b. 18/06/1895 Portnahavan, Islay, Scotland. d. 31/07/1967 Edinburgh, Scotland.
David Lowe MacIntyre (1895-1967) was born on 18th June 1895 at the Free Church Manse, Portnahaven, Isle of Islay, Argyll, Scotland. His father, the Reverend Archibald Stewart MacIntyre, was born at Glenelg, Inverness-shire. Prior to Archibald the surname was also seen as MacIntyre, McIntyre or Mcintyre. He was educated at Garvan School, Locheilside and at Fort William Grammar School. Archibald studied at New College, Edinburgh (BD) and was ordained at Portnahaven, Islay in 1891, where he remained until 1913. Archibald married Elizabeth Lowe on 22nd June 1893 at 25 Downie Terrace, Corstophine, Edinburgh. She died in 1908, when David was 13, and his father remarried to Annie McFadyen on 19th December 1913 at the United Free Church, Dean Street, Edinburgh. He returned to teaching. In addition to David, Archibald had ten other children from his two marriages, the first six born at Portnahaven.
David was educated at Portnahaven School, Islay, at George Watson’s College, Edinburgh 1907-14, where he was a cadet, and at the University of Edinburgh 1914-15 as a student of the arts. He served in the OTC February – May 1915. While studying at George Watson’s College and Edinburgh University he lived at his aunt Marion’s home at 26 Downie Terrace, Corstophine.
David applied for a commission on 23rd March 1915. He was commissioned in 13th (Reserve) Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders on 8th May 1915 and was attached to 1/6th Highland Light Infantry on 16th January 1916. He sailed from Southampton, Hampshire aboard RMS Olympic on 17th February. After passing Gibraltar an enemy submarine was spotted but it was forced to break off its attack after Olympic fired a few shots. The ship arrived at Mudros on 24th February, where David may have joined the Battalion as it moved from there to Egypt that month. David sailed to Egypt on the Olympic, arriving on 17th March. The Battalion carried out training for desert warfare. Due to the heat the soldiers trained from 2am until 7am before breakfasting and from 4pm until 7pm
David L MacIntyre VC CB
He was a temporary lieutenant in The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princes Louise’s) that was attached to the 1/6 Battalion, The Highland Light Infantry, British Army, on 24th and 27th August, 1918 near Henin Fontaine and Croiselles, France respectively during the Hundred Days Offensive when he was involved in the incidents which would lead to the VC.
He was acting as Adjutant to the Battalion, he was constantly in evidence in the firing line, and by his coolness under most heavy shell and machine-gun fire inspired the confidence of all ranks. Three days later he was in command of the firing line during an attack, and showed throughout most courageous and skilful leading in face of heavy machine-gun fire. When barbed wire was encountered, he personally reconnoitred it before leading his men forward. On one occasion, when extra strong entanglements were reached, he organised and took forward a party of men. and under heavy machine-gun fire supervised the making of gaps. Later, when the greater part of our line was definitely held up, Lt. Maclntyre rallied a small party, pushed forward through the enemy barrage in pursuit of an enemy machine-gun detachment, and ran them to earth in a “pill-box” a short distance ahead, killing three and capturing an officer, ten other ranks and five machine guns. In this redoubt he and his party raided three “pill-boxes” and disposed of the occupants, thus enabling the battalion to capture the redoubt. When the battalion was ordered to take up a defensive position, Lt. Maclntyre, after he had been relieved of command of the firing line, reconnoitred the right flank which was exposed. When doing this an enemy machine gun opened fire close to him. Without any hesitation he rushed it singlehanded, put the team to flight and brought in the gun. On returning to the redoubt he continued to show splendid spirit while supervising consolidation.
After he was gazetted for the VC on 26th October 1918, he personally received his medal from King George V at Buckingham Palace on 13th December 1918. David went back to University in 1919 to finish his studies. He and three other students decided to go to London for the Civil Service examinations in October 1919 but there was a railway strike, so they hired a taxi on Princes Street, Edinburgh. The journey took two days and the taxi broke down about 50 kilometres from London.
David joined the Civil Service and was appointed second class clerk at the Office of Works (later Ministry of Works), London in 1920. He was promoted to assistant principal of the Secretariat Branch in 1926 and in 1936 returned to Edinburgh as Principal Assistant Secretary, Office of Works, Scotland. In 1940 he returned to the Ministry of Works, where he was involved in the rebuilding of the House of Commons after the Blitz. He returned to Scotland, where he was involved in the maintenence of Royal Park and Gardens. He was awarded the CB for this work. David retired in 1959 and then undertook Civil Service Examination Boards and was for some time Chairman of Arran Piers Ltd in the 1960s, the company running and maintaining the various piers and facilities for ferries and shipping on the Isle of Arran. He was also appointed JP for Ross-shire.
David married Elspeth Moir Forsyth, from Edinburgh, on 20th February 1929 at Crown Court Church of Scotland, Covent Garden, London. They met as members of the London Gaelic Choir. Initially they lived in Northwood, Middlesex, before moving to Edinburgh. They had two children – Jean and Alasdair. On 15th May 1930 thieves broke into David’s house in Northwood, and stole many items. The maid found the house ransacked and phoned the police. There was a concern about the whereabouts of the Victoria Cross, but fortunately the thieves missed it. Thereafter it was kept in the bank for safekeeping.
David served in No 4 Relief Battery Home Guard in Hyde Park, London during the Second World War as a captain. When he returned to Scotland he was presented with an inscribed gold watch. He attended a number of VC reunions – the VC Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in 1920, the VC Dinner at the House of Lords in 1929, the Victory Day Celebrations at The Dorchester, London in 1946 and the VC Centenary Celebrations in Hyde Park, London in June 1956. He was a member of the Scottish Arts Club (Edinburgh) and was a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
David died at the Civil Service Nursing Home in Drummond Place, Edinburgh on 31st July 1967. His funeral was held at Corstophine Parish Church on 3rd August, followed by a cremation at Warriston Crematorium, Edinburgh. His ashes were scattered in the Garden of Remembrance there. He is commemorated on his mother’s headstone in Port Charlotte, Isle of Islay, a VC commemorative stone placed in Portnahaven, Isle of Islay on 24th August 2018, and a display at the National War Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh Castle.
In addition to the VC and CB he was awarded the British War Medal 1914-20, Victory Medal 1914-19, George VI Coronation Medal 1937 and Elizabeth II Coronation Medal 1953. After his death the medals were held by his widow and kept in a bank for safekeeping. It was her wish that they were donated to the United Services Museum, in Edinburgh Castle. On 23rd November 1998 her daughter and son handed over the medals in the Officers’ Mess at Edinburgh Castle. They were briefly loaned to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum in Stirling Castle whilst the National War Museum of Scotland was being refurbished. When it re-opened in 2000, Alasdair Macintyre was present to present the medals to the Princess Royal, who performed the ceremony.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: NATIONAL WAR MUSEUM, EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND.
BURIAL PLACE: WARRISTON CREMATORIUM, EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND. ASHES SCATTERED.
Acknowledgement:
Andy Wright – Image of the MacIntyre VC Medal Group at the National War Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh.