Leurbost School District

Donald Gunn
Leurbost Schoolhouse

LEURBOST SCHOOL DISTRICT.
Population last Census, 673 (Males, 320: Females, 353).

LEURBOST, in common with the other villages of Lewis, has just cause to be proud of the share taken by her gallant sons in the memorable struggle with a fierce and unscrupulous foe. At the first call in August, 1914, fully one hundred men rushed to the post of duty, and in a short time over 140 were in arms. There was hardly a single family without a representative doing duty for King and Country. The appeal for recruits did not fall on deaf ears, every fit man volunteered for service from the very start, and so eager were the young lads to do their bit, that when rejected by the military authorities, owing to the fact of being under 18 years of age, they at once enrolled in the Naval forces.

Nothing could be finer than the magnificent rally to the Colours of natives resident in distant parts of the world. From the four corners of the earth they came, almost to a man, to join their brothers in the trenches and on the high seas. All honour to these heroes, who, in the hour of Britain's need, "scorned delights to live laborious days."

Equally worthy of mention is the part played by the men who manned the merchant ships, braving the dangers of mine and submarine, and to "keep the home fires burning," they would not be intimidated by the frightfulness of the Huns.

Our losses, in dead and wounded, are commensurate with the number on service—twenty-eight (20 per cent.) having fallen. One family (Mrs Roderick Mackenzie, 25 Leurbost) lost three sons, Murdo and Kenneth Smith and John Mackenzie (step-son). Mrs Donald Mackenzie, 16 Leurbost, mourns the loss of two sons, John and Alexander, both drowned in the wreck of the "Iolaire," in which no fewer than 11 lives were lost, the other nine being : —

Alexander Mackenzie and Allan Macleod, both No. 11 ;
Kenneth Smith, No. 28;
Donald Smith, No. 34;
Donald Maclean, No. 35 ;
Roderick Macdonald, No. 36;
Murdo Maclean, No. 39 ;
Angus Macdonald, No. 42; and
Angus Macleod, No. 46.

Three Leurbost men passed weary months and years as prisoners of war in Germany, and one of them, Donald Nicolson, died in hospital there. He was in the fighting line at the commencement of hostilities and fell into the hands of the enemy in December, 1914.

Sergt. Donald N. Mackinnon, Seaforth Highlanders, was awarded the Military Medal, and Lance-Sergeant Malcolm Macleod, also of the county regiment, received the Italian Order of Merit.

Early in the war Mrs Donald Macdonald, 42 Leurbost, had the misfortune to lose two sons—Murdo, in the naval fight off Jutland, and Peter, in the advance to the relief of Kut, Mesopotamia.

Schoolhouse, Leurbost.