John Frederick MacKay

John Frederick MacKay VC (6 June 1873- 9 January 1930) was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Details

He was 26 years old, and a lance-corporal in the 1st Battalion, The Gordon Highlanders, British Army during the South African War (Boer War) when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 20 May 1900 during the action on Crow's Nest Hill, Johannesburg, South Africa, Corporal Mackay repeatedly rushed forward under withering fire at short range to attend to wounded comrades and dress their wounds. He was himself without shelter and on one occasion he carried a wounded man from the open, under fire, to the shelter of a boulder.

Further service

Mackay was commissioned into the King's Own Scottish Borderers before 1903, when he was promoted to Acting Lieutenant while serving with the West African Frontier Force. This rank was confirmed in 1905. He transferred to the Hampshire Regiment as a Captain in 1907 and to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in 1908, still attached to the WAFF. He served with the Argylls for the rest of his career, although attached to other regiments. From November 1908 to 1912 he served as adjutant of the 7th (Volunteer) Battalion, Royal Scots. In November 1914 he became adjutant of the Indian Volunteers, but later moved to the 21st Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers (2nd Tyneside Scottish). In 1915 he was promoted Major. In August 1916 he was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel commanding a battalion of the Highland Light Infantry. He retired in 1921.

The medal

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Gordon Highlanders Museum "(Aberdeen, Scotland)".

References

*Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
*The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
*Scotland's Forgotten Valour (Graham Ross, 1995)
*Victoria Crosses of the Anglo-Boer War (Ian Uys, 2000)