52496: Neil Macleod

Neill Iain

Neil  (1888-1941) was a son of John and Catherine Macleod, 1 Upper Barvas.

He emigrated to Australia before the First World War and subsequently joined the Australian Army and fought at Gallipoli. After the War he returned to Britain and resumed his sailing career with the Merchant Navy. It was then that he met and married Catherine Macleod, 11 Garyvard. They settled in Glasgow where their son, Neil was born in 1923.  

The family emigrated to Melbourne, Australia where their daughter Isobel was born in 1927. After his wife's death in 1928, Neil returned to Britain with his two children and settled with relatives at Battery Park Road, Stornoway.

Neil served in the Merchant Navy during the Second World War  and was injured when the SS Michael E was sunk by a German Submarine. He was in the hold and had both legs badly injured in the attack. Neil was rescued by pulling himself up by rope and crawled on hands and knees  and slid into a boat, refusing assistance. He smoked his pipe and joked with his crewmates however the Doctor aboard the rescue boat had no instruments to carry out an amputation and Neil died of gangrene and was buried at sea on June 9,1941. He was awarded King's Commendation for Brave Conduct and the Lloyd's War Medal for bravery at sea. Neil is commemorated on Panel 17 of the Tower Hill Memorial, London.