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Cpl. Alexander MacKenzie
British Army Seaforth Highlanders
from:Crichron Street, Coatbridge, Laranrkshire, Scotland
My father, Alexander MacKenzie, was a regular in the Seaforth Highlanders and was well known as 74 MacKenzie the wooden fingered piper. He saw active service in India and Palistine etc before leaving the Army after 12 years service because my mother would not get married to a serving soldier. I was born a year after they married, when my father was recalled as he was on the Army Reserve. After reporting to Fort George (The Depot of the Seaforth Highlanders) he came home on embarkation leave before being sent to France with the 51st Highland Division as part of the BEF.
The 51st Highland Division fought the rearguard action that allowed their comarades to escape capture at Dunkirk but were ordered to surrender by their CO General Fortune. He was marched through France, Belgium and Germany to Poland where he was held POW in Stalag XXA in Thorn (now Torun) Poland. He escaped 8 times being blinded when caught by the Gestapo on his last escape attempt.
Because he was no further use to the war effort he was repatriated in 1945 just prior to the end of WW2.
My father was taken prisoner with the 51st Highland Division at St Valery En Caux when ordered to surrender by General Fortune. He was marched to Thorn (now Torrun) and was imprisoned in Stalag XXA. He escaped eight times. He was badly beaten by the Gestapo after he was captured during his 7th escape attempt. This was to cost him his eyesight and later blind him for life.
After the war, I first saw him when he was a patient at Killearn Hospital. I recognized him immediately despite have last seen him when I was only 18 months old. Immediately after the war we lived at 40 Old Shettleston Road and moved to Shotts when I was 11 years of age. Despite his blindness he started a small poultry unit at 24 Torbothy Road, Shotts where we had 60 chickens. We quickly expanded and moved to a smallholding at 1 Sharnotshields, Bonkle, where we had around 2000 chickens and our own incubation units and hatchery. He later retired to 1 Strowan Crescent, Sandyhills, Glasgow. He passed away in 1962 aged 62 and his ashes were spread around the flagpole of Fort George at his request.
