“What does it mean to be brave?” That question lingers as we gather before this stone. It is not just any stone. This is the Lt Allan Ker Stone. It stands as a tribute to a man of extraordinary courage. Lt Allan Ker’s story is one of unwavering resolve in the face of overwhelming odds.
Allan Ebenezer Ker was born in Edinburgh on March 5, 1883. He lived at 16 Findhorn Place. Before the war, he practiced law at 5 George Street.
When war called, Allan joined the Gordon Highlanders. He later served with the Machine Gun Corps. His bravery earned him the Victoria Cross. This is the highest award for gallantry.
The Lt Allan Ker Stone commemorates his actions on March 21, 1918. Near St. Quentin, France, the enemy broke through the British line. Ker, with one Vickers gun, held them back. He inflicted heavy casualties.
He sent word to his Battalion Headquarters. He would stay and fight. He would stay with his sergeant and wounded men. They would fight until a counter-attack came.
Ammunition ran low. The enemy attacked with bombs and bayonets. Ker and his men fought back with revolvers. The Vickers gun was destroyed. They gathered the wounded in a small shelter. They decided to defend them to the last.
In hand-to-hand combat, they captured a German rifle. They also got ammunition. They used these against the enemy. Ker was exhausted. He suffered from gas poisoning. He had been fighting and tending to the wounded for ten hours. He refused to surrender. He held off over 500 enemies for three hours.
Captured, Ker was a prisoner of war. He was released in December 1918. He learned of his Victoria Cross. King George V presented the medal to him.
After the war, Allan Ker returned to law. He served again in World War II. He died in Hampstead, London, in 1958. Allan Ker was buried in West Hampstead Cemetery. He was also memorialized on his parents’ grave in Edinburgh.
This Lt Allan Ker Stone stands as a testament. It honors a man who faced death. He faced it with unflinching courage. It also celebrates the spirit of self-sacrifice. Allan Ker’s legacy lives on. It inspires us to acts of bravery. It reminds us that even in the darkest times, courage prevails. Remember Lt Allan Ker VC when you think of Edinburgh’s heroes. His story echoes through these streets.