Author Topic: Lovat Scouts in WW2  (Read 13631 times)

Offline Cyprus 1

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Re: Lovat Scouts in WW2
« Reply #9 on: Saturday 15 August 15 15:21 BST (UK) »
Hi there Mike Oneill again my father in Edinburgh he wasn't one for talking about the war but now all the anniversary are here I'm asking all the questions and the memories are flooding back to him. I'm going to try and take him to a lovat scout association meeting please feel free to contact me for any information my pleasure

Offline jacurtis

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Re: Lovat Scouts in WW2
« Reply #10 on: Thursday 20 August 15 20:04 BST (UK) »
Hi Mike,
After 70 years my family is learning the truth of what happened to Alec. We are forever grateful to Chris Mackenzie for posting his Father's memoirs. Anything else your dad can add would be greatly appreciated. Please ask him if he would be willing to let me contact him via email or regular post. I can imagine how difficult the subject is for him but anything he can tell us will help us make sense of this tragedy. I have a few pictures of Alec taken in Canada during training and would like to send them on to your dad.

Offline Cyprus 1

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Re: Lovat Scouts in WW2
« Reply #11 on: Thursday 20 August 15 23:03 BST (UK) »
Hi mate I came upon this Web page just by chance and saw your messages to the family of private mackenzie and your uncle I immediately phoned my father he new everything about the tragic incident about your uncle Alex he new him well.I'm so glad you got back to me I've been checking every day since .I'm on holiday just now my personal email is (*). my father would give any information you would like to know about your uncle. Keep in touch mate cheers Mike

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Offline James Boswell

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Re: Lovat Scouts in WW2
« Reply #12 on: Monday 02 November 15 00:47 GMT (UK) »
My father, Jim Boswell, left his hometown of Blairgowrie & Rattray, Perthshire to take basic training at Ft. George, Inverness-shire, then mountain warfare training in Wales before shipping out with the regiment to Jasper, Canada. He fought in Italy, through Austria and was de-mobbed in Greece in 1947.
In 1961 he brought his family to Calgary, Alberta because he had loved his experience in the Rocky Mountains so much. He died in 2003 and his gravestone bears the crest and motto of the Lovat Scouts.


Offline jacurtis

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Re: Lovat Scouts in WW2
« Reply #13 on: Monday 02 November 15 01:58 GMT (UK) »
Your father would have trained with Alec in Canada and would most likely have been with him when he died in Italy. I'd be interested to know anything your dad may have mentioned about him.

Offline Iain Henderson

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Re: Lovat Scouts in WW2
« Reply #14 on: Monday 23 May 16 13:23 BST (UK) »
My father, who died in March 2014, joined the Lovat Scouts after their return from the Faroe Islands. He was in C Squadron, and wrote a few of his memories down in his later years. Amongst these he recounts two or three incidents where nervous troops fired at their own men in the first few days in the front line. While nobody was hurt in these, he was also aware that other such incidents had led to men being killed. I've been over myself to the Arezzo area where they first fought in Italy, and planning another trip soon when I'll probably visit the Commonwealth War Graves cemetery in Arezzo.   

Offline jacurtis

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Re: Lovat Scouts in WW2
« Reply #15 on: Friday 27 May 16 00:57 BST (UK) »
I'm sure your dad would have known Alec and been aware of the incident. Your upcoming trip sounds fascinating. I hope you'll leave a post when you get back. Enjoy!

Offline WatsonJ

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Re: Lovat Scouts in WW2
« Reply #16 on: Monday 16 April 18 21:11 BST (UK) »
Hello,

I have recently sparked an interest into researching my grandfathers history, Robert Watson. I was told he was in World War 2 with the Lovat Scouts. This is what my father and uncles have told me. However they don't seem to know very much either as my grandfather did not want to talk much about the war. They did tell me he was in North Africa and Italy. From my understanding my grandfather did keep a few things after the war like his uniform and medals though after his passing all of it had "disappeared". If anyone could point me in the direction of where I can gather further information it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Jamie 

Offline Iain Henderson

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Re: Lovat Scouts in WW2
« Reply #17 on: Tuesday 17 April 18 20:37 BST (UK) »
Hi Jamie

A good starting point is the Story of the Lovat Scouts 1900-1980, by Michael Leslie Melville, who served with the regiment in WW2. They didn't serve in North Africa, and joined the Italian Campaign in July 1944 as part of the Eighth Army (which was in North Africa, which might be the source of the confusion). If you're in the UK, the regimental War Diaries in the National Archives in London are worth looking at in case your grandfather's name crops up.

Hope that helps, if only a little!

Iain