Findhorn's Dr William Chisholm won the Albert Medal after serving with gallantry in two World Wars

THE bay-facing side of the Findhorn war memorial records those from the village who died serving in the Merchant Navy in World War II.

It contains seven names, one of which is Dr William Chisholm AM - those letters are extremely rare and represent the Albert Medal, the precursor of the George Cross, often referred to as the ‘civilian Victoria Cross’.

Following research, Dr Timothy Finnegan ensured the local hero was officially recognised on the memorial.

He said: “I was very taken by the story when I was looking up information about the Kinloss and Findhorn War Memorial in 2013. At that time, I arranged for Chisholm’s his post-nominal letters, A.M., to be put on the War Memorial by Moray Council.

“Recently a member of his family from the USA was doing research about the Chisholm family in the Findhorn Heritage Centre.”

So, who was this Findhorn doctor and how did he win the United Kingdom’s ultimate award for civilian gallantry?

Chisholm’s story, one of humble beginnings, bravery and suffering in World War 1 trenches, qualification as a ship’s surgeon, an ill-fated marriage, and finally a hero’s death at sea in World War 11, could have come straight from a romance novel or Netflix script.

William Chisholm was born in May 1899 and baptized in Findhorn. The son of salmon fisherman, Alexander Chisholm and wife, Mary, he was one of three siblings who lived at ‘Erin Cottage’.

He was educated at Findhorn, Forres Academy and at Fordyce Academy, Banffshire.

In 1917 - at the age of 18 - William joined the 3rd Seaforth Highlanders and fought in the trenches of Flanders where in 1918 he was gassed and wounded.

Demobilised at the end of the war, the fisherman’s son gained entry to Aberdeen University where he qualified Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery in 1924.

On September 30, 1930, he married Fanny Bissett Mackintosh at King’s College Chapel, Aberdeen University. The couple separated after a mere three years and were estranged until William’s death some nine years later.

This death proved the Findhorn loon’s outstanding dedication, commitment and bravery.

In October 1942, Dr Chisholm was ship’s surgeon on the MV Stentor, one vessel in a wartime convoy from Sierra Leone in West Africa to the UK. The Stentor was torpedoed by a German U-boat northwest of the Canary Islands and 44 of the 235crew, including Dr Chisholm, were lost.

He was posthumously awarded the Lloyd’s Medal for Bravery at Sea and the Albert Medal.

The citation reads: ‘The ship in which Dr Chisholm was serving was torpedoed in darkness and immediately began to sink. A fire broke out which enveloped the bridge in flames and orders were given to abandon the vessel. She sank within eight minutes.

One of the senior officers on the bridge was badly injured. He was taken to the surgery, where Dr Chisholm immediately attended to him, and as he was helpless, assisted him to the deck in order to get him away from the sinking ship.

Dr Chisholm’s efforts, however, were unsuccessful and neither he nor the officer were ever seen again.’

William Chisholm’s sacrifice of his own chance of safety to assist someone in his care led to him being awarded the nation’s highest award for bravery.

The medal was presented to his father, the fisherman from Findhorn, by King George VI on 27th April 1943. This was one of the last occasions on which the Albert Medal was awarded.

After 1947, it was replaced by the George Cross and previous recipients were able to exchange their medal for the new award. Dr Chisholm’s family did not take up that opportunity.

Dr Finnegan said: “It’s an excellent story, especially because it was the second time that Chisholm was in a ship sunk by a torpedo.

“He had a sense of duty as a merchant seaman and a strong vocation for medicine in sacrificing himself for a patient and fellow sailor.”