b. 23/12/1888 Kinghorn, Scotland. d. 14/01/1956 Glasgow, Scotland.
John McAulay VC DCM
John McAulay (1888-1956) was born at Rossland Place, Kinghorn, Fife, Scotland on 23rd December 1888. The surname has been seen with several misspelt versions. His father, also John, was born in Cumbernauld, Dumbartonshire. He married Isabella Stevenson, a farm servant, from Auchenbowie, Stirlingshire in December 1885 at Plean, Bannockburn, Stirlingshire. John senior was a coal miner by profession. John junior was one of eight children. John was educated at Milton School, East Plean from 1895-1903. He was then employed as a miner at East Plean Colliery before joining the Glasgow Northern Police Force on 27th February 1911. He enlisted with the Scots Guards at Glasgow on 3rd September 1914.
There is little source information about his early service except that in 1915, he was promoted to Corporal and in 1916, he was made a Lance Sergeant and later Sergeant and had been Mentioned in Despatches in 1916. On the first day of the Third Battle of Ypres, he was awarded a DCM for clearing pillboxes, accounting for several snipers single-handedly and taking charge of his platoon when his officer had been killed. The DCM was presented to him by Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig on 18th August 1917.
On 27th November 1917 at Fontaine Notre Dame, France, when all his officers had become casualties, McAulay assumed command of the company and under shell and machine-gun fire successfully held and consolidated the objectives gained. He reorganised the company and noticing a counter-attack developing, repulsed it by the skilful and bold use of machine-guns, causing heavy enemy casualties. The sergeant also carried his company commander, who was mortally wounded, to a place of safety.
On the 13th January 1918, McAulay was presented with the ribbon for the VC by his Divisional Commander Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Victor McKenzie, and two months later he was at Buckingham Palace to receive his VC from the King on the 16th March 1918. It would appear that at some point he visited the Scots Guards Regimental Headquarters at Wellington Barracks, where he was presented with a silver cigarette case by Major the Earl of Stair, on behalf of the Sergeants Mess at the barracks. John had an affair with Helen Maclean while he was stationed in London in late 1918. A son, Simon was born in August 1919, and was placed in a home soon after birth, without contact with either parent.
After the war he was demobilised and resumed his career in the Glasgow Police, on the 13th January 1919, and the following year was promoted to Sergeant and posted to “H” (Maryhill) Division, and then a short time later to “D” (Southern) Division. John married Isabella Horn, a dressmaker, on 22nd April 1919, They lived at 58 Oxford Street, Glasgow. Isabella gave birth to a son, John Harding McAulay, on Christmas Day 1920, but sadly there were complications with the delivery and both mother and baby died within a day of each other on 27th and 28th December. In June 1920, he was present at the VC Garden Party held at Buckingham Palace, and on the 11th November 1921, he was present at the unveiling and laid a wreath, in Glasgow Cathedral’s crypt, of a bronze plaque to those members of the Glasgow Police Force, who had laid down their lives during the Great War. The ceremony was followed by a parade through the streets to the force headquarters in Turnbull Street, where a duplicate plaque was unveiled.
McAulay studied for and passed his Inspectors examination and was promoted to the rank of Inspector on the 27th September 1922, and moved to “A” (Central) Division. John married again to Catherine Thomson, a drysalter’s assistant on 1st August 1923 at Abbotsford Parish Church, Glasgow. They would have a daughter, Isabella Stevenson McAulay in 1924. In 1929, he attended the VC Dinner hosted by the Prince of Wales in the House of Lords, and in 1935 he was awarded the King’s Silver Jubilee Medal. Two years later he received a Coronation Medal. In 1941, he was one of four VCs that attended the funeral of Lieutenant Henry May VC, who had been awarded his VC whilst a Private in the 1st Bn., Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) in 1914. McAulay retired from the police on the 31st January 1946, and in June of the same year he was in London for the Victory Parade and the VC Dinner held at The Dorchester on the evening. Later on in the same month, when the King and Queen were in Scotland attending a 25th Anniversary parade for the British Legion, he was one of the people presented to the royal couple.
McAulay passed away at his home in 915, Aikenhead Road, Burnside, Glasgow, on the 14th January 1956, when he was 67 years old, and he is buried in Glasgow New Eastwood Cemetery, Section L-VII, Lair 139. His wife survived him by seven years and passed away in 1963. He is commemorated on the Household Division Honour Roll at Wellington Barracks, London, on a display at Glasgow Police Museum, and with a VC commemorative stone placed at the War Memorial, Kinghorn, Fife on 26th November 1917. In addition to his VC and DCM, he was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal 1914-20, Victory Medal 1914-19 with Mentioned in Despatches oakleaf, Defence Medal (1939-45), George V Silver Jubilee Medal 1935, George VI Coronation Medal 1937 and Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal 1953. McAulay’s daughter, Isabella, presented her late brothers medals to the Guards Regimental Headquarters (Scots Guards RHQ), London in 1964, where they are still held.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: SCOTS GUARDS RHQ, WELLINGTON BARRACKS, LONDON.
BURIAL PLACE: NEW EASTWOOD CEMETERY, GLASGOW, SCOTLAND. SECTION L – VII, LAIR 139.
Acknowledgement:
Thomas Stewart – Several images on this page.