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Ghostwhisperer
Joined: 01 Oct 2008 Posts: 109 Location: Ross-Shire
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Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 1:04 pm Post subject: Major General Sir Hector Archibald MacDonald |
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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 Posts: 510 Location: Elgin, Moray
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Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 6:36 pm Post subject: |
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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 Curator
Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 7312 Location: Edinburgh (From Sutherland)
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dhubthaigh Our first ever 1000-poster
Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 5071 Location: Blairgowrie, Perthshire
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Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 3:00 pm Post subject: |
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THANKS TO PAT ANDERSON FOR ADDITIONAL PHOTOS
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Keptie
Joined: 24 Feb 2009 Posts: 939 Location: near Arbroath Angus
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Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 8:12 pm Post subject: Major General Sir Hector Macdonald |
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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 Curator
Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 7312 Location: Edinburgh (From Sutherland)
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Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 8:48 am Post subject: Re: Major General Sir Hector Macdonald |
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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 Posts: 939 Location: near Arbroath Angus
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Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 6:37 pm Post subject: Hector MacDonald |
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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 Posts: 939 Location: near Arbroath Angus
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Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 9:23 pm Post subject: Hector MacDonald |
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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 Curator
Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 7312 Location: Edinburgh (From Sutherland)
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Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 3:15 pm Post subject: |
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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 Curator
Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 7312 Location: Edinburgh (From Sutherland)
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Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 3:25 pm Post subject: |
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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
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stuartn
Joined: 13 Dec 2016 Posts: 2551
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Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2018 6:29 pm Post subject: |
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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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