Public Service

Eunice Guthrie Murray was born on the 21st January 1878 at Moore Park, Cardross, the youngest daughter of three to David Murray, a Glasgow lawyer (who with David Maclay and John Spens founded the Glasgow law firm Maclay Murray and Spens), and Frances Porter Stoddard, the daughter of an American family living in Port Glasgow.

Alasdair Duncan McIntyre, CBE, BSc, DSc, FRSE, FIBiol, FRSA, was born in Helensburgh on the 17th November in 1926.

He was educated at Hermitage School, Helensburgh, and Glasgow University, graduating in 1949 with first class honours in zoology – a subject he had switched to in second year.

Philip Thomas Tower was born in Rhu, Argyll & Bute, on March 1st 1917, the only son of Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Tower. He was educated at Harrow and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, where he was captain of fencing. He was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1937 and served with 25 Field Regiment RA in India until the outbreak of war.

“It was a dream world. The shooting was excellent, there was polo and pig-sticking” Philip Tower stated later and, as adjutant, his office had the only telephone in the regiment.

Ian Whitelaw Purvis was born on the 26th October 1922, in Lucknow, India, the son of Murray, a doctor in the Indian medical service and Hilda, who was born in The Grange, Suffolk Street, and the daughter of James Whitelaw Hamilton, a contemporary of the Glasgow Boys.

On returning to Scotland he attended Larchfield School before Glenalmond and Queens' College, Cambridge, where he read French and German before the war intervened.

Ian trained as an officer cadet before volunteering for the Indian Army, where he was commissioned into the 6th Gurkha Rifles (Queen Elizabeth's Own).

“When the 1st Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders go into action in Korea my thoughts will be with one man – the Regimental Sergeant Major Paddy Boyde. There isn’t another bloke in the Army I’d rather soldier with. In the kilt he’s the very picture of the Highland soldier – even though he’s Irish. Maybe it’s the combination of an Irish birth and seventeen years of Scots training that made him an enemy to be feared and a friend to be proud of” so wrote An Old Argyll as RSM Boyde prepared to go into action in Korea.

Ronald Watterston Duncan Low, was born on the 21st April 1927 in Dundee Scotland.

He lived in Dundee with his parents going to Dundee High School, graduating from school in 1943 and then going to St Andrews University to study medicine. He would eventually grew up to become an Air Force Squadron Leader and hospital surgeon, but it was as a fresh faced 8 year old that he was to make his name and take his place in Scotland’s literary history.

Ernest John Donaldson Turner was born in Helensburgh on 21st March 1914, the son of a Royal Navy chief writer, also Ernest Turner and Margaret Donaldson. Turner’s father was tragically lost at sea with Lord Kitchener and 643 others in the sinking of HMS Hampshire in 1916, when Turner was just two.

Rachel McInness was born in Cardross on the 20th September 1915, to Donald and Margaret McInness, and educated at Cardross Primary and Hermitage School, Rachel went on to travel the world — and to change it.

Born in 1970, and brought up in Helensburgh, Phil has always had a taste for adventure. He won a scholarship to Glenalmond College, Perthshire and was a talented gymnast and musician. His parents contemplated sending him to ballet school. Instead he discovered rock climbing and was quickly mastering some of Scotland’s hardest extreme rock climbs, before finding another physical career as a Royal Marine Commando.

Michael was born in Debden, Essex on the 5th November 1935

He was educated at Bryntirion School, Worksop College, Bede, Gosforth and Harvey Grammar Schools.

After graduation (BA, Durham) and military service, Michael spent six years in the steel industry selling flat-rolled products, followed by four years in Further Education as a Lecturer in Marketing.