Temporary traffic restrictions for commemorative stone ceremony

08 March 2017

Temporary traffic restrictions will be in place to ensure public safety during the unveiling of a commemorative stone to mark the 100th anniversary of Aberdeen-born Captain Archibald Bisset Smith received the Victoria Cross posthumously for his gallantry and devotion to duty when in command of the SS Otaki, on Friday 10 March 1917.

The ceremony will take place at 11am on Friday 10 March on Schoolhill – on the raised pedestrian area in front of the entrance to Robert Gordon’s College – opposite the Academy Shopping Centre.

The restrictions are as follows:

From 6pm on Thursday 09 March 2017 until 12noon on Friday 10 March 2017 there will be a prohibition of waiting on either side of the insert road (the one way road immediately in front of Aberdeen Art Gallery and Robert Gordon’s College) on Schoolhill.
  From 9.30am on Friday 10 March 2017 until 12noon on Friday 10 March 2017 there will be a prohibition of driving on the insert road on Schoolhill.

The Lord Provost of Aberdeen George Adam, relatives of Captain Smith; pupils and staff from Robert Gordon’s College – Archibald Bisset Smith was a former pupil and former employees of the New Zealand Shipping Company – the company which owned the SS Otaki.

Aberdeen City Councillors will attend including the Leader of the Council Councillor Jenny Laing. Sir Neil McIntosh CBE, New Zealand Honorary Consul Scotland, will also be in attendance.

The ceremony will conclude at 11.30am approximately.

The Victoria Cross (VC) commemorative paving stones programme is a national scheme that will see every VC recipient of the First World War commemorated with a paving stone.

The image of Captain Archibald Bisset Smith has been kindly provided by P&O Heritage.