Mystery now surrounds the final resting place of a regimental dog that was buried in Arbroath in 1918.
Paddy was the 2/1 Highland Cycling Battalion mascot during the First World War and was laid to rest at Keptie Wood.
A group of volunteers recently restored Paddy’s headstone to keep his memory alive and flowers were planted at the grave.
However, it has now emerged that the grave might not actually be where Paddy was originally buried by the soldiers in 1918.
Patrick Anderson from Letham got in touch with The Courier and said the headstone was moved by the council in the 1970s.
He said: “Paddy was buried at the edge of Keptie Wood by the soldiers of the Highland Cycling Battalion who made the headstone.
“In the 1970s the new road was extended to get access to the new driving test centre and the headstone was moved to where it is now.
“The grave would be underneath the present roadway.”
John Clyde, the parks and cemeteries department superintendent, used to lay a wreath at the grave of Paddy each anniversary of his death and continued that honour until he retired in 1968.
Sadly the wreath laying ceased at that point but was taken up again by Mr Anderson who has laid a poppy cross at the dog’s grave since returning to Angus in 1999.
Mr Anderson, who was a police sergeant in Yorkshire, grew up in Arbroath and would often visit Paddy’s grave with his father William during his childhood.
He said he would continue to the wreath laying tradition when he retired from the police and went back to live in Angus.
Mr Anderson added: “The roads department dug up the road but thankfully someone had the headstone moved.
“I don’t think there would have been much left of Paddy in his grave at that time and I don’t know if this made the papers.”
Paddy joined the battalion in October 1914 and was at various locations such as St Cyrus before moving to Arbroath where McDonald Park was used as a camp and training ground.
The Highland Cyclist Battalion was a bicycle infantry battalion of the Territorial Force, part of the British Army.
The 2nd Line battalion was formed at Kirkcaldy in November 1914 and in 1915 it was at Montrose and in 1916 at Arbroath.
The battalion was disbanded on July 3 1919.
