From The Daily Telegraph 4 May
Lieutenant-Colonel John McGregor, who has died aged 95, won an immediate MC in the Battle of the Mareth Line.
The then Captain McGregor had only recently taken over command of “B” Company 5th Black Watch when, during the night of March 24/25 1943, under his leadership it successfully carried out an attack against an enemy position forward of the Mareth Line.
The objective having been taken, McGregor was ordered to make contact with “A” Company, to his right, which had been under shell and machine-gun fire and which was known to have suffered severe casualties.
To do so, McGregor had to cross an area which itself was being subjected to heavy machine-gun and shell fire. It was also in the middle of a minefield. He then returned to his own company, again at great personal risk, and immediately set about reorganising it to resist a counter-attack.
In doing this he showed great energy, visiting all his men despite heavy shell fire and almost continuous sniping. When, later that night, his company was almost surrounded and ordered to withdraw, McGregor organised this so successfully that not a man or an article of equipment was lost.
Throughout this entire operation, McGregor was said to have shown leadership of a very high order. The citation for his MC praised “his personal bravery” as “a magnificent example to all his men”.
Full obituary with photograph.
Lieutenant-Colonel John McGregor, who has died aged 95, won an immediate MC in the Battle of the Mareth Line.
The then Captain McGregor had only recently taken over command of “B” Company 5th Black Watch when, during the night of March 24/25 1943, under his leadership it successfully carried out an attack against an enemy position forward of the Mareth Line.
The objective having been taken, McGregor was ordered to make contact with “A” Company, to his right, which had been under shell and machine-gun fire and which was known to have suffered severe casualties.
To do so, McGregor had to cross an area which itself was being subjected to heavy machine-gun and shell fire. It was also in the middle of a minefield. He then returned to his own company, again at great personal risk, and immediately set about reorganising it to resist a counter-attack.
In doing this he showed great energy, visiting all his men despite heavy shell fire and almost continuous sniping. When, later that night, his company was almost surrounded and ordered to withdraw, McGregor organised this so successfully that not a man or an article of equipment was lost.
Throughout this entire operation, McGregor was said to have shown leadership of a very high order. The citation for his MC praised “his personal bravery” as “a magnificent example to all his men”.
Full obituary with photograph.
