b. 16/10/1895 Edinburgh, Scotland. d. 22/10/1918 Hoogemolen, Belgium.
David Stuart McGregor (1895-1918) was born on 16th October 1895 at 112 Marchmont Road, Edinburgh, Scotland. His father, also David, was a tailor born in Auchterless, Aberdeenshire, married Annie Stewart nee McDonald on 15th June 1888 at Grandtully, Dull, Perthshire, where she was born. David junior had three siblings – James McDonald, Marjorie and Ronald.
David was educated at George Watson’s College and George Heriot’s School, both in Edinburgh. He served in the Officer Training Corps from October 1911. David joined the Edinburgh Stockbridge branch of the Commercial Bank of Scotland in 1911 and was an Associate of the Scottish Bankers Institute. He enlisted with Midlothian Battery, 1st Lowland Brigade RFA on 14th February 1913. He attended the annual training in 1913 and 1914. He was a keen sportsman, particularly swimming, golf and rugby. He was a member of the Merchants of Edinburgh Golf Club.
David S McGregor VC
David was mobilised on 5th August 1914 and was granted four days’ leave on 14th March and 3rd October 1915. He applied for a commission on 16th September and was commissioned in 3/6th Royal Scots on 8th October 1915. He sailed for Egypt and disembarked on 18th May 1916. The Battalion landed at Marseille, France on 16th May, but it is not known when he joined them. However, he was involved in the Battle of the Somme. In September 1916 he volunteered for the Machine Gun Corps and joined the 29th Battalion. David was promoted lieutenant on 1st May 1917.
On 22nd October 1918, at Hoogemolen, Belgium, David was in command of a section of machine guns near Hoogmolen, Belgium. Finding he needed to move his guns across an area of bare ground exposed to enemy fire, he ordered his men to take a more sheltered route, and jumped up onto the gun’s carriage to guide it – under intense fire – across the 600 yards of open ground. The carriage, its horses and the driver were all hit, but David got the gun to safety, and to a position where it could engage the enemy and allow the army’s advance to resume. He continued to direct the fire until, after about an hour, he was shot and killed.
He was killed on Hill 66, Hoogmolen, and was buried in Stasegem Communal Cemetery, Groendreef, Stasegem, Belgium. The VC was presented to his parents by King George V in the ballroom of Buckingham Palace on 15th February 1919. He is commemorated in a number of places in Edinburgh. He is named on the family headstone in Corstorphine Hill Cemetery, on the George Heriot’s School War Memorial, and with a VC commemorative stone in Heriot Place placed on 22nd October 2018. He is also on the George Watson’s College War Memorial, with a VC paver at the Royal Scots Club in Abercromby Place, on the Commercial Bank of Scotland War Memorial, and a framed photograph and citation at the Merchants of Edinburgh Golf Club.
In addition to the VC he was awarded the British War Medal 1914-20 and the Victory Medal 1914-19. The VC was donated to the Royal Scots in 1976 by David’s brother, James. He was not well enough to attend the ceremony and so the medals were handed over to the Colonel of the Regiment, Major General DT Young, by the Minister of Gullane, East Lothian and a friend of James’. The VC is held in the Royal Scots Museum in Edinburgh Castle.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: ROYAL SCOTS MUSEUM, EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND.
BURIAL PLACE: STASEGHEM COMMUNAL CEMETERY, BELGIUM. ROW A GRAVE 1.
Acknowledgement:
Thomas Stewart – Images of the McGregor VC Medal Group at the Royal Scots Museum, Edinburgh, and the VC Stone at the Royal Scots Club, Edinburgh.