Cross School District

R. J. Fenton
Cross School

CROSS SCHOOL DISTRICT.
(South Dell, North Dell, Cross and Swanibost.)
(Population last Census, 1146; Males, 521; Females, 625.)

WHEN the War broke out the natives of Cross District, both in the home townships and from the most distant parts of the world, answered bravely to the call. They came from Australia and South Africa, from New Zealand and from the far North West of Canada. They were found on every British front in Europe, Asia, or Africa. A large number served on two or more different fronts in France and Mesopotamia, in the Dardanelles, Egypt and Salonika, in France and Italy. Several had almost miraculous escapes, as a perusal of the Roll will show ; some were wounded many times and are still alive and well; a few went through it all without a scratch.

We meet these survivors daily. They have "done their bit"—and a right brave and noble "bit" it was in the case of many —lads and men who have been through the very hottest of the fighting : who had fallen into, and made their escape from, the hands of the Hun ; who had been picked up from the water after their ships had been torpedoed : or who had survived the "Iolaire" disaster. We can hardly imagine, as we see them going about their daily occupations, that they lately came from scenes so terrible. Who shall ever forget that it was through these and such as these, and the comrades they left, alas, "on the other side," that to-day we still breathe the breath of freedom.

The record of Cross District is a proud one and a sad one —so many fought for the Cause ; so many died for it. The 247 men serving from the district was drawn from the different townships as follows:-

Swanibost, 36 Navy, 37 Army;
Cross, 24 Navy, 23 Army;
North Dell, 10 Navy, 23 Army;
South Dell and Aird Dell, 47 Navy, 47 Army:
showing percentages of 47 of the male population and 21.4 of the total population.

The number of lives lost were as follows: —
Swanibost, 7 Navy, 6 Army;
Cross, 3 Navy, 4 Army;
North Dell, 6 Army ;
South Dell and Aird Dell, 9 Navy, 18 Army—a total of 53.

There were five cases of double bereavement.
Mr Donald Mackay, 20 Cross, lost two sons—Angus and William—in Mesopotamia in 1916.

Donald and Murdo Macdonald, sons of Mr John Macdonald, 13 Swanibost, perished together in the illfated "Iolaire."

That great disaster also claimed Malcolm Macleod, 28 Swanibost, whose brother, Sergt. John Macleod, Seaforths, was killed in France, March, 1918.

On 9th May, 1915, Murray Murrav, 5 South Deli, fell in France, and his brother Donald Murray, was killed 13th October, 1916

Roderick and John Murray, 2* South Dell, both died of wounds.
Three men from 19 South Dell were drowned—Alexander, Finlay, and Angus' Morrison.

R. J. FENTON.