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Auction: 18003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 752

A pair of 'diaries' - likely compiled in the 1930s and 1940s - by Sergeant Angus MacLennan, Lovat's Scouts, a veteran of four theatres of war in the Great War

An excellent pair of handwritten A5 sized diaries, offering some outstanding insights:
Diary One, approximately 257 pp., encompassing in excess of 25,000 words; Diary Two, 2 pp., describing the final advance of 1918; together with a roll book containing the pencilled details of '225626 Corporal MacLennan', additionally inscribed 'B' Company, 1st Lovat's Scouts' Battalion; a photograph, inscribed in ink to reverse, 'At the Sphinx, with the Pyramid of Cheops in the background,' and a letter regarding the potential to turn the diaries into a publication

The hand-written entries detail his mobilisation in England, journey to Gallipoli, landing at Suvla Bay in September 1915 and subsequent experiences on the Peninsula, followed by the withdrawal and his deployment to Egypt. They continue describing his life during the Palestine Campaign and in Salonika, before his regiment transferred to France to face the final months of the war at Merlimont and La Gorgue; a fascinating and important source of information, offering a hitherto unpublished and very personal insight into the life of a soldier who experienced four theatres of war

all writing legible, the pages in good overall condition, but many separated from the spine of Diary One and numbered accordingly (2)


The diaries commence with a description of the impact that the declaration of war made upon Angus MacLennan and the people of Inverness. Much like the film War Horse, the early days involved the assembly of troops and the procurement of horses. Angus joined 'H' Squadron of Lovat's Scouts and proceeded to Blairgowrie where he was regaled by the townsfolk and berry-pickers, before taking the train south and crossing the border into England: 'As long as daylight lasted, the whole route was lined with cheering people.'

Stopping at Carlisle to water and feed the horses, he was delighted by the large contingents of ladies who supplied tea and cocoa and plenty to eat for the men; Angus eventually arrived at Huntingdon on the 17 August 1914. Here the men fought over who had the best horses and began to prepare for war. Trenches were dug, and on the night of 9 November 1914 a mock attack was launched: 'That night blank ammunition was used and some blighter fired at me at point-blank range and nearly singed my eyebrows for me.'

Leaving Huntingdon, the men embarked on a series of travels to Grimsby, Alford, Anderby and Poplar Grove, where they continued to train and engage upon sentry duties; one sentry he labelled "Gentleman John":

'Being of a gentlemanly disposition, John refrained from showing any violence, carrying his rifle with the bayonet pointing heavenwards in the right hand, and extending the palm of his left hand in proper Nazi fashion, at the same time exclaiming in the politest possible manner - "Will you halt, please?" '

There was a great stir on 24 April 1915, when training came to completion and the men began to bid farewell to the fenlands of Lincolnshire. The entire population seemed to come out to wish the column, two miles in length, all the best as they headed to Houghton Hall and then on to Devonport, to board the troopship Andania:

'Arriving in Mudros Bay, Lemnos, at 9 a.m. on Thursday, 23rd September 1915, we beheld a spectacle which will long remain in the memories of all who beheld it! There in the land-locked bay, lined up, row on row, were the combined British and French Mediterranean fleets, with colliers, oil tankers, lighters, troopships, hospital ships, tramp steamers of every description, submarine craft, and various hulks of steamers which had evidently been torpedoed and assisted into the bay to be beached there. What an armada!'

One night, whilst anchored in the Bay, a shout of "man overboard!" was heard. The diary gives a good account of 'a young lad called Thomas Foubister of the Highland R.A.M.C., who instantly dived over the side of the Andania and saved the life of one of the ship's crew.' A large package which was being raised had swung towards him and knocked him into the sea; the diary records a subsequent award of a medal for life saving.

On the 26 September Lovat Scouts began the last stage of their journey to Gallipoli:

'A bright spark on one of the naval vessels we passed close to, raised a megaphone to his mouth, and shouted: "Are we downhearted?" Our boys replied in one voice - "No!!!" Then came back the comment: "If not, you bloody soon will be!"

We did not proceed very far when a dead mule and a few bales of hay floated past the side of the Sicilian Prince, the ship the 2nd Regiment of Lovat's Scouts were on, a stark reminder that all ships did not reach their destination.'

As darkness fell, Angus landed at 'C' Beach, Suvla Bay. His first recollection was of the continual whistling of thousands of grasshoppers, but this would be replaced with a more sinister memory:

'A strange odour, resembling in its fragrance a mixture of bogmirtle and thyme stole over our sense of smell. This smell, we were afterwards to know very well. In fact, it was with us wherever we went on that peninsula.'

The diary then describes the landscape of Gallipoli and the extreme hardships faced by the men; not only were the Turks a formidable enemy, but nature contrived to make their lives a constant misery. Shellfire set alight the bone-dry shrubs and the flames swept whole hillsides burning them bare.

Just after dark on his second night, the Scottish Horse decided to celebrate the arrival of the Highland Mounted Brigade:

'Their pipes struck up in the front line, and, wafted by a gentle breeze, there floated across the intervening space the familiar strains of the Scouts' regimental march. Following this, came five rounds rapid fire and three lusty cheers. That set the fireworks going for the rest of the night. Johnny Turk, mistaking this welcome for us for an attack on himself, manned his trenches to show that he too had some spare ammunition to expend, and was taking no chances!'

Angus decided to keep his head down but admired the courage of his comrades:

'These Jocks were a keen and hefty lot. Many of them, at home, were gillies and they had brought their stalking glasses with them; they made useful snipers.'

Sometimes in the evenings, the regimental pipers would play; the Turks on sentry duty would respond by manning the fire steps and 'blazing away' for all they were worth. The diary continues with an outstanding account of the Gallipoli operations, containing some very poignant observations, notably describing the collection the farewell letters from the bodies of the dead and ensuring that such correspondence was carefully tied together with the correct identity discs. Myriads of flies plagued the men and an epidemic of jaundice and dysentery 'well-nigh wiped out the entire troops on that ill-fated peninsula.'

A thunderstorm tore through the peninsula on 26 November and 'the very heavens seemed to rent asunder with incessant flashes of fork lightning':

'While Sergeant Reid, Piper Noble and I were mewsing away, a vivid flash synchronising with an ear-splitting peal of thunder put an end to our conversation. Something serious had happened! My experience was that electricity had entered me through the feet and stretched me as straight as a poker. Then, as if something grasped my heart, as in a vice, and squeezing my life out … '

By the end of the year it was clear that the campaign was a complete failure. Snow compounded the men's problems. The diary gives a detailed account of the retreat from the peninsula and the aching silence associated with so many men keen to leave. Angus moved to Imbros and then back to Lemnos, before being posted to Sidi Bisch, Alexandria. Here he would participate in the Senussi Campaign, involving some epic journeys in search of freshwater.

Posted to Salonica, Lovat's Scouts moved out of Kakaraska on 4 December 1916 and were involved in a major attack on 'Rabbit Wood'. Angus had a close shave:

'We were just started when I got wounded through the shoulder, and, seeing the blood running down over my wrist, Hay said that he would take charge until someone came to replace me. Lance-Corporal Steel was suffering from a scalp wound. Allan Tulloch had four bullet wounds in his right leg. John Egan was mortally wounded … '

Angus was patched up and returned to strength. He would be involved in the battle of Salmah and would then travel to France, where he would continue to be involved in trench warfare and the daily struggle to stay alive.


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