93977: Alexander Macleod

Alexander (1885-1940) was the son of Murdo Macleod and Christina Murray; the family were cottars at 71 North Tolsta.

In 1892 the family moved to 53 Kenneth Street, Stornoway.

He served during the First World War.

During the Second World War he was killed whilst serving as Chief Engineer aboard the Irish steam trawler Leukos, a neutral vessel, which was sunk by U-38 off Tory Island, Donegal. 

In 1998 the Irish Government decided to award valour medals to all the seamen who lost their lives in the Irish Merchant Navy during the Second World War. Alexander was one of four Scottish seamen serving on Irish vessels. In 1999 the then Irish Ambassador to the UK, Daniel Mulhall, visited Alexander’s closest surviving relative, Jean Morrison, in Stornoway and presented her with the medal and a certificate. In 2018 her son donated the medal to the North Tolsta Historical Society. The medal has three bars which indicates service of more than six years.