{"product_id":"seaforth-highlanders-wia-1914-great-letter-home-mons-star-medal-inverness-nairn","title":"Seaforth Highlanders WIA 1914 Great Letter Home Mons Star Medal Inverness Nairn","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eFirst World War 1914 Star Medal – Lance-Corporal Alexander MacLeod, 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e1914 “Mons” Star – \u003cb\u003e7914 L.CPL A. McLEOD. 2\/SEA:HIGHRS\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eAlexander McLeod\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e was born in \u003cb\u003e1885\u003c\/b\u003e and was a native of \u003cb\u003eInverness\u003c\/b\u003e. Prior to the Great War he resided at \u003cb\u003e6 Simpson Street, Nairn\u003c\/b\u003e, and later at \u003cb\u003eBoath Terrace, Auldearn\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eHe enlisted into the \u003cb\u003eSeaforth Highlanders on 7 March 1903\u003c\/b\u003e, joining the regular battalion and serving in the \u003cb\u003e2nd Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders\u003c\/b\u003e. By the outbreak of the Great War in August 1914 he was a serving regular soldier.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eThe 2nd Seaforths formed part of the British Expeditionary Force and landed in France at the very beginning of the war. McLeod arrived in France on \u003cb\u003e23 August 1914\u003c\/b\u003e, qualifying for the \u003cb\u003e1914 Star\u003c\/b\u003e as one of the original “Old Contemptibles.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eHe was present during the early fighting around \u003cb\u003eMons\u003c\/b\u003e and was wounded in action during those opening battles. His experience was reported in the press in September 1914 under the headline:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eWITH THE SEAFORTHS\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eInverness Man Wounded at Mons Battle\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eGLAD TO BE ALIVE.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eAn Inverness native, Lance-Corporal Alexander MacLeod, 2d Battalion Seaforth Highlanders, was in the severe fighting at Mons. MacLeod, who is a son of Mr James MacLeod, cabman, was wounded, and now lies in hospital at Birmingham. In a letter to his father he states:—\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eAt It for Three Days.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e“As I have now, after a time, got inside some place where I will get my wound properly attended to, I feel a little better, but the pain is not away, although it is over a week since I got shot south of Mons, in Belgium. Well, I am very glad I am alive, and I can tell you I had a hard time of it, as there were hails of shells bursting over my head and around me. We were at them all day Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (after that I couldn’t say what happened), marching through the whole night and eating what grub you had in your haversack during the night or when you were under fire. I can tell you we didn’t get much time for eggs and bacon.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eWell, I got shot just at the end of the day right through the leg behind the shin bone. The shell burst on the road near me, a piece of it going right through my left leg, making two big ugly gashes two inches round, leaving my muscles sticking out. I got away in a troop train after being in an old house, then an artillery doctor took me into a convent, where the nuns dressed my wounds. I was near dead then with loss of blood, but I afterwards wonderfully recovered. I then had a day and a half in a cattle truck down to the base, where I became worse, with my temperature 105. I was about off with it, but I came on again; so there you are, and here I am. I never lost consciousness the whole time, but I better not brag, as the doctors shook their heads at my wound when they saw it. I live in good hopes that my bone is not broken, although all my nerves are shattered.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eIn a subsequent letter Lance-Corporal MacLeod says:—\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e“‘Cluny’ Macpherson (a comrade) was safe the night I got hit, but after I was wounded I could not say what happened. Now, don’t be put about for me. I know how you feel, but I want to see you well and hearty when I come through this and get home to see you before I go back to the front. That may be some time, as I have lost an awful lot of blood, and I’ll take a lot of strengthening.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eAlthough he survived his severe wound at Mons and continued in service, McLeod’s health deteriorated during the war. He was eventually discharged on \u003cb\u003e29 May 1918\u003c\/b\u003e under the category \u003cb\u003e“Sickness – Insane.”\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eHe died in \u003cb\u003e1921\u003c\/b\u003e, his later years marked by the lasting effects of his wartime experiences.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eThis is a strong early-war Seaforth story: original BEF, Mons casualty, graphic contemporary letter home, and later discharge due to mental illness — a very human and historically powerful account.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; 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-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eVisit my website for better prices on most of my stock.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; 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-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eAJMS Medals\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AJMS Medals","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53868460966234,"sku":null,"price":145.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0958\/9850\/1466\/files\/20260224_153439.png?v=1774263270","url":"https:\/\/ajms-medals.com\/products\/seaforth-highlanders-wia-1914-great-letter-home-mons-star-medal-inverness-nairn","provider":"AJMS Medals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}