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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: jacurtis on Wednesday 14 November 12 19:21 GMT (UK)
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My uncle Alec Proctor was with the Lovat Scouts during training in Canada and in Italy where he was killed August 12, 1944. Donald Mackenzie was with him when he fell wounded and stayed with him for hours until he died. My family would like to find any members of his family to pass along our hearfelt thanks for his kindness. I would also like to hear from anyone having relatives with the regiment during that time period.
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Hi,
A long shot but you mind get some help here:
Lovat Scouts Regimental Association
Contact: LT Col G S Johnston OBE TD DL CA, Commerce House, South Street, Elgin, Moray IV30 1JE, Tel: 01343 547492, Fax: 01343 548896
Nanny Jan
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Thanks. I will.
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Hi,
My name is Christopher Mackenzie,son of the Donald Mackenzie you mention. Ijust happened to find your site by chance while playing on my computer. I suspect you must have read my fathers memoirs to have found out about your uncles death.I first heard about this terrible incident when my father was interviewed on a Gaelic programme in the late 70s or early 80s, and I know it was something he struggled with. It is incredibly difficuilt for us to understand what hardship and horror all these brave men went through.
Regards Chris Mackenzie
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Thanks so much, Chris. Our family wanted to give a long overdue thanks to your father for everything he did for Alec. We had been given a different account of the events and were relieved to finally learn the truth from your dad. It was difficult to read, but it has cleared up the misconceptions and given us some peace of mind. I'm truly sorry we didn't learn of this until after your father's passing. I would liked to have met this compassionate and caring man. None of us ever met Uncle Alec, but from the stories we grew up hearing I think he would be glad that we can give your father the thanks he so richly deserved. The Curtis family in Canada are in his debt.
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I just showed your mail to my mother, and she was thrilled and moved that you went to all this trouble to find our family to pass on your thanks.
For your information,the reason the two boys were shot at when they returned to their lines ,was a failure to tell the change of guard ,by the officer in charge, that they were out in front. This was something my father found hard to come to terms with.
There is a recording in the house of my father giving an interview in Gaelic about the incident.As far as I remember it was subtitled.If we can find it I will post the name and it may come up on Google
Cheers and thank you Chris
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I would be very interested in the tape of your father and would be very grateful if you could pass on the information. Even though your dad is gone I'm glad that you and your mother know how thankful Alec's family is.
Thanks again for your help.
Joan Curtis
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Christopher,
I've shared your posts with my family members and they are very touched. My nephew Payton is interested in making a short documentary film about Uncle Alec and your father and would like to approach the National Film Board of Canada with the idea. He would like to contact you for your permission to use your father's writings and is very much hoping you can add more to this undertaking perhaps in the form of pictures and other stories. My family considers your dad a true hero and would love to give him the credit he so richly deserves. Please contact me via email at: * if you can help and I'll pass your info on to Payton. Thankyou in advance.
Joan(*)
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Hi my name is Mike O'neill not good with all this jargon. But my father served with Alec proctor and Donald mackenzie in Italy he is still alive and remembersee the incident well.he was only 20yrs old then .II'm going to take him back to Italy and Austria on a trip down memory lane so to speak. He trained in Canada as well. But vividly remembera Alec proctor
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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
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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.
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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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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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
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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
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Hi Jamie,
Welcome to Rootschat. :)
Have you considered applying for a copy of your grandfather's service record? Details here:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=651361.0
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Hi, hoping to find out some more info, my granda served as a Sergeant in Lovat scouts ww2, was killed in Oct 1944, buried in Arezzo cemetery. He was Moncrieff MacMenemy. From what I've found so far, I think he was in A sqn when he died. He did train in Canada also as well as spending time in Faroe Islands. Would anyone have come across his name? The Melville book is very good & does mention him. Thanks
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Hi,
I am the curator at The Highlanders' Museum at Fort George near Inverness. We have a permanent display of objects relating to the Lovat Scouts at the museum but I am interested in exploring the personal stories and memories of Lovat Scouts during WWII. I would be very interested to hear from anyone who has oral history recordings, memoirs or diaries given or written by Lovat Scouts (preferably firsthand accounts) that you might be willing to share with the museum.
Please contact me through this site or my direct email can be found on the museum website (The Highlanders' Museum (The Queen's Own Highlanders Collection).
Best wishes,
Laura.
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I wonder how I can access the information in Donnie Mackenzie's memoirs regarding the Lovat Scouts. I had a relation Tpr 2988150 Hugh Mackenzie who served as a Lovat Scout and was killed in the north of Italy on the 12 th April 1945, just three weeks before the war ended. Hugh was born in Stromeferry and lived in Kyle, Ross-shire.
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Hello,
I am Donald Mackenzie's grandson (hummel's son). If it is still of interest I have made the documentary video, where my grandfather speaks of this of tragic day, available on youtube.
The video is 30 minutes long and has multiple accounts of other highland troops experiences during the war, though the timestamp of my grandfathers recollections begins at 21:18. The video is narrated and interviewed in Gaelic, however English subtitles are included.
Not sure as a new member the moderators will approve of me posting links but the video can be found by searching:"Curaidhean #lovatscouts" on youtube
Kind Regards,
Crisdean Mackenzie
I would be very interested in the tape of your father and would be very grateful if you could pass on the information.
Hi,
I am the curator at The Highlanders' Museum at Fort George near Inverness. We have a permanent display of objects relating to the Lovat Scouts at the museum but I am interested in exploring the personal stories and memories of Lovat Scouts during WWII. I would be very interested to hear from anyone who has oral history recordings, memoirs or diaries given or written by Lovat Scouts (preferably firsthand accounts) that you might be willing to share with the museum.
Please contact me through this site or my direct email can be found on the museum website (The Highlanders' Museum (The Queen's Own Highlanders Collection).
Best wishes,
Laura.