Uilleam Dòdaidh neo Uilleam Aonghais Dhòmhnaill Aonghais Phàdruig
Last address in Lewis: 21 New Shawbost,
Son of Angus and Effie Macleod, of 21, New Shawbost, Stornoway, Lewis.
Service unit: 1st Gordon Highlanders
Service number: 3/6909
Enlisted at Glasgow
Date of death: 1 April 1916 at the age of 23
Killed in action
Memorial: Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Panel 38
Mentioned on family gravestone in Dalmore Cemetery, Lewis
William appears in the 1901 census, aged 8, at 21A New Shawbost, the son of Angus (40) and Eric [Effie] (30), brother of Mary (10), Norman (5), Maggie (3) and Chirsty M (2 months).
His brother Angus served in the RNR and survived the war.
Highland News 3rd June, 1916
A Kindly Officer
The fine feeling that subsists between officers and the men is shown most clearly in the letters from the front conveying to [parents the sad intelligence of their son’s death in the face of the enemy An officer with a heart for other men’s sorrows earns for himself a devotion that know no bounds.
Recently Lance Corporal William MacLeod, son of Angus MacLeod, 21 New Shawbost, (himself a Royal Naval Reservist) was killed in action. The father, who has been serving on board a large auxiliary cruiser, had just rejoined this ship after short leave home, when the news of his son’s death was conveyed to him. The officer in command immediately gave him leave to come home and his crew gave tangible expression to their sympathy with the father.
At the request of Mr & Mrs MacLeod, Mr Murdoch MacIver, the Schoolhouse, Shawbost, wrote the officer in question conveying their thanks for his kindly acts. Acknowledging Mr MacIver’s letter the officer writes “ ….many thanks for your very kind letter written on behalf of Mr & Mrs MacLeod. Myself and all my crew are deeply sensible to the honour you all do us in believing that what little we could do for Mr Macleod in the hour of his sorrow was done.
As you say there are very few cases so remarkably sad as theirs and I assure you that during this terrible war I have come across a great number of sad cases. I always endeavour to keep in close touch with the men under my command and from the very first I was attracted to MacLeod by his ever-present promptness in obeying orders and perfect civility and willingness to do anything in his power to make things run smoothly. Each of these men is a cog in a great machine and I can safely say that were al the cogs as true and ran as straight as the two men I have from your far northern district (the other being MacAulay) the whole machine would be as nearly perfect as humanly possible.
A fellow feeling is a wondrous thing, and for myself, when I heard that MacLeod’s son was gone, my sympathy was very keen. You see at home, near Liverpool, I have always at the back of my mind a picture of my mother, wearing out her heart in fear that either of her sons may be taken at any moment, for there are just two of us, and my younger brother has now been in France f0r seven months. I suppose we all have to suffer in some way through the war, and, therefore, if one can help another whose sorrow is greater than his own, it seems to me to be simply a matter of duty.
No comments:
Post a Comment