Hugh McIver VC MM*

b. 21/06/1890 Kilbarchan, Scotland. d. 02/09/1918 Courcelles, France.

Hugh McIver (1890-1918) was born on 21st July 1890 at 30 Napier Street, Linwood, Kilbarchan, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. His father, Hugh, was born in Linwood, was an iron miner boarding with Mary Kennedy and her family on the 1881 Census. He married Mary Flynn on 2nd October 1884 at St Margaret’s Roman Catholic Church, Johnstone, Renfrewshire. She was a mill worker. She and Hugh had eight children in all.

Hugh was educated at St Charles’ Roman Catholic School, Newton, Glasgow, Lanarkshire. From 1904 he worked as a miner at Newton No 1 Pit, Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, owned by Messrs James Dunlop & Co. He enlisted in the Highland Light Infantry Special Reserve on 26th March 1914 but was discharged after just 55 days on 19th May. His character was described as “Bad” and he was considered unlikely to make a special reservist. On 18th August 1914 he enlisted in 12th Royal Scots at Glencorse, Midlothian. He declared his previous service and being discharged due to conviction, but gave no details.

At Aldershot, Hampshire on 20th October he made an improper remark to a non commissioned officer while in an drunken state and was confined to barracks for seven days. At Alton, Hampshire, he was fined two days’ pay for being absent without leave on 28th December. He sailed for France on 11th May 1915 and became runner to Captain Alick “Tam” Gordon MC and Bar, DCM, MM. He was admitted to 27th Field Ambulance on the same day with myalgia and returned to duty on 23rd March. He was admitted to 27th Field Ambulance on 25th March with pyrexia of unknown origin (trench fever), transferred to 1st Field Ambulance on 1st April and was passed fit for duty on 8th April. He returned to the Battalion on 11th April.

He was awarded the Military Medal for his actions on 14th July 1916 during an attack on Longueval. The Battalion attacked with 11th Battalion, and were struck with shell fire passing the western side of Montauban and suffered heavy losses. He received a shrapnel wound to the right buttock on 12th October 1917 and was admitted to 28th Field Ambulance and No 64 Casualty Clearing Station. He was evacuated to England on 19th October and was in hospital at Fort Pitt, Chatham, Kent. He was transferred to hospital at Shoeburyness, Essex between 4th-12th November. He would finally return to France on 12th February 1918.

He was awarded a Bar to his Military Medal for his actions on 15th July 1918 at Locon during a daylight patrol. He was in a party with Lieutenant Sommerville, Sergeant Fraser and Lance Corporal McDonald, when they crawled through a belt of corn and captured four Germans.

Hugh McIver VC MM*

One month later the 2nd Battalion Royal Scots were involved in a significant attack at Courcelles-le-Comte that started on 21st August 1918, and severe fighting with the enemy continued until 25th August when the men are recorded as ‘resting and clearing up’. On 23rd August 1918 east of Courcelle-le Compte, France, Private McIver was employed as a company-runner and under heavy artillery and machine-gun fire carried messages regardless of his own safety. Single-handed he pursued an enemy scout into a machine-gun post and having killed six of the garrison, captured 20 prisoners and two machine-guns. Later he succeeded, at great personal risk, in stopping the fire of a British tank which was directed in error against our own troops.

Nine days after Hugh was involved in the above act of gallantry when he was killed in action on 2nd September 1918 during an attack near the village of Noreuil. The War Diary indicates that Private McIver’s company were further advancing up a trench when they were ‘held up by m[achine] g[un] fire’. Iit is at this time that it appears Hugh was killed. The document further notes that two Lieutenants and 24 other ranks of the Royal Scots were also killed on 2 September, while a further six men were recorded as missing.

Hugh was buried in Vraucourt Copse Cemetery with full military honours. On 13th February 1919, his parents travelled from Scotland to Buckingham Palace to receive his VC from King George V. Tragically, less than a month later, Hugh’s father would be killed in an accident in the pits. Hugh is commemorated on the memorial at Hawkhead Cemetery, Paisley, with Hugh McIver Avenue in Hawkhead Village, on the family headstone in Western Cemetery, Cambuslang, on Cambuslang War Memorial, and on the Memorial Arch to the sixteen Lanarkshire VCs in Hamilton. He also has two VC commemorative stones placed at Linwood Community Centre and Cambuslang Remembrance Garden.

His medals including the VC, MM and Bar, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal 1914-20 and Victory Medal 1914-19 are now held by the Royal Scots Greys Museum in Edinburgh Castle. They purchased the Victoria Cross in 1974 having seen an advert in a coin and medal magazine, listing it at £2,065. The other medals were secured later.

LOCATION OF MEDAL:ROYAL SCOTS MUSEUM, EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND.

BURIAL PLACE: VRAUCOURT COPSE CEMETERY, VRAUCOURT, FRANCE.

PLOT 1, ROW A, GRAVE 19