Remembering those who fought in the Great War.

Port Glasgow

Port Glasgow is situated next to the town of Greenock. In the distant past it was the port of Glasgow City but the silting of it's harbour and competition from Greenock led to the development of shipbuilding and ropeworks as it's main industry rather than trade. It has always been in the shadow of Greenock and it is this sometimes fractuous relationship which has been the constant throughout it's history. Port Glasgow however, being that bit smaller, definitely has had more of a sense of community about it - especially with regards to the First World War. Soldiers apologised initially to friends for volunteering in Greenock, because there were no offices in the town. This soon changed. Reading the Port Glasgow Express from the war years you get a clear vision of the keen sense of loss whenever there was a fatality - everyone knew who the family was. The talk was of the corner boys - Scarlow, Glen, Bouverie or the Toll Boys. There was an intimate link - almost paternal, between the Lithgows and the people of Port Glasgow. The Lithgows ran the local Garrison Artillery Brigade - they built the houses for their workers. It was of course in their interest to do this as there was great pressure to provide enough men for shipbuilding. There was a large Irish population in Port Glasgow but many of them joined the forces. The Government intervened by sending men to the town to work in the yards. As with Greenock this demand for men went against the severe need for soldiers and there was always a tension between the two. 

Service men and women born in Port Glasgow