Alexander MacLean, First Battalion Scots Guards

Hello all,

Well this is a bit of a longshot, but....

My maternal grandfather Alexander MacLean was born 3/10/1909 in St Pancras, London. When we were kids, Mum would occasionally mention that her father was in the Scots Guards and served in North Africa.

Keen to try and find out about my grandfather's service, I contacted the archivist at the Scots Guards to see if he could find him in any records. There was an Alexander Maclean in the enlistment book but the date and place of birth didn't match.

I tried findmypast and general web searches but had no luck there either.

Has anyone with links to the Scots Guards in North Africa come across an Alexander Maclean, or could perhaps point me in another direction to try and find out more about him?

With thanks,

Jim

 

Jim,

Welcome aboard. We generally are successful in helping such inquiries. Do you have an address for him, beyond St Pancras? When did he pass? I assume he survived WW2. The different details the SG Archivist gave could be explained by joining up under age.

I shall have a look online for information. Others may be along meantime.

(Incorrect info)This could be a match, except for his age & DoB and being 2 SG:

From Post 18: Scots Guards, Other Ranks: unofficial Nominal Roll by Army Number order **Amidst forty plus Alexander's in the SG**

Bigger snag this SG Guardsman died 9/9/1943, in Libya and is buried at Tripoli. He was 22yrs old (so Born 1921) and came from Girvan, Ayrshire. See: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2168861/alexander-mclean/ and Alexander McLean – Scots Guards

Note the North African war had ended 6/5/1943, withe surrender in Tunisia. That does not mean any deaths were not combat-related, it could have been an accident, illness etc. A quick look found a few other 2nd SG who died in September 1943 were also buried there.

No exact matches on the genealogical website I use for the name, b. 1909 in London. There is a man of that name, with no address location given, who was married and emigrated to the USA in September 1947.(Incorrect info ends)

You do not need his service number to apply for his record, details also on a PM next.

 

Hi,

I’m sure the Archivist at RHQ SG will have told you that service records for men who enlisted into SG up until circa 1936 are available via findmypast.

If you gf was a late 1930’s or a wartime enlistment you will need to apply to UK MOD for his service records.

Get a copy of military records of service

Maclean is quite a “common” name in SG you will struggle to make any progress without having sight of a service record. Both 1st & 2nd SG served in North Africa - 1st from March 1943 until late 1943 and 2nd from the outbreak of the war (with an almost 6 month gap in Syria for rebuilding the Battalion and training from Sept 1942 to Feb 1943) until Sept 1943.

Good Luck

Steve

EDIT TO ADD

2696515 MacLean is a late August or early September 1939 enlistment as 2696599 enlisted 5th September 1939.

 

G'day Davidbfpo,

Thanks for getting back to me so fast. My understanding is that Alexander's father Hector was a policeman in London and that was why A was born there and not in Scotland. I'm not sure where he lived prior to the war, but my Mum was born in '42 and spent most of her childhood at 1 Myrtle Terrace in Tayport, just across the river from Dundee. That was where he was living when he died in a car accident about 1960.

Thanks for your help and I'll check the PM

 

G'day Steve,

Yes sadly nothing turned up on findmypast.

My gf was not in the army prior to the war so a '39 onwards enlistment. He was First Battalion so likely to have been in North Africa March 43 - late 43

 

Hi,

A shortcut to a limited way forward for you might be if forum member JohnG505 would check the recently released Campaign Medal Application forms that have been available on Forces War Records for the past 6 weeks to see if his application form is in the database. Not all men applied for their WW2 medals.

You will still need to have sight of his service record for the full chapter and verse of his service.

Steve

 

Not a lot to go on but found this record...

 

Thanks for looking John but on the basis of the info Jim provided about his gf being a Wartime recruit I doubt it is the correct Alexander MacLean as 2695447 would be a pre war recruit - circa1936.

Steve

 

Thankyou Steve!

 

G'day John,

Thanks for your reply! Unfortunately 2695447 isn't my grandfather....

 

Hi Jim,

Picking up on your mention of gf serving in Met Police if you let me have any additional details of his Police service I can try a contact who has access to Met records and he may be able to turn up something.

I think it’s worth pointing out that a short period of service (3 or 4 years) in the Brigade of Guards between the wars with an Exemplary Conduct on discharge and at least a 2nd Class Army Education Certificate would almost guarantee an appointment in a Police force for a working class boy who left school at 14 years of age with no qualifications.

I wouldn’t discount that he had peacetime SG service and was a recalled reservist in late 1939. As ever his service record will provide confirmation.

Steve

EDIT TO ADD

On re reading your post I may be wide of the mark and it was your GGF rather your gf Alexander who served in Met Police. If that reassessment is correct please ignore this post.

 

Thanks again Steve, yes it was my ggf that was the policeman. I will get in touch with my mother's cousin who may have some more details about my gf that could be helpful.

Many thanks once again!

 

Hi,

Sorry I couldn't find it. If you get a service number, or address, please let me know. There were lots of A Maclean's, I'd be more than happy to look through them.

Best of luck.
John.

 

Very kind of you John, I'll try and find some more details and get back to you.

With thanks, Jim