Honorary members 1946 to 1955
1946 Field Marshal Montgomery, Thomas Johnston, Winston Churchill
1947 Dwight D Eisenhower
1948 James Bridie, James Barr
1949 Ian Whyte
1950 A B McDonald, Lord John Boyd Orr
1951 Sir Hector Hetherington
1952 Prof. David Daiches, The Duke of Edinburgh
1953 Sir Alexander Fleming, Sir James Ferguson, Col Bernard Ferguson
1954 Sir John Hunt
1955 Dr Roger Bannister, Lord Bilsland
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| His life & work: |
Bernard Law Montgomery . . . < biography to follow > |
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His letter, written from Tac Headquarters, British Army of the Rhine, on 27 January, 1946: |
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| Dear Sir |
"Tac HQ" is short for Tactical HQ. The main paragraph is typed. The letter is addressed to William Phillips, Esq., President, Irvine Burns Club, Park Terrace, Irvine |
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< biography to follow > (Secretary of State for Scotland 1941-1945) An interesting tailpiece to his biography is from a leader in 'The Times' in 2020 (Oct 2nd). The leader ended: "Climate change demands the kind of vision not seen in Scotland since the mid-20th century, when the hydroelectric revolution sparked by Tom Johnston, Scottish secretary in Winston Churchill's wartime cabinet, transformed the Highlands and gave the nation an invaluable head start in renewables. Something of that boldness is required today." |
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His letter, written from “Monteviot”, Kirkintilloch on 14/1/46: |
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| Dear Sir, |
The letter is addressed to William Phillips, Esq., President, Irvine Burns Club. |
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There is no need here to attempt a synopsis celebrating the leadership of Winston Churchill during the Second World War, after which Irvine Burns Club offered him Honorary Membership and he, through his Private Secretary, accepted. He was knighted in 1953, having declined the title of Duke of London. However, it is relevant to mention some of his many links with Scotland. Incidentally born on St Andrews Day, Churchill served as Liberal MP for Dundee for 14 years (1908-22), called for Scottish home rule in 1912, served with the Royal Scots Fusiliers on the Western Front in 1915, warned at Ibrox Stadium in 1949 that Labour's nationalisation policy threatened Scots' autonomy, and said to his troops that "Although an Englishman, it was in Scotland that I found the three best things in my life: my wife, my constituency and my regiment". His wife Clementine was of Scottish descent. Churchill served as Rector of the University of Aberdeen in 1914, and of the University of Edinburgh in 1929. In 1940, he formed the Commandos in Scotland and ordered the creation of the Scapa Flow barriers on Orkney. His good relationship with Secretaries of State for Scotland, particularly Tom Johnston (see previous Honorary Member item above), transformed the country. Churchill accepted the freedom of the City of Edinburgh in 1942. (source: an account of Churchill's Scottish links by columnist Alastair Stewart) |
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The letter written on his behalf from the House of Commons on 30th March, 1946: |
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| Dear Sir, |
The notepaper is embossed with the House of Commons crest, which does not appear in photocopies. Elizabeth Gilliatt was Churchill's P.S. from 1945 to 1955. The letter is addressed to The President, Irvine Burns Club. |
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His life & work: |
< biography to follow > |
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His letter, written from Washington, on 28 November, 1947: |
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| Dear Mr McGinn |
The letter, on paper headed with a circle of five stars and the initiials D D E, is addressed to Mr Peter McGinn and Mr William Phillips, and is in Eisenhower's own hand. |
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< biography to follow > |
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His letter, written from Finnich Malise, Dryman Station, Stirlingshire, on February 14th, 1948: |
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| My dear President, |
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< biography to follow > |
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His letter, written from the United Free Church of Scotland, 11 Newton Place, Glasgow, C3: |
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| Dear Mr Phillips, |
Mr Phillips was Hon Secy of the Club. |
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<biography to follow> In our display case is a pen given to Ian Whyte by Sir Harry, inscribed "Ian Whyte, from Sir Harry Lauder, for Service Rendered". |
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His letter written from 72 Clouston Street, Glasgow, NW, on 20th January 49: |
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| Dear Sir, P.S. I will certainly avail myself of the opportunity of seeing the manuscripts: - one fine day I will come and browse. IW |
The letter is to President J M McDavid and Hon. Secy William Phillips. |
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A B McDonald was a native of Irvine who emigrated and had a successful career in South Africa. In 1929, he funded the memorial at Knadgerhill to the stand-off, in 1297 in the First War of Independence, between the Scottish and English armies, when the Scots signed what was titled the "Capitulations of Irvine", sometimes referred to as the Treaty of Irvine. On his behalf, Irvine Burns Club presented the memorial to the burgh. In 1938, A B McDonald laid the foundation stone for the Pinelands Presbyterian Church (enlarged in 1959), Cape Town. Pinelands is a 'garden city' suburb; he lived in the district of Kenilworth, a short distance to the south. In 1949, in acknowledgement of his benefactions to the town and to the academy, he received the freedom of the Royal Burgh of Irvine. |
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His letter, written from the Cape Times Building, St George's Street, Cape Town, on 6 March, 1950: |
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| Dear Mr Whyte, |
The headed notepaper bears A B McDonald's name printed, but without no other detail. It is addressed to President Robert Whyte |
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< biography to follow > |
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His letter, written from Brechin, Angus, on 23rd Jany 1950: |
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| Dear Mr Whyte, |
The addressee is Robert Whyte, President. |
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< biography to follow > |
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His letter, written from The University, Glasgow, W2, on Jan. 11, 1951: |
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| Dear Sir, |
The letter, to Pres. A M Skinner, is on headed notepaper also bearing the text "From The Principal, Sir Hector Hetherington". |
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< biography to follow > |
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His letter, written from 53E Bateman Street, Cambridge, on 26 January, 1952: |
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| Dear Mr Green, |
The letter is written to President Archibald Green. |
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At the death, in April 2021, of the Duke of Edinburgh, very many articles and tributes reflected the extraordinary and unique contribution of the Queen's consort to the well-being of the country, so here we comment on only a few details of his life and activities, with the added intention of putting into context his nomination as a Honorary Member of Irvine Burns Club. Although a prince of Greece and Denmark, he abandoned those titles before his marriage, and did not become the British Prince Philip until 1957. Born in Corfu, of a family descended from Danish aristocracy and elected to the Greek throne in 1863, his family were forced into exile in 1922 and settled in Paris. In 1934, he started at Gordonstoun, where he became the captain of both the hockey and cricket teams, and became Head Boy, then entered the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth, where he graduated top of his class. Looking back, he said, "My mother was ill, my sisters were married, my father was in the south of France. I just had to get on with it." As a teenager, he was mentioned in dispatches for his heroism during the battle of Crete in 1941. In 1943, when only 22 years old, his quick thinking and inventiveness saved the lives of his crewmates on HMS Wallace. In 1951 he was the Commander of the frigate HMS Magpie. Prince Philip met Princess Elizabeth in 1939, when she was 13 and he was 18. They married in 1947 (he was created Duke of Edinburgh shortly beforehand), and by 1952 had their first two children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne. At the time when the Duke was approached by Irvine Burns Club in January 1952, King George VI was known to be seriously ill - Princess Elizabeth became Queen only ten days after the Duke's Private Secretary sent the letter below. Prince Philip, on looking back, at age 90, on life as consort to the Queen, said: "It was trial and error. There was no precedent. If I asked somebody 'What do you expect me to do?' they all looked blank. They had no idea. Nobody had much idea." He therefore filled his role in his own way, as a supportive husband, as a loving father, as a royal representative with a keen interest in engineering, as the founder (in 1946) of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, as an active sportsman, and as a no-nonsense and upright figure, who enjoyed provoking a laugh and chatting with people, right up to his final months. His lifelong relationship with the Commonwealth, begun in 1949 when he lived in Malta as a naval officer, led to visiting 50 Commonwealth countries over the following 72 years, sometimes with the Queen, but almost 300 times without her - an aspect of his role which he much enjoyed. The Queen, at their Golden Wedding anniversary in 1997, said: "I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim or we shall ever know". |
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His letter, written from Clarence House, St James's, on 28th January, 1952: |
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| Dear Mr Green |
The letter, to President Archibald Green, is typed, except for the opening and closing lines written by the Duke's Private Secretary. |
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< biography to follow > |
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His letter, written from The Wright-Fleming Institute of Microbiology, St Mary's Hospital Medical School, Paddington, London, W.2, on Jan 14, 53: |
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| Dear Mr Guild, |
William G Guild was President in 1953. Sir Walter Scott was nominated, but seems not to have confirmed acceptance, Col. Walter Scott accepted, and Gladstone seems not to have been nominated. |
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< biography to follow > (of Kilkerran) |
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His letter, written from the New Club, Edinburgh, on 15 January 1953: |
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| Dear Sir, |
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< biography to follow > (WW II soldier, later Governor General of New Zealand and Lord Ballantrae) |
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His letter, written from 137, Boulevard de le Reine, Versailles, Seine-et-Oise, France, on 19 January 1953: |
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| Gentlemen:- |
A 'drumhead service' is one conducted in the field. Rev. James Wishart was minister of the Wilson-Fullarton Church from 1902 to 1947. |
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< biography to follow > |
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His letter, written on the headed paper of the British Mount Everest Expedition 1953, from the Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, London, SW7, on 16 January 1954: |
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| Dear Mr President, |
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Roger Bannister was a junior doctor in 1954. On May 6th, he had porridge for breakfast, went to his work at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London, then caught a midday train to Oxford for an athletics meet between Oxford University and the Amateur Athletics Association. A gale force wind was blowing. Bannister considered abandoning his attempt to break the four-minute mile, but his Austrian coach warned he had to take the opportunity; the wind dropped a little, and 3,000 spectators had gathered for the 6pm race; meanwhile, a meet organiser, Norris McWhirter, had tipped off various athletics correspondents. Bannister finished in 3 mins 39.4 secs - a part-time athlete running on a cinder track became, overnight, an international celebrity with an achievement for which he would be remembered for the rest of his life. His record was surpassed by John Landy of Australia 46 days later, on June 21, but Bannister passed Landy on Aug 7 in Vancouver, both runners finishing within 4 minutes. Within months he gave up competitive running to focus on medicine and would tell interviewers that he was prouder of what he had achieved in medical research as a neurologist than in athletics, saying that the ideal was the complete man who had a career outside sport. Bannister was fascinated with the brain and specialised in failures of the autonomic nervous system; he was awarded the American Academy of Neurology's first lifetime achievement award in 2005. He served, at various times, on many sports and medical councils and organisations, mentioned in 'The Times' obituary of 5 March 2018, on which this tribute is based. He was knighted in 1975 for services to sport. In 1985 Sir Roger Bannister was appointed Master of Pembroke College, Oxford, a job he loved, and held for eight years, bringing about the construction of the College's Fulbright building, and holding drinks parties for the students twice a week. In the late 1950s he was asked to look at a patient who had been shipped home from Malaya with a suspected brain tumour, though in fact the man, novelist Anthony Burgess, was suffering from dehydration due to alcoholism. Burgess wrote about this experience in his 1960 novel 'The Doctor is Sick', in which, as a tribute to his saviour, he called one of the characters Dr Railton, a pun on 'ban(n)ister'. [source: 'The Times' Diary column, 6/3/18] |
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His letter, written from St Mary's Hospital, W.2., undated: |
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| Dear Mr Phillips, |
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| His life & work: |
< biography to follow > |
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His letter, written from 89 West Campbell Street, Glasgow, C.2, on 15 Decr, 1954: |
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| Dear Mr Lockhart |
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