Dr Thomas Reilly
Born 29th July 1906 in Springburn
A Man Amongst Men
Thomas Reilly would have an amused grin if he were aware that his name was being paraded in public. Throughout his long life humour was an ever-present reality even in the most difficult of circumstances.
The youngest son of a railway worker, the family moved to the station at Lower Greenhill near Bonnybridge when Thomas was only four. He was educated at Greenhill Public School, St Mungo’s Academy and Glasgow University where he graduated M.B. ChB in 1929. For the next five years he served at Stobhill General Hospital in various surgical capacities, revealing a natural aptitude for the specialty.
Whilst at Glasgow University Thomas Reilly had joined the Officer Training Corp and so it was hardly surprising that the outbreak of war led to his volunteering as a Medical Officer. At first he served at Edinburgh Castle Military Hospital but he longed for a more active role. He accompanied the 11th Independent (Commando) Scottish Unit on raids in June and July 1940 after Dunkirk and then joined the 1st Battalion The Royal Sussex Regiment in the Middle East. Many years later the Doctor took great delight in pointing out that the Royal Sussex Regiment was the only regiment in the British Army that was raised in Belfast and that its nickname was ‘the Orange lilies’. That he, a devout Catholic, could receive a total welcome with a group with such a history was testimony to the strength of his character and his openness to all. As Regimental Medical Officer to the Royal Sussex Regiment, Thomas Reilly took part in the Battles of Sidi Rezegh (Dec 1941), El Alamein (Oct 1942), and Wadi Akarit (April 1943). It was his conduct during the latter that earned him the award of the Military Cross. When the theatre of war turned to Europe he served at Cassino where the Royal Sussex took heavy casualties. Again he was put forward for a Bar to his Military Cross but this was withheld because he defended his men against what he perceived to be the injustice of their own Commanding Officer! Promoted to Major he served as Deputy Assistant Director of Medical Services 4th Indian Division. At the end of hostilities he was offered the post of Commanding Officer (LT. Col.) 26th Field Ambulance. This offer was declined as Thomas Reilly preferred to return to his practise at Bonnybridge where he has been known by successive generations quite simply, but affectionately as, ‘the Doctor’, working selflessly for his local community.
During the war Thomas Reilly had met an Irish nurse, Jane Kenny who was also serving in the Middle East. With characteristic humour he pointed out that it was an easy courtship because most of it was conducted by post! In 1946 they were married, and in 1947 their only son Terence was born. Sadly, Jane died of cancer in 1971 at a time when the Doctor was beginning to think about retirement. He is survived both by his son, and two grandchildren, Elizabeth-Jane and Christopher. Dr Reilly was a devout Catholic and for many years, until age intervened, a daily communicant.
Within the Bonnybridge area Dr Reilly supported various local initiatives including the building of the Community Centre and the Establishment of the Bonnybridge Social Club. Always a convivial man he enjoyed social gatherings and was a life-long active supporter of Glasgow Celtic, enjoying the friendship of Jock Stein, Sean Fallon, and his cousin by marriage, Sir Robert Kelly.
In 1972 he joined the St John Association and served the Order in various ranks rising to that of ‘Knight of Grace’. Well into his 90’s he continued to offer his services as a medical examiner of recruits to the territorial Battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, and the Stirling university detachment of Tayforth University Officers Training Corp. He will remain patron in perpetuity of the ‘Kathy Innes Benevolent Fund.’
A Man Amongst Men
Thomas Reilly would have an amused grin if he were aware that his name was being paraded in public. Throughout his long life humour was an ever-present reality even in the most difficult of circumstances.
The youngest son of a railway worker, the family moved to the station at Lower Greenhill near Bonnybridge when Thomas was only four. He was educated at Greenhill Public School, St Mungo’s Academy and Glasgow University where he graduated M.B. ChB in 1929. For the next five years he served at Stobhill General Hospital in various surgical capacities, revealing a natural aptitude for the specialty.
Whilst at Glasgow University Thomas Reilly had joined the Officer Training Corp and so it was hardly surprising that the outbreak of war led to his volunteering as a Medical Officer. At first he served at Edinburgh Castle Military Hospital but he longed for a more active role. He accompanied the 11th Independent (Commando) Scottish Unit on raids in June and July 1940 after Dunkirk and then joined the 1st Battalion The Royal Sussex Regiment in the Middle East. Many years later the Doctor took great delight in pointing out that the Royal Sussex Regiment was the only regiment in the British Army that was raised in Belfast and that its nickname was ‘the Orange lilies’. That he, a devout Catholic, could receive a total welcome with a group with such a history was testimony to the strength of his character and his openness to all. As Regimental Medical Officer to the Royal Sussex Regiment, Thomas Reilly took part in the Battles of Sidi Rezegh (Dec 1941), El Alamein (Oct 1942), and Wadi Akarit (April 1943). It was his conduct during the latter that earned him the award of the Military Cross. When the theatre of war turned to Europe he served at Cassino where the Royal Sussex took heavy casualties. Again he was put forward for a Bar to his Military Cross but this was withheld because he defended his men against what he perceived to be the injustice of their own Commanding Officer! Promoted to Major he served as Deputy Assistant Director of Medical Services 4th Indian Division. At the end of hostilities he was offered the post of Commanding Officer (LT. Col.) 26th Field Ambulance. This offer was declined as Thomas Reilly preferred to return to his practise at Bonnybridge where he has been known by successive generations quite simply, but affectionately as, ‘the Doctor’, working selflessly for his local community.
During the war Thomas Reilly had met an Irish nurse, Jane Kenny who was also serving in the Middle East. With characteristic humour he pointed out that it was an easy courtship because most of it was conducted by post! In 1946 they were married, and in 1947 their only son Terence was born. Sadly, Jane died of cancer in 1971 at a time when the Doctor was beginning to think about retirement. He is survived both by his son, and two grandchildren, Elizabeth-Jane and Christopher. Dr Reilly was a devout Catholic and for many years, until age intervened, a daily communicant.
Within the Bonnybridge area Dr Reilly supported various local initiatives including the building of the Community Centre and the Establishment of the Bonnybridge Social Club. Always a convivial man he enjoyed social gatherings and was a life-long active supporter of Glasgow Celtic, enjoying the friendship of Jock Stein, Sean Fallon, and his cousin by marriage, Sir Robert Kelly.
In 1972 he joined the St John Association and served the Order in various ranks rising to that of ‘Knight of Grace’. Well into his 90’s he continued to offer his services as a medical examiner of recruits to the territorial Battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, and the Stirling university detachment of Tayforth University Officers Training Corp. He will remain patron in perpetuity of the ‘Kathy Innes Benevolent Fund.’
Died 14th December 2003 in Stirling.
A Man of Faith
The death of Dr (Major) Thomas Reilly on 14th December 2003 was the final chapter in a story that was inspired by the foresight of a young Irish priest sixty-nine years ago.
Fr (later Canon) Michael Downey was appointed to St Joseph’s Bonnybridge in 1928 at the age of 32. He remained there until 1938 when he was transferred to St Patrick’s Kilsyth where he died on Christmas Eve 1955. At his funeral mass Archbishop (later Cardinal) Gray had this to say:
‘To all who knew him they loved and reverenced him as a great and single-minded priest; they valued his wise and humble-given counsel; they cherished his friendship. He stood out as the pattern of a Christian gentleman – with a gentleness modeled on Christ his Master, and an indomitable courage and strength that are found only in man at his best.’
The Archbishop’s words are borne out by a decision that Fr Downey took in 1934. At that time the labourers of Bonnybridge working in the brickworks, clay mines and foundries were predominantly Catholic. The young priest saw the clear advantage of having a Catholic Doctor to look after the needs of this group. In the Parish at that time he found the stationmaster of Lower Greenhill, Terence Reilly and his wife Margaret. The Reilly’s youngest son Thomas was recently graduated from Glasgow University and pursuing his career at Stobhill Hospital where he demonstrated a natural flair for surgery. Indeed he was described as ‘the most gifted young surgeon of the pre-war Glasgow generation.’
Through the good offices of Margaret Reilly Fr Downey managed to convince Thomas Reilly to return to Bonnybridge and set up a General Practice in the village.
His concern for the health of the people of the village for the next forty years became legendary. There is an interesting postscript to the relationship between Fr Downey and the young doctor. On 10th December 1937, Thomas Reilly was the first doctor on the scene of the Castlecary Rail Disaster which killed 35 people and injured 179. Later that night Fr Downey told the Doctor that he planned to go to the temporary mortuary to say the prayers for the dead. Years later the Doctor related that, ‘I told him that I would go with him because I could not bear the thought that he would see such terrible sights on his own.’ It was a testimony to the tremendous humanity and compassion that were so typical of his life.
As a Doctor he is remembered as someone who was always available. At times he was forced to attend Mass at Falkirk or Denny because patients waited for him on the steps of St Joseph’s Church. In one year alone he personally attended over 200 confinements. Even to this day there are many in the Bonnybridge – Falkirk area who when they hear his name say quite simply; ‘he was the man who brought me into this world.’ He showed a degree of concern for his patients and availability to them which is now unimaginable. Another remarkable aspect of the Doctor was his ability to overcome the potential obstacles which faced him, most notably that of bigotry. His response to this scourge of Scottish life was to meet it with tolerance and consideration. Here was a man without an ounce of bigotry in him and, as a result he gained the respect of everyone without distinction.
The Doctor never regarded himself as a particularly religious person. Maybe he felt that his love for horses, his enjoyment of a dram, his passion both for playing and watching football, and his infectious humour were not compatible with the idea of a deeply religious person. Nevertheless the bedrock of the Doctor’s life was his faith. For as long as his health allowed it he was a daily communicant; he served his parish faithfully; and, in the final months of his life often remarked ‘all I can do now is say the rosary!’ (Which meant fifteen decades each day!)
He joined the Order of St John of Jerusalem in 1972 and was eventually promoted to the title ‘Knight of Grace’.
In May 1990 he was awarded the ‘St Andrew’s Archdiocesan Medal’ ‘in recognition for his devoted service to St Joseph’s Parish.’ On 29th July 1996, on the occasion of his 90th birthday, the road which leads from High Bonnybridge to Greenhill was officially re-named Reilly Road, and a housing development on the area was called ‘Reilly Gardens’
Fr Downey made a prophetic decision 69 year ago and, as the people of Bonnybridge mourn the passing of the Doctor, they have reason to be thankful for the foresight of that priest.
A Man of Faith
The death of Dr (Major) Thomas Reilly on 14th December 2003 was the final chapter in a story that was inspired by the foresight of a young Irish priest sixty-nine years ago.
Fr (later Canon) Michael Downey was appointed to St Joseph’s Bonnybridge in 1928 at the age of 32. He remained there until 1938 when he was transferred to St Patrick’s Kilsyth where he died on Christmas Eve 1955. At his funeral mass Archbishop (later Cardinal) Gray had this to say:
‘To all who knew him they loved and reverenced him as a great and single-minded priest; they valued his wise and humble-given counsel; they cherished his friendship. He stood out as the pattern of a Christian gentleman – with a gentleness modeled on Christ his Master, and an indomitable courage and strength that are found only in man at his best.’
The Archbishop’s words are borne out by a decision that Fr Downey took in 1934. At that time the labourers of Bonnybridge working in the brickworks, clay mines and foundries were predominantly Catholic. The young priest saw the clear advantage of having a Catholic Doctor to look after the needs of this group. In the Parish at that time he found the stationmaster of Lower Greenhill, Terence Reilly and his wife Margaret. The Reilly’s youngest son Thomas was recently graduated from Glasgow University and pursuing his career at Stobhill Hospital where he demonstrated a natural flair for surgery. Indeed he was described as ‘the most gifted young surgeon of the pre-war Glasgow generation.’
Through the good offices of Margaret Reilly Fr Downey managed to convince Thomas Reilly to return to Bonnybridge and set up a General Practice in the village.
His concern for the health of the people of the village for the next forty years became legendary. There is an interesting postscript to the relationship between Fr Downey and the young doctor. On 10th December 1937, Thomas Reilly was the first doctor on the scene of the Castlecary Rail Disaster which killed 35 people and injured 179. Later that night Fr Downey told the Doctor that he planned to go to the temporary mortuary to say the prayers for the dead. Years later the Doctor related that, ‘I told him that I would go with him because I could not bear the thought that he would see such terrible sights on his own.’ It was a testimony to the tremendous humanity and compassion that were so typical of his life.
As a Doctor he is remembered as someone who was always available. At times he was forced to attend Mass at Falkirk or Denny because patients waited for him on the steps of St Joseph’s Church. In one year alone he personally attended over 200 confinements. Even to this day there are many in the Bonnybridge – Falkirk area who when they hear his name say quite simply; ‘he was the man who brought me into this world.’ He showed a degree of concern for his patients and availability to them which is now unimaginable. Another remarkable aspect of the Doctor was his ability to overcome the potential obstacles which faced him, most notably that of bigotry. His response to this scourge of Scottish life was to meet it with tolerance and consideration. Here was a man without an ounce of bigotry in him and, as a result he gained the respect of everyone without distinction.
The Doctor never regarded himself as a particularly religious person. Maybe he felt that his love for horses, his enjoyment of a dram, his passion both for playing and watching football, and his infectious humour were not compatible with the idea of a deeply religious person. Nevertheless the bedrock of the Doctor’s life was his faith. For as long as his health allowed it he was a daily communicant; he served his parish faithfully; and, in the final months of his life often remarked ‘all I can do now is say the rosary!’ (Which meant fifteen decades each day!)
He joined the Order of St John of Jerusalem in 1972 and was eventually promoted to the title ‘Knight of Grace’.
In May 1990 he was awarded the ‘St Andrew’s Archdiocesan Medal’ ‘in recognition for his devoted service to St Joseph’s Parish.’ On 29th July 1996, on the occasion of his 90th birthday, the road which leads from High Bonnybridge to Greenhill was officially re-named Reilly Road, and a housing development on the area was called ‘Reilly Gardens’
Fr Downey made a prophetic decision 69 year ago and, as the people of Bonnybridge mourn the passing of the Doctor, they have reason to be thankful for the foresight of that priest.
