Do remember the 2 HLI Battalions wore hackels not sure which way round but they were Red and White, McAuslan also I think came from Maryhill which was the home of the HLI depot until the amalgamation in 1959.

RE: The above:
Indeed, MacD-F IDed the regt and the CO in the last book of the series and the omnibus edition. Would be very interested to read it if anyone manages to track down the civilian MacAuslan.

Captain Errol is an interesting case study. MacD-F might have purposely mis-described the tartan and/or other details in order to throw readers of his trail. For eg, I have recently been made aware that one of those named in in my book - whose demise I lifted from a privately-published first hand account (fully cited and footnoted, naturally) - was not on the battalion roll. Clearly, his name was changed by the original writer to avoid upsetting his family/rels.

Originally Posted by Andy_S

RE: The above:
Indeed, MacD-F IDed the regt and the CO in the last book of the series and the omnibus edition. Would be very interested to read it if anyone manages to track down the civilian MacAuslan.

Captain Errol is an interesting case study. MacD-F might have purposely mis-described the tartan and/or other details in order to throw readers of his trail. For eg, I have recently been made aware that one of those named in in my book - whose demise I lifted from a privately-published first hand account (fully cited and footnoted, naturally) - was not on the battalion roll. Clearly, his name was changed by the original writer to avoid upsetting his family/rels.

IIRC, according to the omnibus, the CO asked GMF about MacAuslan because he had identified MacAuslan as one of two soldiers. GMF admitted that MacAuslan was a composite of AT LEAST two soldiers

MacDonald-Fraser was a tremendous loss: He was a first-rate (and under-appreciated) scribbler.

McAuslan was fine fun and shows just how good MacD-F was as a yarn spinner, but I would suggest that his greater achievement was to got a whole new, post-colonial generation of historians interested in the British Empire.

Some maintain, of course, that General Flashman, VC, was a fictional invention, but such naysayers are speaking utter balderdash. Bloody world's full of dashed fools. Why, there are even those who deny the existence of Sherlock Holmes! Scoundrels, the lot of 'em.

Does the book that describes Capt Errol as holding a MC and MM along with a story about him being busted to private, during which time he won the MM? Could this be a clue, are there that many MC and MM holders?

I remember a CSM in 1KOSB who was MC., MM. He was never commissioned though!

Marvelous Thread
Fine tribute to an Old Soldier who never forgot his mates.

john