Places > Loyal Lewis roll of honour, 1914 and after

SAND WICK SCHOOL DISTRICT
45
A Distinguished Lewis Soldier.
BREVET-MAJOR JOHN N. MACRAE, D.S.O., 1st
Seaforth Highlanders, has had a brilliant career in the
Army. In 1893, at the age of 16, he enlisted in the
county regiment — the Seaforths. He served with the 2nd
Battalion as Sergeant during the South African War (1899 to
1902), receiving the King's and Queen's Medals, with seven
clasps. He was present at the Battles of Magersfontein and
Paardeberg, as well as numerous other engagements through-
out the war, and was mentioned in Lord Roberts' despatches
for gallantry at Paardeberg. On 8th July, 1910, he was
promoted Sergeant-Major (Warrant Officer), and on 25th
February, 1914, was promoted to a commission as Lieutenant
and Quai'termaster to the 1st Battalion in India, joining that
Battalion on 2nd May, 1914. In September he left India for
active service in France, and was mentioned in despatches by
Sir John French after th^ Battle of Neuve Chapelle in March,
1915, "for valuable, gallant, and distinguished services" in
the field. He vacated his appointment as Quartermaster, and
was appointed Captain and Adjutant of the Battalion on 18th
August, 1915, and he was again mentioned in despatches for
gallantry in action at the Battle of Loos, 25th Sept., 1915.
From France he went with his Battalion to Mesopotamia
in December, 1915, and was honoured with the immediate
award of the D.S.O. at the Battle of Sheik Sa'acl, where
'when all the senior officers had become casualties he took
command of the Battalion ; thereby saving a critical situation."
In this action he was captured by the Turks, but escaped by
the use of his fists, and carried on with the action. He was
dangerously wounded (chest and right lung) in the attack on
the Sann-i-yat position on 6th April, 1916, and was invalided
to England. For his gallantry in this action he was promoted
Brevet- Major. On 13th December, 1916, -he rejoined his
Battalion in Mesopotamia, and took part in General Maude's
advance on and capture of Baghdad, 10th March, 1917. He
was again mentioned by General Sir S. Maude for conspicuous
gallantry at the Battle of Istabulat, between Baghdad and
Samarra, 13th April, 1917. His great gallantry at the Battle
of Tekrit on 5th November, 1!j17, won for him a bar to his
D.S.O. The following is the official memorandum of the
award: — "Though wounded in the early part of the battle,
he commanded and carried on with a section of the attack,
until again wounded very severely in the chest and left lung,
in the capture of the second line of Turkish trenches."
From Mesopotamia ho proceeded with his Battalion to
Palestine in January, 1918, and in May of that year was
appointed Temporary Lieut. -Colonel to command the 2 /4th
Battalion of the Devon Regiment. In August, 1918, he was
appointed Commandant of the 21st Corps Reinforcement
Training School in Palestine, and in September, J 918, was
jjosted to command the l/4th Battalion Wiltshire Regiment,
taking part in General Sir E. Allenby's destruction of the
Turkish Armies, September to October, 1918, and was again
mentioned in despatches. He commanded the 1 .'4th Battalion
Wiltshire. Regiment in Palestine, Egypt, and the Sudan until
October, 1919, when the Battalion was demobilised, and he
relinquished the Temporary Rank of Lieut. -Colonel and
rejoined his own Battalion Seaforths at Fort-George as a
Brevet-Major.
In addition to the Queen's and King's South Africa
Medals, with 7 clasps, he is in possession of the D.S.O. with
Bar, Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, King's Coronation
Medal, 1914 Star with Bar, General Service Medal, and
Victory Medal. BrevetMajor Macrae, who is a son of Mr
Donald Macrae, Branalmie, Stornoway, is one of four brothers
who have served in the Army, and his own two sons served
in their father's regiment, one of them, the eldest, alas, being
killed in France.