John was head gardener at Langwell House. During the First World War, his call up was repeatedly deferred, possibly as the food he was growing in the gardens supported so many families. It believed he may have served in 1918. They had three sons, one of whom joined the Patrol for a period before going into the RAF. The other two joined the army, with Andrew going into the Seaforth Highlanders and later transferred to the Military Police, while Willie was in the Scots Guards.
In early 1942 he arranged the loan of Christmas decorations for a Parish party, which was strongly supported by the Auxiliary Units, including Captain Fiddes-Watt and others from the area HQ, then in Berridale.
John won the Royal Horticultural Society’s Gold Medal and also received the Scottish Landowners long service award.
| Unit or location | Role | Posted from | until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berriedale Patrol | Patrol Leader | Unknown | 03 Dec 1944 |
Head gardener
Sergeant John Murray was the head gardener at Langwell House and recruited the Patrol from the estate staff, with fellow gardener Alex Thomson as Corporal.
Murray was awarded the Commander's in Chief Certificate for Meritorious Service on 15 Jun 1942.
It seems that nobody collected in their stores at the end of the war. Possibly they were simply too remote to be considered worth worrying about. His grandson recalled that grenades were used for the clearance of snow drifts in the winter. He also enjoyed setting booby traps in the garden.
After the war he could be seen wearing the stand down badge in his lapel. David Wemyss, related to the Duke of Portland’s son-in-law, spotted this during a visit and spoke to him about his wartime service. David had been an Auxiliary Units Special Duties officer in Wales.
TNA ref WO199/3388
Hancock data held at B.R.A
IWM ref 13450 – 201 Battalion News July 1944
David Blair
John O’Groat Journal 1 Jun 1917, 9 Nov 1917, 22 Feb 1918, 20 Mar 1942, 27 Nov 1942
David Wemyss letter to Arthur Gabbitas
John Murray