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Friday, 5 August 2016

Alexander MacDougall – Post 1945 Roll of Honour - New Name Ceremony

The Post 1945 section of The Cenotaph, Cavell Gardens, Inverness 

 New name to Post 1945 roll – Mne Alexander MacDougall
(above and below)



We were in Inverness today for a Post 1945 Roll of Honour – New Name Ceremony at The Cenotaph, Cavell Gardens. The ceremony honoured the memory of Royal Marine Alexander MacDougall, who was killed by a sniper on 22nd October 1958 during the Cyprus Emergency. Alexander (Alistair), aged 20, was on patrol in the Troodos Mountains when he was shot. 

Alistair was the eldest of five and the only son of Isobel and Roderick MacDougall, both from North Uist. Roderick was a police officer in the Inverness-shire Constabulary. Sadly Roderick died young, in his forties, before Alistair's death. Although Isobel lived to the grand age of 99 she never saw her son's grave at Waynes Keep in Nicosia. She would have been so moved but proud to see her son honoured in Inverness.

Alistair's name has now been added to the Post 1945 section of the Inverness Centotaph nearly 58 years after the tragic event in Cyprus. Apparently until the rules were changed war memorials/cenotaphs were reserved for those killed during the First and Second World Wars.

We were there because CRM was in school with Catherine Third (née MacDougall), one of Alistair's four sisters, and CRM's father served in the same police force as Roderick MacDougall


    Pre-ceremony rehearsal for the flag bearers 

Gathering before the ceremony 

 Seats for the family and dignitaries included Helen Carmichael (far left front seat), 
the first female Provost of Inverness 
 

 Reverend Alastair Murray BD, Royal British Legion Scotland Inverness Branch Padre


 Reverend Peter Donald (Inverness Crown Church)




 Unveiling the new name – Mne Alexander MacDougall
by Catherine Third, her sister Margaret MacQuarrie
and Helen Carmichael (Provost)




Piper Charles MacDonald

Rev Peter Donald

Catherine Third by the Roll of Honour 


The two sisters – Catherine and Margaret 

Family 






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