LORD ASHCROFT'SPrivate "HERO George OF Imlach THE McIntosh MONTH" VC PrivateLORD GeorgeASHCROFT'S Imlach McIntosh "HERO VC OF THE MONTH"

VICTORIA CROSS HEROES II Private Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC is a businessman, philanthropist, author and pollster. His sixth book on gallantry, Heroes Volume II, was published in November. For more information, please visit: www. victoriacrossheroes2.com George Imlach Lord Ashcroft’s VC and GC collection is on public display at Imperial War Museum, London. For more information visit: www.iwm.org. uk/heroes. For details about LORD ASHCROFT'S his VC collection, visit: www. "HERO OF McIntosh lordashcroftmedals.com For more information on Lord Ashcroft’s work, visit: www. VC THE MONTH" lordashcroft.com. Follow him on Twitter: @LordAshcroft

his battalion and he soon resumed Ludham, Norfolk, and returned to his TOP LEFT his front line duties with the Gordon pre-war school janitor’s job. In 1955, George McIntosh's VC medal group. AGGRESSION Highlanders. McIntosh was made a Freeman of the McIntosh survived the rest of the Royal Borough of . BOLDNESS • INITIATIVE war and, after being demobbed, In 1956 he attended the VC centenary LEADERSHIP • SACRIFICE returned to Buckie where he worked celebrations in London, and four years SKILL • ENDURANCE as a herring runner for Thomson & later, in February 1960, he took a day Brown, a local fish sales company. off from his job to become the first The many Victoria Crosses and George Crosses in the Lord In July 1919, he moved back to and only “ranker” in the history of his Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Museum in London are displayed under one of seven different qualities of bravery. Fraserburgh where, in the post-war to take the salute at a passing LEFT Private George McIntosh’s award is part of the collection depression, his jobs included working out parade. Private McIntosh, and Lord Ashcroft feels that it falls within the category of as the groundsman at Buckie bowls Later the same year, he encountered ‘C’ Company 6th aggression: club. serious health problems, including a Battalion, Gordon “For many actions killing is the means to the end. To On 27 April 1923, McIntosh got series of heart attacks which resulted Highlanders, is prevail, maximum force has to be applied. Aggression is presented with invariably fast and adrenalin fuelled. It epitomises the idea married in Elgin, Morayshire, to in two operations. McIntosh died in the Victoria Cross of ‘hot courage’, acting quickly in the mayhem of battle..” Alexandrina Sutherland, and the Woodend Hospital, , on 20 couple went on to have a son and a June 1960, aged 63. Four days later, by King George V.

daughter. On 1 July 1939, McIntosh was hundreds of mourners attended his BELOW RIGHT worked on the Cluny Dock extension “For most conspicuous bravery Subsequently, entering the dug-out, appointed the janitor and groundsman funeral when he was buried at the General Sir Ivor A Portrait of to Buckie harbour. As a teenager, he when, during the consolidation of a he found two light machine guns, of Buckie High School. New Cemetery, Buckie, with full Maxse (GOC 18th George Imlach was a keen footballer and played for position, his Company came under which he carried back with him. His As the Second World War dawned, military honours. Corps) presenting McIntosh Buckie Thistle FC. machine gun fire at close range. quick grasp of the situation and the McIntosh tried to rejoin his old There is a portrait in his honour medal ribbons to men of the TOP RIGHT In 1913, McIntosh joined the 6th Pte. McIntosh immediately rushed utter fearlessness and rapidity with regiment but he was too old, at 42, to at the Museum 51st (Highland) British troops Battalion, Gordon Highlanders forward under heavy fire, and, which he acted, undoubtedly saved be accepted as an infantryman. On 26 in Aberdeen. I become the proud Division for acts crossing the Yser (). On the outbreak reaching the emplacement, he threw many of his comrades and enabled the August 1939, he was mobilised into custodian of McIntosh’s medal group of gallantry Canal at Boezinge, of hostilities in August 1914, he was a Mill’s Grenade into it, killing two consolidation to proceed unhindered the RAF and thus played a role in the in 1996 when I purchased it at a Spink undertaken on near the area in serving in Tom Jones & Son’s sawmill of the enemy and wounding a third. by machine gun fire. Throughout the Second World War, although this time auction in London. This summer I 31 July. The which McIntosh and, despite being only 17, was day the cheerfulness and courage of away from the front line. From 1940-1, loaned this splendid medal group to ceremony took and his colleagues place at School fought, on 31 quickly mobilised. He arrived Pte McIntosh was indomitable, and to he served as Flight Sergeant in charge the Gordon Highlanders Museum in Camp, St. Janster July 1917. The with his unit in France on his fine example, in a great measure, of ground defences at RAF St Eval, Aberdeen to mark the centenary of Biezen, on 21 condition of the 10 November 1914 and went was due the success which attended his Cornwall. McIntosh’s VC action.  August 1917. ground that day into the line on 6 December. Company.” In 1941, he was appointed as Station was appalling, the movement Subsequently, he saw action Hic VC was announced in The London Warrant Officer at Reykjavik, Iceland. of the at many of the major battles Gazette on 6 September 1917. Just six During this service, he was attached being seriously including Neuve Chapelle, days later, he returned to the UK on to HMS Manilla, a maintenance handicapped Festubert, Givenchy, Loos and leave and, on 13 September, he arrived ship running between Iceland and by mud, which the Somme. unannounced at his parents’ home in Archangel, Russia. On one voyage, the made it almost Early on in the conflict, he Buckie. After word spread of his VC impossible for ship was attacked and set on fire by them to move EORGE IMLACH McIntosh suffered from trench-foot, which and his homecoming, he was presented enemy bombs. Although a number out of a walk. was born in Rathven, forced his evacuation, but he with a purse of fifty gold sovereigns of crew were preparing to abandon (US LIBRARY OF Banffshire, on 22 April 1897. He soon returned to the front line. by his pre-war employer. Such was his ship, McIntosh showed both bravery CONGRESS) G was the son of Alexander McIntosh, However, it was on the opening new hero status that further gifts soon and leadership in persuading them a fisherman, and his wife, Mary. As a day of the Third Battle of Ypres followed. to remain at their posts and help young boy, he lived in Fraserburgh, that Private McIntosh showed McIntosh received his VC from King put out the fires that threatened the , and attended such outstanding bravery that he George V in an investiture at Ibrox petrol tanks. For his actions, he was Fraserburgh Academy. was awarded the VC. Park, , on 18 September 1917. Mentioned in Despatches. In 1910, his family moved to Buckie, The citation for his decoration In an apparent attempt to prevent During the Second World War, Banffshire, and McIntosh became described the role of McIntosh, ABOVE Men of the Gordon Highlanders on their way to him facing further extreme danger, McIntosh also served at various RAF apprenticed to Tom Jones & Son, by then aged 20, in fierce fighting the front in 1914. Pictured in Plymouth, the individual on he was appointed as the batman to a fighter stations in the UK, including a local wood merchant. Soon after north of St Julien, Belgium on 31 horseback is Colonel William Eagleson Gordon VC, CBE. senior field officer. However, he made Manston, Kent, and Coltishall in beginning his apprenticeship, he July 1917: McIntosh did not arrive in France until 1916. it clear that he preferred to serve with Norfolk. In 1945, he was demobbed at

116 www.britainatwar.com www.britainatwar.com 117