North Ayrshire war hero's story being taught to students

Irvine man David McKellar was in a reserved job at the Ardeer Explosives factory in Stevenston during WW2, but was desperate to serve overseas.

He finally got his wish in 1944 - and sadly died in November that year during the Allied advance towards Germany.

Now a 'listening stone' has been added to his Commonwealth war grave as part of the official Liberation Route Europe history project, so students and visitors can learn his story.

His proud grandson, Kilwinning-born Scott Mathieson, is delighted that his grandfather's legacy will be remembered for generations to come.

He said: "I'm immensely proud that his story will be a permanent reminder as part of the Liberation Route, of the hard-won freedoms we tend to take for granted."

Scott, who now lives in East Lothian, revealed: "My mum was just 18 months old when her dad died in World War II.

David McKellar  (Image: Contributed) "He was a chargehand at the Ardeer Nobel plant and it was a reserved occupation. His dad, brothers and friends all signed up for duty, but he wasn’t allowed to.

"Finally in 1944, he was allowed to go and signed up with the Gordon Highlanders.

"He went across two weeks after D-Day and went through France, Belgium and Holland. And he died from wounds received as he tried to liberate the town of Meijel on November 21, 1944. His dad and brothers all made it home at the end of the war.

"He was buried in the nearby abbey at first then buried in a commonwealth war grave in Venray."

Scott knew his grandad's history - but it was chance meeting with a Dutch family which led to David's story being told via a listening stone at his grave.

He continued: "About 15 years ago, I went to see the singer Fish perform in Haddington, and met two Dutch people, Tom Van Mierlo and Ellen Van Meirlo-Verberne and we became Facebook friends.

David was laid to rest in the Venray cemetery (Image: Contributed) "Ten years ago on the 70th anniversary of his death, I shared a post from my brother about my grandad and my friends in Holland said they lived just 10km from his grave. They offered to lay flowers on his grave and started doing it every year.

"Then Tom said he was part of a local history society. He wrote a thesis and people really liked it.

"Over five years, these dear friends researched my grandfather's story in such careful detail that the people of Meijel applied to tell his story as a representative of those who gave their lives to liberate their town in 1944.

"There’s now a listening stone which tells David McKellar’s story."

Scott went over to visit his grandfather's final resting place in 2019 for the unveiling of the listening stone.

He said: "Representatives from the Gordon Highlanders marched past at the ceremony and we all laid wreaths.

"My grandfather’s picture is now being used to teach kids about the sacrifice of the Allied during WW2.

"My grandfather is also mentioned in the war memorial of workers from Stevenston and also on a plaque at Ravenspark Golf Club, where he was a keen golfer."

Scott added: "I was born in Buckreddan, Kilwinning and  we moved to East Lothian in 1970.

"We lost touch with some of the family after that and I’d be delighted to hear from any of the McKellar family in North Ayrshire."