{"product_id":"cameron-highlanders-dow-1915-second-battle-of-ypres-1914-15-star-medal-from-fort-william","title":"Cameron Highlanders DOW 1915 Second Battle of Ypres 1914-15 Star Medal from Fort William","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eFirst World War 1914-15 Star – Sergeant Hugh MacLean, Cameron Highlanders\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e1914-15 Star –\u003cb\u003e 8713. SJT. H. MACLEAN, CAM'N HIGHRS.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eHugh MacLean\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e was born at \u003cb\u003eKilmallie, Inverness-shire\u003c\/b\u003e, and was the eldest son of \u003cb\u003eDuncan MacLean and Christina McDonald MacLean\u003c\/b\u003e, of \u003cb\u003e45 High Street, Fort William\u003c\/b\u003e. He was a native Lochaber man and prior to military service was employed as a \u003cb\u003etailor in Fort William\u003c\/b\u003e, a skilled trade that placed him firmly within the local working community. Contemporary reporting confirms that he had \u003cb\u003eapproximately seven years’ military service\u003c\/b\u003e prior to the outbreak of the Great War.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eMacLean enlisted in the \u003cb\u003eRegular Army\u003c\/b\u003e at \u003cb\u003eFort William\u003c\/b\u003e on \u003cb\u003e17 September 1909\u003c\/b\u003e, aged \u003cb\u003e20\u003c\/b\u003e, initially serving with the \u003cb\u003e4th Battalion, Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders\u003c\/b\u003e. Upon completion of his training and regular service commitments, he was posted to the \u003cb\u003e2nd Battalion, Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders\u003c\/b\u003e, receiving \u003cb\u003eregimental number 8713\u003c\/b\u003e. At the outbreak of war in August 1914, the 2nd Camerons were stationed overseas and were rapidly mobilised for active service.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eThe battalion embarked for \u003cb\u003eFrance in December 1914\u003c\/b\u003e, landing at \u003cb\u003eLe Havre on 20 December 1914\u003c\/b\u003e, and soon became heavily engaged on the Western Front. In \u003cb\u003eApril and May 1915\u003c\/b\u003e, the 2nd Camerons were committed to the fighting during the \u003cb\u003eSecond Battle of Ypres\u003c\/b\u003e, one of the most brutal phases of the early war, marked by the first large-scale use of poison gas by German forces and intense artillery bombardments. Casualties during this period were exceptionally heavy, particularly among experienced regular soldiers.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003ePrivate Hugh MacLean\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e was \u003cb\u003ewounded during the fighting at Ypres\u003c\/b\u003e and evacuated to \u003cb\u003eNo. 11 General Hospital, Boulogne\u003c\/b\u003e, where he subsequently \u003cb\u003edied of his wounds on 18 May 1915\u003c\/b\u003e, aged \u003cb\u003e27\u003c\/b\u003e. Newspaper reports from Fort William confirmed his death and noted his previous military experience and civilian occupation as a tailor before joining the Army.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eHe is \u003cb\u003eburied at Boulogne Eastern Cemetery\u003c\/b\u003e, France, \u003cb\u003eGrave VIII.D.17\u003c\/b\u003e, where his Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone records his service with the \u003cb\u003e2nd Battalion, Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders\u003c\/b\u003e, and bears the epitaph \u003cb\u003e“DIED FOR KING \u0026amp; COUNTRY”\u003c\/b\u003e. In addition to his burial overseas, \u003cb\u003ehis name is commemorated on the Fort William War Memorial\u003c\/b\u003e, ensuring his sacrifice is permanently remembered within his home community.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eHugh MacLean’s service places him among the \u003cb\u003eexperienced regular soldiers\u003c\/b\u003e of the Camerons who bore the brunt of the fighting in the first year of the war. His death during the Second Battle of Ypres reflects the severe losses suffered by Highland regiments during the early gas attacks and trench fighting of 1915.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003ePLEASE NOTE: All research will be sent to the buyer via email. I am unable to provide printed copies, as I do not have access to a printer.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eAJMS Medals\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\"\u003e\u003cbr clear=\"all\" style=\"mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AJMS Medals","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53149368385882,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0958\/9850\/1466\/files\/20251025_132601.png?v=1766159699","url":"https:\/\/ajms-medals.com\/products\/cameron-highlanders-dow-1915-second-battle-of-ypres-1914-15-star-medal-from-fort-william","provider":"AJMS Medals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}