A Fife soldier killed in action during the Second World War has finally been honoured in his home town.
Private George Buglass was just 27 when he died in Hong Kong in December 1941, during the bitter Far East Campaign.
However, his name has never appeared on any UK memorial – until now.
On Saturday, the name George Buglass, of the 2nd Battalion Royal Scots, was officially added to Cupar war memorial during a poignant rededication ceremony.
It followed two years of representation by his family, some of whom attended the service.
And Mr Buglass’s niece Margaret L’Etang said it gave her peace to know her uncle had been recognised after 80 years.
“It was as if I couldn’t be at peace until it was done,” she said.
‘Absolutely delighted’
Mrs L’Etang, from Arbroath, was looking into her ancestry when she decided to find out where her uncle was buried.
“My mother always spoke about him and cried, but I didn’t know too much,” she said.
She discovered that while there was no marked grave, he does appear on the Sai Wann Memorial in Hong Kong.
But when she went to George’s home town of Cupar, his name wasn’t there.
“It turned out he wasn’t on any war memorial in this country and that really bothered me,” she said.
George was the son of a Fife farm hand and had 11 or 12 brothers and sisters, including Mrs L’Etang’s mother, Mary.
“At one point my mother had three brothers fighting in the war,” Mrs L’Etang said.
She enlisted the help of Cupar Conservative councillor Tony Miklinski in a bid to have her uncle recognised.
And he was only too happy to assist.
“We finally got permission and we were absolutely delighted,” said Mrs L’Etang.
The Last Post sounded at Cupar war memorial
On Saturday, she travelled to Fife with sister Heather, from Inverness, and brother Douglas, who lives in Banchory.
There, the Reverend Gavin Black rededicated the memorial and Mrs L’Etang read out every name inscribed on it – including that of her uncle.
And then followed the sounding of the Last Post before a lone piper’s lament.
The ceremony was also attended by members of the Royal Scots and the Cupar branch of the British Legion.
“It’s almost as if it had to be done,” said Mrs L’Etang.
“It was really, really important and I wouldn’t have been at peace until his name was added.”
‘Mrs L’Etang has done her bit’
Mr Miklinski, who served with the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines, was sympathetic to the family’s request.
“I was happy to take it up on their behalf,” he said.
However, he found it was not quite as easy as simply adding a name.
“When you try to change a war memorial with names already filling all the spaces, you run into planning issues,” he said.
“It has to be finished off in exactly the same way and the Ministry of Defence has to confirm the name and that he served.
“However, we got there and the family is thrilled.
“Mrs L’Etang has done her bit.”