Major-General E G Sinclair-Maclagan CB CMG DSO


Sinclair-Maclagan served in the Yorkshire Regiment until 1910 when he was appointed to instruct Australian officers. Throughout World War One he commanded Australian troops, most notably at Gallipoli. He led the landing attack on 25 April 1915 which was unsuccessful.

Ewen George Sinclair-Maclagan was born in Edinburgh on 24 Dec 1868. His father was a banker. He was educated at the United Services College in North Devon, one of his fellow pupils was Rudyard Kipling. He joined the militia then gained a commission in the Border Regiment in 1889. He went to India and fought with his regiment in the Waziristan campaign. He was in the Boer War from 1899 to 1901, as a major and company commander, winning the DSO. In 1901 he was seconded to the Australian Army where he was adjutant in the New South Wales Scottish Rifles. This appointment lasted 3 years and he returned to Britain. It is not clear at what point he transferred from the Borderers to the Green Howards but he was with the latter regiment in 1910 when Australian officer, Brigadier William Bridges offered Sinclair-Maclagan a post at The Royal Military College, Duntroon, to train young Australian officers. He accepted and went back to Australia as a lieutenant-colonel. 

The photo shows him in the dress tunic of the Yorkshire Regiment with his DSO, Queen’s South African medal and Indian General Service medal. When war broke out in 1914 Brigadier Bridges formed the Australian Imperial Force for service overseas and Sinclair-Maclagan commanded the 3rd Brigade in the 1st Division. They were selected to be the lead brigade at the Gallipoli landing, but it was soon clear that they had been landed in the wrong place. They attempted to assault Baby 700, a prominent feature but this failed so he directed them to  the Second Ridge. The repeated Turkish counter-attacks wore down the Australians and Sinclair-Maclagan was overcome with exhaustion. He was relieved of command and returned, only to become unfit by August when he was medically evacuated.

His brigade was transferred to the Western Front and Sinclair-Maclagan was in command at the Battles of Pozieres and Mouquet Farm in the summer of 1916. In December of that year he was sent back to England to command the Australian Depot. In July 1917 he was given the temporary rank of major-general and command of the 4th Division which was about to fight at Passchendaele. He also commanded them at Polygon Wood and in the following year they were on the Somme against the German Offensive. He was also in charge of the Australian mission to assist in the training of American troops. The last major engagement was the successful battle of St Quentin Canal.

After the war he returned to the British Army and commanded the 51st Highland Division. He retired in 1925 but was made honorary Colonel of the 34th Battalion, Australian Army, and Colonel of the Border Regiment from 1923 to 1936. He died in Dundee on 24 Nov 1948. He was married to Edith Kathleen French but she died in 1928. They had a daughter.


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by Stephen Luscombe