Old Monklands Cemetery is situated on the outskirts of Coatbridge, on a south-facing hillside with impressive views towards nearby Bellshill, Uddingston, Rutherglen and the eastern fringe of Glasgow. The peace is disturbed only by the rush of traffic from the neighbouring M8 Motorway, Scotland’s busiest road. Helen MacKenzie, the only child of Donald and Annie MacKenzie (a fact confirmed on her headstone), rests in the Cemetery. The body of the headstone has separated from the base, but is in reasonable condition otherwise. It is in the care of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. She died of pneumonia on October 19th 1918, at the Cholderton Women’s Hospital, Amesbury, Wiltshire, aged twenty (twenty-two on her death registration). Considering her age and the date of her death, it is likely that the fatal pneumonia followed a bout of Spanish influenza.
Helen was born at 8 Campbell Street, Maryhill, Glasgow, on July 14th 1898, to Merchant Seaman Donald and Annie (nee McIver). Her parents had married the previous year. As previously stated, Helen would have no siblings. When the Census was taken in 1901, the MacKenzie family were residing at 24 Old Square, New Monkland. Donald had changed occupations and was working as a rigger in the local steelworks. I expect this is why they relocated to Monklands from Glasgow.
I was unable to locate the family on the 1911 Census. By this time, Helen would have been twelve and attending school.
Helen enlisted in the Women’s Royal Air Force during World War I. Her service number was 15076. She was posted to Stores, Netheravon. Her deployment to Wiltshire put her on a similar path to Mary Watson.
At the time of her death, Donald and Annie lived at 11 English Buildings, Calderbank, in nearby Airdrie. The loss of their only child would have been a devastating blow. Though the headstone does not list their names, they may be interred in Old Monklands with her, either whole or as cremains.
Helen is commemorated on the National War Memorial in Edinburgh Castle. I expect a local War Memorial within North Lanarkshire also lists her name.
Sources: Ancestry, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Find a Grave, General Register Office, Scotland’s People
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