The Brown Family Who Lived In A Cottage Called The Groves

A Memory of Auchinairn.

I was surprised to find no memories recorded for Auchinairn, even though it is a small place, so the following is a start.

When I was about the age of 10 in the mid 1950's my mother told me about her sweetheart who was killed during world war 2. His name was Donald at least that is how he was known. He was a sailor, a radio operator, on board HMS Hecla which was sunk on November 11th 1942. off of the coast from Cassablanca. He was aged 22 years. He had a sad life, his mother died 2 weeks after he was born and he was 7 years of age when his father died. I understand he had two older sisters who I expect took care of him.

My mother never forgot him and kept his letters which showed his address as "The Groves, Old Auchinairn" . She even visited the cottage with him. She was a dress maker and always kept a small silver ring in her sewing machine drawer - that I expect he gave to her. They met whilst she was working in a factory making explosives and bullets located at Dale Beatty. They would go dancing at Beith.

One day my mother told my wife that she and Donald had spoken about having a son, when they were married, who was to be named Christopher Michael. She said this to her after the birth of my second son, who without knowledge of this was named Christopher. Our first son was named Michael. She was pleased that she sort of got her Christopher Michael.

On a visit to Scotland my wife and I called by Old Auchinairn, but couldn't find a cottage named The Groves. There was however a housing development named "The Groves". Perhaps thats where it was.

If you visit the war memorial in Old Auchinairn and look at the left hand side when looking from the road you will find the name C. D. Brown. This is for Claude Donaldson Brown, who was known as Donald and this given name should not be forgotten.

In her last years and suffering from severe memory loss and Parkinson's one day I asked my mother 'Who is Donald Brown? her reply was "My chap". This was the last thing she ever said to me.

Sadly my mum and dad, a Welshman, were never meant to be.

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