John Maclennan, 60 North Tolsta

Stornoway Gazette, 2 August 1940
This week's bombing operations have again taken toll. News has been received that Seaman John Maclennan, HMS Boreas, has been killed in action. He was the only son of Mrs Maclennan and the late John Maclennan, 60 New Street. Angus Macleod, 34 North Tolsta, was slightly wounded. Later messages from Murdo Graham, School Road, and Roderick Maciver, 2 Shore Street, all on the same vessel, reported they were safe.

Stornoway Gazette, 30 August 1940
Shortly before he was killed in action on HMS Boreas, John Maclennan, the only son of Mrs Maclennan, 60 North Tolsta, wrote this Gaelic poem:

FADACHD AN T-SEOLADAIR
Gun'n dean mi rann 's mo chridhe trom
Is mi fodh cuing 'gam ain-deoin
Air bord an luing 's mi sgith is tinn
'S an cuan na ghlinn dol seachad

Thoir soiridh uam-sa thar a chuain
Is innis do'n t-sluagh a dh-fhuirich
Ma thig an t-sith dean doibh-san innis
Nach bi sinn sgith dol dachadih

Bho eirigh grein gu 'laidhe sios
Bidh sinn fodh fhiamh 's fodh eagail,
'S 'nuair thig an oidhch' cha chadal duinn,
Bidh mis' 's chrann ri faire.

Tha 'n geamhradh fuar 's an reothadh cruaidh
Is smuid a chuain d'ar dalladh,
O! bheirinn duais 'bhi 'm blaths mo luaidh
'S i chuireadh gruaim bho 'm aire

Is truagh an drasd nach robh sinn cruinn
An tir nam beann mar chleachd sinn;
Tha cuid nach till 's nach coinnich ruinn
Tha 'n cuan 's na tuinn 'gam folach

'Nuair chi mi ian a falbh air sgiath
Bu mhiann leam bhi na chuideachd
Is dheanainn curs air tir mo ruin
Far 'm bheil an sluagh ri curachd

'Nuair bhiodh sinn cruinn an tigh Mhic Caoidh
Cha b'fhad' an oidhch dol seachad
Ged bhoidh e uair cha bhoidh air gruaim
Ri eiridh suas 's a mhaduinn

Bheir mi gu ceann am beagan rann
'S mi cluinntinn fear le feadag
Toirt ordugh teann bhi suas air ball
'S an long a fagail calla.