WW1 medal honouring Hamilton soldier turns up in Ayrshire garage

Sep 10 2009 by Alastair McNeill, Hamilton Advertiser

A HAMILTON World War One soldier’s medal has been found in a garage in Ayrshire.

It commemorates private Oliver Stewart who died aged 32 on October 24, 1918, just a few days before the end of hostilities.

The medal was recently handed over to the Abbey Tower Heritage Society in Kilwinning.

Nothing is known about the soldier beyond what is written on the medal.

Private Stewart was a member of the 51st battalion Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) and is buried in the Auberchicourt British Cemetery which is east of Douai in northern France.

The village of Auberchicourt was occupied by Commonwealth troops in October, 1918, and the cemetery started that month.

Curator of the Abbey Tower Heritage Centre, and secretary of Kilwinning and District Preservation Society, James Miller explained: “We get certain items handed in to us from time to time. This one was discovered while the home of an elderly gentlemen was being cleared out. However, I have no idea how it came to be there.

“I have tried to find information on Oliver Stewart online, but haven’t been successful.

“I’d like to find the medal an appropriate home. It is an interesting item, but it’s not relevant to the Kilwinning area.

“Perhaps someone in Hamilton will recognise the name, or there may be relatives of private Stewart living in the Hamilton area who would like to have the medal. If there are I would like to hear from them.”

Private Stewart was the son of James Stewart of Meikle Earnock and husband of Annabella Williams Stewart of 46 Albert Buildings in Burnbank.

Mr Miller added that he thought the medals, which have the inscription ‘He died for freedom and honour’, were produced to give to either the mothers or widows of soldiers killed in battle.

He said: “They are not rare items. I think hundreds of thousands would have been given out. However, it preserves the memory of one man who gave his life in the Great War.”

l If you can help Mr Miller he can be contacted at jjbonaccord@yahoo.co.uk or by calling 01294 558352.