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Major General Sir Hector Archibald MacDonald

 
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Ghostwhisperer



Joined: 01 Oct 2008
Posts: 109
Location: Ross-Shire

PostPosted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 1:04 pm    Post subject: Major General Sir Hector Archibald MacDonald Reply with quote





This tower was erected as a National Memorial to Major General Sir Hector Archibald MacDonald KCB, DSO, ADC AD1907.

Mitchell Hill Cemetery, Dingwall
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Roxy
Moderator - Morayshire


Joined: 19 Dec 2006
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Location: Elgin, Moray

PostPosted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 6:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hector MacDonald. A sad end to a brave man.

Roxy
_________________
Remembering my ggf, Pte Thomas Roberts, 10 SR, killed 25 Sep 15 at Loos.
Also remembering Flt Lt Al Squires and CXX/3 killed 2 Sep 06 in Afghanistan.
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Adam Brown
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Joined: 14 Dec 2006
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Location: Edinburgh (From Sutherland)

PostPosted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 9:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here is is grave in Edinburgh. He was buried in Edinburgh because that is where his wife and son lived.

http://warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/viewtopic.php?t=1642

Adam
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dhubthaigh
Our first ever 1000-poster


Joined: 19 Dec 2006
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Location: Blairgowrie, Perthshire

PostPosted: Mon May 11, 2009 3:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

THANKS TO PAT ANDERSON FOR ADDITIONAL PHOTOS



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Keptie



Joined: 24 Feb 2009
Posts: 937
Location: near Arbroath Angus

PostPosted: Mon May 11, 2009 8:12 pm    Post subject: Major General Sir Hector Macdonald Reply with quote

The book " The Ranker - Major General Sir Hector A MacDonald " - The Hero of Omdurman is on sale at the Dingwall Museum . Seems that the Dingwall Town council wanted their famous son to be buried in Dingwall and not in Dean Cemetery in Edinburgh.

The opening of the memorial in Mitchellhill Cemetery in Dingwall was in 1905 . Lady MacDonald and young Hector did appear in person



Patrick W Anderson
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Adam Brown
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PostPosted: Tue May 12, 2009 8:48 am    Post subject: Re: Major General Sir Hector Macdonald Reply with quote

Keptie wrote:
Seems that the Dingwall Town council wanted their famous son to be buried in Dingwall and not in Dean Cemetery in Edinburgh.


Keptie

His burial was a quick and private affair organised by his wife. I think with the circumstances of his death she wanted the matter over and done with as soon as possible.

There is another book written by Trevor Royle Death Before Dishonour - The True Story of Fighting Mac which is a detailed biography of him and also covers the period after his death with the burial, the memorial in Dingwall and what heppened to his family. It also covers the rumours that he didn't actually die.

Adam
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Keptie



Joined: 24 Feb 2009
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Location: near Arbroath Angus

PostPosted: Tue May 12, 2009 6:37 pm    Post subject: Hector MacDonald Reply with quote

Thanks Adam , Did not have that book to hand when I did the addit ! Dont believe these "stories" and realise he was a real Soldier who spoke the Gaelic and was a Crofter's son who made his career to nearly the top passing the Officers who bought Commissions etc as was the custom in these old days !

patrick w anderson
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Keptie



Joined: 24 Feb 2009
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Location: near Arbroath Angus

PostPosted: Tue May 12, 2009 9:23 pm    Post subject: Hector MacDonald Reply with quote

I had an Write up in the Scots Magazine for November 2005 ( page 550 ) called " TWO MEMORIALS FOR A SOLDIER " about Major General Sir Hector Archibald MacDonald about the Memorial at Dingwall and the one at Millbuie .


Patrick W Anderson
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Adam Brown
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Location: Edinburgh (From Sutherland)

PostPosted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 3:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is a bit off-topic but since we’ve mentioned two books about Major General MacDonald already I thought I’d add it here. There is a new novel out about MacDonald’s last day in Paris. It is called ‘The Devil’s Paintbrush’ and it is by Jake Arnott.



It’s quite expensive in hardback so I borrowed a copy from the splendid Stranraer Library.

It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but I enjoyed it. The basic story is that the infamous occultist Aliester Crowley met MacDonald in Paris in 1903 when ‘Old Mac’ was returning to Ceylon from London.

According to Crowley’s diary they did actually meet in real life for lunch. Arnott has them form an unlikely bond over a day and night where drug induced flashbacks / dream sequences tell of the important parts of MacDonald’s life and how he came to be in Paris under a cloud in 1903.

It is actually a very sympathetic portrait of MacDonald and does a good job of rubbishing Crowley as an egotistical fool dabbling in hocus-pocus with other oddbods of European occultism.

I’ll not give the story away for anyone who wants to read it (and you all know the end anyway) but as I say it won’t be to everyone’s taste. It’s a work of fiction which happens to use historical characters, and based on what we know about MacDonald the author takes the view that he was a repressed homosexual (but certainly no paedophile). If you are of the opinion that he wasn’t then I’d probably give this book a miss.

Cheers

Adam
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Adam Brown
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Location: Edinburgh (From Sutherland)

PostPosted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 3:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Another fictional version of MacDonald's life is 'An Honourable Death' by Iain Crichton Smith in 1992. I read this quite a few years ago and can't really remember it now.

Regards

Adam
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spoons



Joined: 09 Jan 2007
Posts: 4991
Location: St John's Town of Dalry

PostPosted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 5:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This item on BBC website today for campaing to restore his reputation.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-17194999

\Paul
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stuartn



Joined: 13 Dec 2016
Posts: 2551

PostPosted: Sun Apr 08, 2018 6:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This has been deemed by the WMR London Office not to be a war memorial, as his death was not related to his war service. It had been record 13472.
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