Every war grave has a real story.

FORMER science teacher at Beath and Lochgelly High Schools, Ian Mitchell, has been an important person in Cowdenbeath Rotary Club's work in involving local primary schools in the VE Day and VJ Day commemorations that took place in 2025.

And at Thursday's meeting of the club, Kinglassie man Ian explained how his work for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission had picked up on his retiral from teaching and he was able to talk members through the real history that existed in local cemeteries.

Ian said: “I am lucky enough to have responsibilities for the cemeteries in Cowdenbeath, Lochgelly, Benarty and Cardenden, and along with others, try to keep the war graves looking as good as these can be marking the ultimate service given by many local people.”

The war graves in local cemeteries cover both the First World War, Second World War, and more recent conflicts. At Thursday's meeting Ian said that he had been able to locate interesting information on many local people who had died in action and through other incidents and even serious health issues that crept up. “To every war grave there is a story and with a bit of research important information can be located,” said Ian.

“There was a serviceman called Robert Clydesdale, from Ballingry, who was injured in the Gallipoli campaign but recovered, then later died in the Spanish flu epidemic and something similar happened to Private Alexander Goodall, who served in the RAF and died of pneumonia.

“Then there was Sergeant George McKay, from Lochore, who was killed at Passchendael; and then Dux of Beath High School, Lieutenant William Binning, a machine gunner, who died from wounds suffered in an attack.”

Ian was delighted to be involved in helping out with the activities which the rotary club undertook during 2025 to mark the VE Day and VJ Day commemorations and helping school children understand what happened, and working with the CWGC plans to carry out war graves tours at local cemeteries in the spring and summer.

Club president, Craig Bennet thanked Ian for his work in ensuring that dozens of primary youngsters were able to broaden their knowledge of local war graves and said that the rotary club had felt that it was only fitting that Ian should be presented with a Cowdenbeath Rotary Club Pride of Fife Community Award for his work in this field.

Assistant Governor, Libby Seath, is pictured presenting the Community Award to Ian.