Ian Cairns
30. Ronnie McLaughlin
31. ? Sutherland

Thanks to John Keenleyside (Forres)who has kindly provided most of the first names in Feb 2015

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Groups: Forester Training Schools and Universities, Groups of people

5 Comments

Hi number 24 is Willie McDonald my uncle and 14 is John McGavin who was a forester in Glenfinart forest when I was there. Comment left on 01 August 2010 at 22:28 by John McIntyre
My father, John McGavin (no.14 in the photo) worked at Knapdale Forest, Argyll towards the end of his career and retired in 1984. He passed away earlier this year. He enjoyed seeing this photo, taken nearly 60 years ago, and was able to list most of the christian names: 2/ Jimmy(Bagnell) 4/Alec(Reid) 5/George(Graham) 6/ Fred(Carswell) 7/Lofty(Needham) 8/Jock(Smeaton) 10/Jimmy(Ross) 16/Bobby(McQuarrie) 17/ Cecil(Tracy) 19/George(Caird) 20/John(Armstrong) 24/Willie(Mcdonald) 26 Basil?(Rumbellow) 27/Jimmy(Jack) 29/Jimmy/Timmy?(Cairns) 30/Ronnie(McLaughlin).
 Comment left on 07 December 2012 at 00:12 by G.McGavin
I am sure my father (Bill Elger) would have enjoyed seeing early pictures of his good mate John McGavin too. No doubt he knew a few more in this picture. Comment left on 14 May 2014 at 06:22 by Ewan Elger
Hi, No 10 in the photo is my uncle Jimmy (Ross) from Avoch on the black-isle.He worked for 4 years on Vancouver Island in the forestry industry. On returning to Scotland worked for the Forestry Commission on the Black-Isle retiring in 1986. Comment left on 20 January 2021 at 22:14 by martin ross
My wife bought me for Christmas a wonderful book on forestry. Why? I spent 52 years in forestry, 35 with the Forestry Commission and a further 14 as a Plant Health Inspector with the Forestry Commission Plant Health. AND the photo of Glentress students has my dad, Cecil Tracy. Comment left on 05 February 2026 at 18:30 by Dave Tracy
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