On Tower Hill Memorial is the name of Master James William Gair serving on S.S. Royal Sceptre (Newcastle upon Tyne) with the Merchant Navy who died 05/09/1939.

In Eggleston churchyard is a family headstone which reads:-

Sacred to the
Esteemed Memory
of
James Gair
Master Mariner
Died Feb. 19th 1927
in his 64th year

Also his wife
Helen
died Aug 24th 1951
aged 84 years

Also their son
James William
Died at sea
through enemy
action
Sept. 5th 1939

In St. Mary’s Churchyard, Alnwick is a family headstone which reads:
In
loving memory of
Andrew James, son of
Hugh & Margt. Archbold
born Feb. 19 1887,
died May 1, 1891.

Also of Joseph their son,
born Oct. 9. 1883, died Sept. 22 1891.

Also of Hugh, beloved husband of
Margaret Archbold,
who died July 30, 1919, aged 60 years

and in loving memory of
Margaret Archbold,
who died April 26, 1938, in her 80th year.

Capt. James William Gair
killed in action Sept. 5. 1939, aged 42 years,

and his dearly loved wife Alice,
who died Sept.15. 1963, aged 65 years.

The Newcastle Evening Chronicle 08/09/1939 reports:-
NEWCASTLE SHIP SUNK
Another Reported to Have Been Attacked
Two Newcastle steamers are among vessels reported have been attacked by submarines. They are the Royal Sceptre (4,853 tons), built by S. L. Thompson, Ltd., Sunderland in 1937, and owned by Hall Brothers Steamship Co.. Ltd., Newcastle, and the Pukkaston (5,809 tons), built by Short Bros., Sunderland, in 1929. and owned by the Hindustan Steam Shipping Co., Ltd., Newcastle. The Royal Sceptre is stated to have been sunk. Messages on the attack on the Pukkaston have been received by the Radio Marine Corporation, according to a Reuter message from New York, which also states that the French steamer Tamara had been attacked.
ALNWICK CAPTAIN
The master of the Royal Sceptre is Captain James W. Gair (42), of Stott Street, Alnwick.
He is the son of a sea captain and became a captain about eight years years ago. This was his second voyage on the Royal Sceptre.
His wife and he were born in the same street on the same day. They have two children.

The Shields Daily Gazette 08/04/1940 reports:-
Royal Sceptre: Capt. James William Gair (42) of Alnwick (formerly of South Shields).

R.C. Fenwick adds James was the first Alnwick man to be killed in WW2. The ship was stopped by a U Boat, and the crew was saved. James was killed by a shell from a U Boat as he abandoned ship. He was 41 years old when he died.

James William Gair is remembered at Alnwick on A11.01 and on our List of Ships’ crews.