The Great War    1914 – 1919 An Cogadh Mòr

Sunday the 2nd of August 1914 was the day on which John Macleod, lain Solamh, the postmaster in North Tolsta, went round the village delivering the buff coloured envelopes with the mobilisation notices, 127 in all.

Before the war ended a further 104 enlisted in either the Navy or the Army. 

By the time the war came to an end the number of men on active service was 231, 58% of all the males in the village.

“Is ann air feasgair na Sàbaid a chualas an naidheachd le foirm,

Gun robhar ‘g ar togail ‘s gach ceàrnaidh gu seasamh bhur n-àit’ anns an arm.

Ach is ann am portan an iasgaich bha ‘n sealladh bu chianail gu dearbh,

An àm do na trèinichean gluasad ‘s a bhathas ‘g ar fuadach air falbh.”

 le Mairead NicLeod (56)

Mr Duncan Macdonald, the village schoolmaster, describes the patriotism of the Tolstonians in “Loyal Lewis Roll of Honour 1914-1918 War”, thus:

“A large number of young men joined before they reached military age, as well as many others who were over fifty years of age.

A lad of sixteen whose father was in the army, enlisted on hearing of the death of his eldest brother in France.

Another man, holding an important appointment in the South, when he heard of the death of his youngest brother, at once enlisted in his brother’s battalion, to fill up the gap.   He was also killed.

A lad of sixteen, who was in the Militia at the outbreak of the war, told his father that there was no use trying to get him out of the army, ‘for’, said he, ‘I am deterimed to go to the front’.   To the front he went and there he was wounded before he was 17 and killed at the age of 18.
Another man who had spent many years in Canada enlisted in the Trawler Section of the Royal Naval Reserve, although he was then 60 years of age.

Several men travelled at their own expense from Western Canada to join the Royal Naval Reserve.
A sailor, who had gone through the South African War, offered himself at the beginning of the war although he was then about 50 years of age.   This man took part in the retreat from Mons and during the war was four times wounded in action.

Many other outstanding cases could be given.”
Mr Macdonald continues,

“If Tolsta has responded nobly, she has suffered severely.

Over fifty of her sons have made the supreme sacrifice – twenty seven belonging to the Royal Naval Reserve and twenty five belonging to the various branches of the Army.”